DECREASING BIRTH-RATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1920, Page 10

DECREASING BIRTH-RATE.

SMALL FAMILY TENDENCY. ENDOWMENT OF MOTHERHOOD. At the meeting of the Women's Christian Temperance Union at Wellington, the following motion was adopted: "That this convention of New Zealand women views with concern the steady decrease of the birthrate of this: country, and earnestly desire to drawl the attention of the Government to the j position, as follows: : , lit considers that, apart from the gen- i eral modern tendency towards small families, which nothing can alter very ranch, there are at least two important considerations, which would, if attended to, inui-ease the birthrate to a certain extent, while at the same time ensuring that those children who are bora will be better born and cared forOne of these considerations is that the limited means of the average mother of more than three children makes it impossible for her to get suitable home help, so that after the birth of a third child, motherhood becomes a physical burden, and too often results in a permanent breakdown of the mother's health. The other is that the gradual increase for many years past in the cost of living makes the parent of small means look with dread upon the prospects of a large family. We therefore urge upon Parliament and the Government the great importance of dealing at once with this matter, and would suggest as part of the remedy that some, practical and | wpll-safe-guarded scheme for the endowment of motherhood should he undertaken, and that the question of the cost; of living should he fairly and efficiently \ cealt with in this connection and with- '■ out delay. I