THE FALLING BIRTH-RATE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 224, 10 June 1918, Page 4

THE FALLING BIRTH-RATE

NEED TOR POPULATION. "If the birth-rate in New Zealand be. twetm the years 18S2 and 1886 had been maintained there would havo bees 240,000 , more people than there are in the Dominion to-day," fiaid the Hon. G. W. Russell, speaking at the Town Hall Concert Chamber ,in Auckland. "The question of birth-rate is largely an economic one, .and if wo want an increase in the population the State must share with the parents the responsibility . of looking after the children. • After thn war is over ono of our great problems will be to secure a largo increase in oui population. We shall hove to adopt soma scheme to 1 encourage a stream of immigrants to. New Zealand. Wo want the right class of people—men who will go to the back-blocks, fell the bush, farm the lands, make roads and railways; and women who will be willing to enter domestic service and help the wives and mothers of the Dominion,* on somo of whom tho burdens of the home now fall very heavily. New Zealand must bo prepared to pay for the passages of those whom wo want to help in tho work of colonisation. Our lands aro not being opened up because of tho want of men, and unless a remedy is provided we will reach a state of stagnation in regard to the development of our primary industries."