CHILDREN AN ASSET

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1940, Page 9

CHILDREN AN ASSET

STERILITY DISLOYAL attitude at kaponga Disloyalty to their Creator and their country was the charge laid at the door of childless men and women by speakers at the official opening of the Kaponga centennial memorial rest and Plunket 100ms yesterday, when concern was expressed at the low birthrate of the Dominion. The subject was first introduced by Mrs. B. Stevenson, president of the Opunake hranch of the Plunket Society, who referring to the facilities offered in modern times compared with those prevailing in the days of the pioneers said there was no excuse for small families. There was nothing that the Government or the people could do that would make up for what the mothers and the babies meant to New Zealand. They were the greatest assets New Zealand had. Rcplacing Waste of Life.

"With the great wastage of human life that is going on we want all the babies we can get." she declared. "For the life of me I cannot understand why we have so many thousands of disloyal men and women in our midst, disloyal to themselves, disloyal to their Creator and disloyal to the country they claim to be so proud to bclong to, men and women who fail to bring up families for the well being of the community," said Mr. P. Thomson later in the proceedings. "There is no greater national assct than strong and virile mcn and gracious women." "The birthrate of the Dominion is very low and the population is almost at a standstill," declared Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. "That is wrong. We must have more people in New Zealand.