The White Peril

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 6, 20 February 1911, Page 6

The White Peril

(By W. H. WOODCOCK.) 1 read from time to time the promulgations of politicians on race suicide, and see their feigned or real desire to cope with present circumstances. A person of average mental ability, who does not blind himself to evident facts, can perceive the main cause of the voluntary disposition of the worker to curtail the birth-rate as much as is possible in his own domestic domain. The M.P. who avers that he cannot understand the present declining birth-rate would, if he had practical knowledge for a period, under similar conditions as the average married worker, get facts that would exhibit distinctly why this class are not prone to have large families. At the present rate of commodities 1 contend that 10s per week is the least quantity tliat should be assigned as a Jiving rate to every man, woman and child for food and clothing to keep body and soul together decently, without other contingencies such as house rent, doctors' expenses, etc. The average award rate of wage in this dominion to a male adult worker would, if lie was in constant employment, result in him receiving no more than £2 10s per week. This remuneration would, at my low estimation of living, provide food and warmth for himself, wife and three children. The rent of a decent house would be at least 10s per week, which ivould mean, on the basis of my estimate, one child less, or a family of two, for every worker who is in constant employment. There are rare cases of breadf-winners earning more than £2 10s per week, but not as much more as would warrant them having big families on the 10s per week basis. On the other hand, there are a great many married male workers in this counti - 3' who, through lack of employare compelled to maintain large •families on a much lower standard of wage than the average award prescribes. At this juncture I beg leave to put forth the argument that a big number of degenerates owe their present unenviable state to the fact of their parents having insufficient monetary support to enable them to be properly bred and cared for. It must bo obvious to every fair-minded individual that large families cannot be reared efficient!v when their generators have to work laboriously for a mere pittance. The man or woman who bring children to the world under these conditions are, to my mind (unconsciously, perhaps, but nevertheless) committing an injustice which perhaps will never be effaced. The limitation of tho birth-rate of the drones or aristocracy is also an evident fact, and under the present social system should, by all who have the welfare at heart, be accounted a blessing, inasmuch as it eases the worker of performing the function of compulsoril? coivt: ibuting towards the support of too many of this class. At the same time 1 think we should strive to get representation in Parliament that will balance matters so as to give both the drones and the workers encouragement to rear healthy and unlimited families. To the furtherance of this end I would advocate (with certain restrictions) the paseing of a Bill into law which, would turn the increment that deceased persons leave behind into the coffers of the State, there to be applied to the betterment of the people whose labour has made it, and to whom it justly belongs.