The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY,MARCH 7th, 1924. THE BIRTH RATE.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1924, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY,MARCH 7th, 1924. THE BIRTH RATE.

I'or reasons that, of course, can only t'e surmised, the birth-rate in New Zealand has been steadily declining until last year the lowest rate on record was reached with the single exception of the year 1919. comments the “Lyttelton Times”. In that yc-ar the figures were no doubt affected by the drain which the war had made on the manhood of the country and by tho serious outbreak of influenza in the latter part of 1918. In 1923 the birthrate was 21.95 per*thousand of the population, the natural increase in the population (that is, the excess of births over deaths) was 16,468. and the total increase (natural and through migration) was 23.836, equal to 1.87 per cent This is the lowest percentage increase probably in the history of New Zealand except during tiie years 1914 to 1918, when war conditions affected the position. Ten years hack New Zealand had a numerical increase of 32,035 and a per cen’tage increase of 3.04 ]>er cent., while the average annual increase in the decade precediifg the war was 2.78 per ceiit. The smallness of last year’s figure of 1.87 Per cent is therefore apparent. The drop from 2.78 to 1.87 per cent, calculated on the enlarged population means that New Zealand’s accession of people is now going on at a much slower rate than it was. Had the rate of increase shown in 1913 Been repeat-

e 1 in 1023 there would have been an addition of about 18.100 to the population in place of 23,800 odd us actually was the ease. It is true that while the birth-rate has been steadily falling there has been also a gradual decline, though a smaller one, in the death rate bet the net natural increase is now showing a quite appreciable drop compared with what it used to he not so very many years back. Much has been written and numerous speculations have been made as to the factors contributing towards falling birth-rates in various countries. Many people consider that- economic movements are very largely responsible, and unless the rising cost of living is generally accompanied by a fully corresponding improvement in wages there would seem t > he some reason for assuming that the difficulties of domestic economy have a deterrent effect on thv size of the average family. But dogmatism

on this point is not, very sale, since investigators hare declared that generallv speaking the poorer classes are the must prolific in the matter of children, the limitation of the family be-

ing practised mostly by people in belter circumstances. Whatever the reason or reasons for the position, the figures recorded for last year are almost startling, for (with the exception of tile war period) one must- go Finch i > 1007 (when the total population was 3(50.000 fewer) to find recorded in a. single year as low a margin of births over deaths as New Zealand had 111 1023. sixteen years later.