NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 25 July 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The birth-rate of the Australian Commonwealth i 6 still on the up grade. A cablegram published elsewhere in this issue states that the rate per thousand in 1912 was 28.65, an increase of 1.44 on the previous year. This must be considered satisfactory in view of the fact that the birth-rate has been steadily falling in Great Britain France, Germanyj

and other countries. The rate for I the whole Commonwealth during 1911 was higher than in any of the preceding ten years, there haying been an uninterrupted increase since 1907. This increase, however, has been confined to New South Wales and South Australia. The figures for the Commonwealth in 1901 were 27.1G, and this had fallen to 26.23 in 1905. Since then the rate has been as follows: — 100(1 20.57 J 907 -20.70 I'JOB 26.5» 1909 26.® 1910 20.73 1911 27.21 1912 28.05 In the United Kingdom the birthrate lias fallen from 33.8 in 1871 to 2.1.7 in 1910, and the death-rate from 21.5 to 13.9. According to latest statistics, France has a birth-rate of 18.7, and a death-rate of 19.6. For the period ] 872-75, the German birth-rate was 41.82, and since then it has gradually fallen, the figures for 1911 being 29.48. The death-rate in Germany for the same period fell from 29.24 to 18.16. In New Zealand the number of births during 1911 was 26,354, or 25.97 per 1000, being an increase in number of 370 over the previous year, but the rate was lower by 0.20. From 1886 to 1899 there was a regular fall in the rate, which in the latter year was 25.12 (the lowest on record), and since then there has been a slight improvement.

An outline of the education policy | of the British Government is given in a cablegram which we publish in another column. It is not, however, proposed to give legislative effect to it until next year. It is not such an ambitious ancl far-reaching scheme as that which Loud Haldane foreshadowed some months ago. Its main provisions deal with the secondary system, the object being to provide "a broad smooth road from the elementary schools to the University." The Bill also extends the scope of elementary education, including the supply of meals for poor children. The Bill does not provide for any root and branch alterations in the system as far as religious instruction is concerned. The voluntary schools are to continue as at present, but _ the Nonconformist grievance in single school areas is to be removed. The cablegram does not state how this is to bo done, but it is certain that the Government will have to act warily in this matter, or they will be in danger of alienating the Irish members. The Educational Settlement Committee, which was formed to bring about an agreement among the various denominations, has suggested that the single school area difficulty might be removed by facilitating the transfer to the Councils of denominational schools wherever accommodation in a Council school is not available. If the denominational authorities .should refuse to consent to this, a Council school would have to be built, in which case the Church school would receive no assistance from the rates. In this way schools under public control would be made accessible to all children of school age.

The decision of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union in refusing to agree_ to Sunday matches in connection with the coming tour of New Zealand footballers in America will meet with the approval of the great majority of people throughout the Dominion. It is a question of principle as well as one of expediency. It is quite possible that some members of the team may see no harm in Sunday play, but others may take a different view, and it would bo an improper thing to put pressure, direct or indirect, on any player in such a matter. Moreover there is an impression abroad that the sports protection movement is committed to a policy of undermining the traditional English Sunday, aind the action of the Management Committee will go a long way to reassure many people on this point. It would be bad policy to outrage the religious sentiments of a very large section of the people of New Zealand, and it is also becoming more clearly recogniscd that Sunday, play of a public charactcr generally involves Sunday work. In England the feeling against Sunday amusements is rapidly growing in strength among the working classes, and the fact that Mr. Harry Lauder is one of its most hearty supporters is a sufficient indication that the movement is not of a rigidly Puritanical character. Mr. Charles Coborn, a famoiis_ musichall singer, voiced the opinion of a very large part of the community when he recently-stated: "We would not like to lose our Sunday, a day of rest and to thank God for the bread and butter we have had during the week."