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Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1933, Page 4

Japan continues to lead all countries of the world in the growth of her population, writes the Tbkio correspondent 0 f the Times. The natural increase last year is shown in returns issued by the Cabinet Bureau of Statistics to have been 1,007,868. Several record are created. The first is the figure itself; the round million, looming in sight for several years, has now 'been passed. The number of ly'rths (but not the birth-rate) is the highest, and the death-rate (but not the number of deaths) is the lowest ' recorded in Japan since the compilation of accurate statistics began.

Births in 1932 numbered 2,182,743, an increase of 80,737 over 1931. There were four every minute of the day on an average. The rate per 1000 ol population was 32.92, as compared with 32.10 in 1931 and 36.19 in 1920. (Healths numbered 1,174.875, a decrease of 65,579 from the previous year. The death-rate was 17.72, as against 18.98, and is the lowest shown in the Japanese records. A remarkable fall in infant mortality, mild seasons and an absence'of serious epidemics are suggested as the causes. The natural increase of population was greater by 146,334 than in 1.931, and the rate of increase rose from 13.18 to 15.20 per 10CO. Yet side by side with this increase, which amply justifies past predictions, statisticians note ,i social tendency which they believe will bring about a diminution of the rate of increase within one or two decides. The marriage rate is steadily declining, because the age of marriage is becoming later. Middle-class families no longer hasten to marry their sons at 21 and their daughters at 17 or 18. The effect will, in the- opinion of Professor Tejiro Ueda, of Tokio University of Commerce, cause a. marked slowing down of the natural increase before 1950.