THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1909. AN ORIGINAL METHOD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3121, 23 February 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1909. AN ORIGINAL METHOD.

An original method has apparently been adopted by the State of lowa for encouraging the natural increase of population, though it would seem that there must be soma misinterpretation of the exact scheme passed by the local Legislature, since a money reward of one dollar for every infant born would hardly induce reluctant mothers to cease from shirking their responsibilities. But

whatever the actual amount of the premium may be, it is plain that the lowa Legislature has made a definite effort to deal with the acknowledged evil of a declining birthrate. lowa in this respect is following the example of Germany, where, in many of th 3 large cities,' mothers are not only assistel by the municipal authorities to their infants according to the best hygienic methods,

but are, in some cases, granted a money allowance before the child is born. Mr W. H. Dawson, in his noteworthy book, "The Evolution of Modern Germany," describes this admirable system thoroughly. At Charlottenburg, for instance, the municipality offers to women about to be confined, whether married or not, for a period of four weeks, free milk and dinner daily, or 6s in money per week, supplemented later by premiums on suckling, and other support if necessary. The result of the whole movement has been a great decrease in infant mortality, which was very high in Germany until 1905, when a united effort was made throughout the German Empire by the State and municipal authorities and by private asssociatons of philanthropic persons. Mr Dawson quotes figures showing that, roughly speaking, 2,000,000 infants are born annually in Germany, of whom, prior to 1905, over 400,000 died under the age of twelve months. This appalling mortality which was considerably higher than the English rate of infantile mortality—a fact attributable in the author's opinion, to the more general and continuous employment of women in industrial life in Germany—aroused the attention of the Government, and the Emperor himself took a prominent part in the crusade' against the conditions which promoted the slaughter of the innocents. "Such a state of things," remarks Mr Dawson, significantly, "was bound to create alarm in a country which attaches supreme importance to national defence." Hence a whole network of organisations, such as infants' dispensaries, where free milk is supplied to necessitous mothers, public creches, nurseries, and associations formed for improving the housing conditions and the nursing and feeding of infants, have been spread over the land. At Munich, a food depot has even been established by the municipality, at which any woman who certifies her need by bringngwith her a young infant, can have a free meal every noon. The result of all this organised care of infant life has already been seen in a marked crease in the infantile mortality. For instance, at the Charlottenburg I establishment alone, where over I 2,000 infanta are treated annually, j the death rate of infants under one year has dropped from 8.4 percent, to 2.9 per cent. Mr Dawson estimates that Germany gains in population to the extent of 140,000 annually by the remedial measures that have been adopted. He quotes Professor Mayet as recommending the Government to expend £6,750.000 per annum in subsidising mothers of the industrial class for six weeks preceding and six weeks following confinement, and also by cash premiums amounting to £2 10s at the end of the infant's first year, on the ground that if this plan were carried out, 80. per cent, of the present infantile mortality would be saved, "and 20,000 additional efficient men would be available for the army annually." Beside the methodical efficiency of the German system, the vague effort of the lowa Legislature shrinks veritably into insignificance. Yet the principle is the same in , both cases.