The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-12

been occastoned w the pretended discovery OF
an alarming tendency to shrinkage I'm the French
populltio The letter Of a well-known ccono-
mist, NJ. Leonce de Iavergne. pointed out with
emphatic earnestness that the excess OF births
over deaths In France has diminished during the
last few years. In the vigorous encounter be-
tween cIoakers and optimists. which naturally
ensued. many curious explanations h We been
put forward. and some interesting facts have
been brought out.
1t IL certain that the population OF France
grows very slowly and that its density IL tela-
lively inconsiderable while Belgium, for exam
pie. contains one hundred and sixty.o one innabi-
tants to the square kilometre Great Britain and
Ireland ninety one, and even Germany seventy
SIX, the French territory, although compare
lively fertile Is able to show but sixty-eigh II
we turn to the periods in which population has
been found 10 double, we find Russia gaining a
hundred per cent. In fifty years, ENGLAND in nfty-
four. and Prussia IN y-two years. while France
falls far behind other European countries. re-
quiring almost two centuries for the same ex-
pansion. These general conclusions seem to be
toeraDly well settled, but the special apprehen-
slons Of NJ. de Laverrne are hardly justified by
the data before him, namely, that the excess OF
births over deaths IN 1873 disclosed a falling OF
OF about forty-one per cent. a. compared with
the preceding year. hut the same thing had &C
Cured before In 1855 and again in 1851 yet the
normsl proportion was presently reest ablished
The census which IL about to be taken may aid
us to determine what significance, II any, should
he attached To the shortcominv of 1874 Mean
while IL IN obvious that the average of decenuiaI
or nj lcast otlnauenntal pertods affords the only
sound basis for calculation. tits scarcely worth
while, therefore, to consider seriously the sius-
ter predictions which have been founded on
such slight evidence, but there il no doubt that
the broad facts above cited call for some ex-
pl,nation.
Two or three srecinc reosons may he given for
the backwardness of France In respect of growth
Of populatiou. II is observed that the mendi
can't class. which il numerous in Lover prttta.
nv md also the ashermen aInna thu cn.sts mr..
especi liy prolific, apparently because children
I'm these cases are useful auxiliaries of THAR
parents and when grown and emtIovment
without difficulty In the same yocattona So
long too as the French peasant remains merely
a farm laborer without interest In the soil, he
app.ars To uursue N similar course but from the
moment he becomes n land owner we SEQ tho
.xoansion of bis family arrested. IL ia evident
tn,t pumerous cb,Idran would cbeck ,, ,e,st
far a cortain linn. tho furtber exiension Of his
pronertv. and that mo,eover unop h,. ds.,h
tho holainy toi,fnlIv .cou,red would ha ,rit'
tored aw,vu,der , ia,y comn.ii,n, a.. d,v,s,o,
anon, an his hs,,s Irnd.r ,h.s. c,rcnms,,ncas
,,o ,hr,,,t,.ss IN, ,oras,.,, ..h,oh 90 49,,
s,,cnous 4, IN. Fr.ncn n..sa,t and c,ns,,-
mt I'm fact his s,,.ng,h. ara natur,lIv enIistad
an m. aida ~ ALT ,.s,r,,n,
WI, r.g,rd 20 Tho .r,,s.os =, ,orns vh.
form, In Franca . vary ,,.Il,g.n, cl.s. los, -.oo.
and tho hur,,.n .,,,,Iad no ,ha axnan.a. -, "a
uc,tinn and .nnrenticeshin nrohahiv onar,,a =,
n general way to restrict the numbsr of o,sori,y
put special mo,,ves sas,, IN no ,van,,n,, a., ,h,s
NOT touch the artisan. pecaus. he has nothing
to heoue,tb and moreover ha il o.,su,.niv
certain of securing IN h,s ,hidran o,n,r,,,nI,iss
n,t n,uch infer,or IN his o,vn accordi,gIv ,,.
and that the Denartments nj tna Nor,h and oI
the Saline which buve TN I,ry.st nanut,ctu,,n,
uonul,,ion are preriseIv tboaa WHARF tho nv,
cess ,f births over ,ie,th. IL most consia.r.nI.
All the above ,ct-. taken togetber furnish some
ground for the axiom winch has been form,,-
Lated nv French economists tb,t a Give, nal,
will brret more chtldr.n in oroportion a. ,he
/ tier NAV attain more easily TO tho po.ition of
their tarent-
Ihe correctness of this prlnciple as npnlied
t. France. is more decislyely est,bIished hy the
81 tie II things remarked in the middle class mr.
50 called b,urt..,isi, 70 nare,ts balancing IN
this category each additional mid IA AN onerous
itcumnrance For the male OF .ur,nr Of neopls
in easy circumstances only one sort of .duc,-
ton Is deemed suitable the study of Latin and
Greek pursued not with the aim of acnuirtny
those Languages but Of Winning rho degree ,f
Btchelor of Arts y,ich IA a snecies of ,n,nd,-
rin'- ceftiA, tie. This course Of training exacts
i.ht years and ,large stc,i0ce OF Nancy If il
esttrltei that the prep,r,tton Of , doctor costs
5000. md that Of An .dvoe,,e hardy less Tn
Pam. neit her one nor the other can hon. IN cain
living before the ace OF iorty. II was bnt lac.
10 ,h,t 80, .,rt,.r, Cd. o,,,..... 81. -. -