DR. IZARD IN REPLY.

New Zealand Tablet, 31 August 1911, Page 1691

DR. IZARD IN REPLY.

' TO THE EDITOR. ; Sir,—My attention has been drawn to a letter by ' New Ireland ' in your paper on ' Ireland and Illegitimacy ' in which the writer takes exception to my remarks on the illegitimate birth rate'. My figures are taken from the New Zealand Year Book for 1910, page 332. I quoted from that book to show ; where New Zealand stood in the illegitimate birth rate, at the same time quoting my authority. The rates for England and Wales and also for Ireland are not mentioned, why I do not know. If any blame is attachable to anyone, it is to those who compiled the figures. I am much obliged for the figures supplied, which I shall quote next time I am dealing with the subject. I have long been aware that the illegitimate birth rate for Ireland was exceptionally low, which is a matter for all Irishmen to feel proud of; but as I had no exact figures I was unable to quote the rate for Ireland and used only those rates appearing in the last Year Book. The writer's statement that I ' have followed the usual practice of disregarding Ireland's claim to fair treatment ' is hardly fair comment, as nothing was further from my thoughts. —I am, etc., ARNOLD W. IZARD. Wellington, August 25, 1911. . [We gladly publish this explanation from Dr. Izard, whose attitude towards Catholics, so far as we know, has always been one of cordial friendship and goodwill. At the same time it cannot be gainsaid that a lecture on comparative Illegitimacy which made no reference to Ireland's conspicuously low rate was thus far imperfect. The figures regarding Ireland, and its various counties, have been given several times "nd with great detail in the N.Z. Tablet, our last reference to the subject being in the issue of September 1, of last year. Dr. Izard is sure to have the standard work on Illegitimacy by Albert Leffmgwell, M.D., on his

library shelves; and lie will find full official figures regarding Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales, in the Appendix to the volume,' while a glance at the comparisons made on pp. 17, 18, will furnish him with matter that will give added point and pungency to ? his next lecture on the subject Ed. N.Z.T.]