IMPENDING PERIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 54, 8 March 1904, Page 4

IMPENDING PERIL.

AUSTRALIA'S DECLINING BIRTHRATE. NATIONAL EXTINCTION. (Per Press Association.) SYDNKY, March 5. The Birth-rate Commission, appointed to inquire into the subject of the declining birth-rat#, lias presented an exhaustive report. It laments the existence of grave disorder sapping the vitals of the people, ft estimates that jthe State within recent years has, by preventive causes, losi 'Jiio.oiiO inhabitants, and urges drastic reform.

The Commission is satisfied that statistics show there has been a marked decline in the birth-rate in New South Wales since 1889, with a definite tendency to decline commencing some lew years anterior to that date. The decline is characteristic of all the States of Australia, New Zealand, the I'nited Kingdom, and most countries in Europe ; also many of the large cities of tiie Cnited States and South America. The immediate cause of the d»*cline is dealt with in detail, the principal one being deliberate interference with reproduction on account of a desire to limit, families, attributed to unwillingness to submit to the strain and worry of children, and dislike of interference with pleasure and comfort ; also a desire to avoid actual pleasures, which Is increasing. Startling facts ara given as to the injurious effects of certain practices upon the health of women, and the movement in the ins-.miiy rate is shown to be In some measury related to the decline in the birthrate. A great number of suggestions are ottered with a \iew to mitigating the evil. Among these are increased public hospital accommodation, the Public Health Act in certain respects licensing lying-in homes in private hospitals, making indictable certain offences, the formation of an administrative body to he entrusted with the examination and certification oi obstetric nurses, prohibition of Ihe sale of various contrivances and advertisements relating to same, amendment of the Poisons Act in several directions, provision for adequate sanitary accommodation with full privacy in-afi buildings in which women are employed, prohibition of the sale or display of immoral, indecent, or obscene literature, and the publication of improper advertisements, combined with a crusade by the churches, the settlement of people on the land, in order to check the tendency to concentration in the towns, with its many evil results, and a vigorous policy of encouraging immigration.

The Commission says the time must come when there will bo a

cruel awakening. ''Already we can see in the injury to health and tiie wrecking of life that Mature has begun to avenge herself. We find that practices and habits which the doctrines of limitation inculcate tend to undermine morality, loosen the bonds of religion, and obliterate the influence of those higher sentiments for conduct with which the developmentof high national character is ever ; associated." The report states that 'had it not been for reduction of the i birth-rate and excess of mortality among illegitimate children over legitimates, which occurred in the period from 18(!4 to 1902, the population of New South Wales would be more than 250,000 greater than it is. It embodies a table comparing the birth-rate per thousand in the various Australasian States, England, and the Continent, in the years 181)1 and 1900, which shows the birth-rate of New South Wales was the third highest decline on the list, South Australia leading, and Victoria being second. In ten years the birth-rate has fallen from JM.CG to 27.4, while New Zealand, which is fifth on the list, Ml from 29.0 to 20.fi.

FIGrRES FOR NEW ZEALAND. SYDNEY, March 7. The Dirth-rate Commission, allowing the same ratio of decline as NewSouth Wales for other States, estimates that during the period 1864 to 1902, Australasia, through reduction of the birth-rate, lost 940,000 in population. The legislative regulation of employment has not yet, so far as can be traoed by statistics, had any tangible influence on the birth-rate, but the commission cannot overlook the fact that restrictive regulations of trade effectually interfere with continuity of employment in many walks of life, so that an income more or less precarious cannot fail to indirectly discourage the existence of large families. Dealing with the relation between the fall in the birth-rate and insanity it says '"ln New Zealand the birthrate lias fallen almost continuously since 1878, and the insanity rate has had a slight but uniformly upward tendency since 1874, and this tendency became pronounced in 1878. Comparing New Zealand and New South Wales, both the fall in the birth-rate and the rise in insanity have been of greater intensity in New Zealand. Taking the ten years to 1900, New Zealand is sixth, not fifth, on the list. Tasmania, which occupies seventh place, alone of the Australian States occupies a better position, with a decline from ttl.Oto 28.2 ; in Westralia the decline was from H 5.6 to 30.7 ; in Queensland from 80.4 to 150.2 ; in Victoria from 83.G to 2(5.8 ; and in South Australia from 33.U to 25.8.