THE BIRTH-RATE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 29 March 1913, Page 13

THE BIRTH-RATE.

(By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) : Aucklaid, March 28. "What do jou attHbiits the low birthrate;, to?" asked Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., of Mrs. Eiuilyi Nicol when tho latter was concluding her final address at the St. Helens Home inquiry yesterday, with a reference to the declining r'tal statistics of New Zealand. ' "To the curtailing of tho family circle," was tho reply. When further asked to state exactly what the meant, Mrs. Nicol said: "I mean tho practice of parents deciding to have so many children and no more." SII3 oould not blaine them, she said, because the tensions of life were so tight that something, must bo done to relieve them. Tho ommercial conditions of tho world wc-ro such as jo produce a high scale of living, which made it impossible for working- peoule to bring lip largo families. Mrs. Niojl iirgjd that the report of tho Commission should contain a recommendation which would perhaps ri-sult in improving Hie system of mate.-nity homes in New Zealand so that tho Dominion would bo able to assert itself and honourably respond to tho repeated cry to "keep tho cradles full."