THE FALLING BIRTH-RATE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1838, 11 June 1918, Page 2

THE FALLING BIRTH-RATE.

“IF the birth-rate in New Zealand between the years 1882 and 1886 had been maintained there would have been 240,000 more people than there are in the Dominion to-day,” said the Hon. G. . Russell, speaking at the Town Hall Coneert Chamber in ■ Auckland. “The question yf birth-rate is largely an eto-

nomic* one, and if wo want an increase in ilu> population the Slate mast share with the parents the responsibility of looking after the eliihlren. After the war is over one of our great problems will lie to secure a large increase in oar population. We shall have to adopt some scheme to encourage a stream of immigrants to New Zealand. We want the right class of people—men who will go to the hack-blocks, fell the bash, farm the lands, make roads and railways; and women who will he willing to enter domestic service and help the wives and mothers of the Dominion, on some of whom the burdens of the home now fall very heavily. New Zealand must be prepared to pay for tiie passages of those whom we want to help in the work of colonisation. Oar lands are not being opened up because of the want of men, and unless a remedy is provided we will reach a stale of stagnation in regard to the development of our primary industries;”