New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-18

cent in sixty years. During th' srN'h '''9 -
~. the yearly excess Of births over deaths IN the
German Empire was $4,000 At the present rate
Of increase the population of Germany would
donble before the next century was half completed
All thoughtful Germans asking. what are We
going TO do about it As the supply of labor ana
business competition incTesase. wages and business
profts-already dsiIessingy low-must fall, unless
the demand for labor increase IN like proportion
and the most sangne ear discover no reason 10
hope that this will he the case. The alternative
Is poverty and emigration. or slower rate OF IN
| crease Of population. DR.. Fabri has dednced the
following law from a consideration OF the various
elements involved: An emigration OF masses
accommodating corresponding pretty nearly
TO the difference between the increase OF demand
for labor and the increase of population is an eco
noInc necessity for Germany
Evils OF OvTg-POPULATIOS
The present population of Germany presses
closely on the means of subsistence. Many strong
man who would be only too glad to labor iOr 20
cents q day. seeks work in vain. The townships
(gemeinden) and cities throughout all Germany are
financially embarrassed, chiefly on account Oh 'he
expense of providing for the poor. The middle ana
higher classes are also affected. Parents every
where are anxiously asking. what shall we DO
with our boysR what shall we do with our girls
The requirements exacted from those who would
enter the civil service or the military service rs
officers are severe and daily becoming severer, but
the supply of qualified candidates Is too great LOT
the demand In commerce there is little opening
for young men of superior ability. Noble
efforts have been made to open mp to women new
WAYS of gaming a livelihood. but the competition
with the stronger sex is everywhere so sharp that
great progress has not been made. IL seems to DO
necessary to look the matter squareiy IN the lace
and acknowledge that Germany has quite rs large
population now she needs; that some districts
as those OF Upper Sllesia, are already oyer-Popu-
lated What do we mean By Over-population
INSTRUMENTATION exists when the people oi conn
try or district unable to gain means OF living III
n manner which IS necessary and desirable Tor
those in their stare of culture whatever THAT may
be- If civilized people are rcduced TO living like
cattle OH account of the pressure of population theY
furnish an example of population. even though
they NAV not starve In Upper Silesia tile people
are so reduced that the least disturbance OF the
natural course of events, a little too much RAIN,
trife too little or the failure of any crop, brings
them the verge Of starvation. Year after year
heart-rcndng appeals are made to State ana private
charity What is TO be done about 1t! Preventive
measures against increase OF population have been
argued by some. DR.. Fabri advocates legal re-
strant upon the liberty of marriage, 80 rs to pre-
vent too early and hnprudent marriages; and it is
TO these that the celebrated DR.. Engel traces the
distress of the communes or parishes.
The experience of Upper Sesa has an interesting
and important bearing upon the theory OF popula-
ton advocated by Herbert Spencer and HenrvCareV'
Both hell, that the tendency to increase OF popula-
ton din inished naturally country becomes older
and population Genser, c.. that the supply was
self-rcculating and corrcsPonded TO the needs o
the country The rate of increase OF population in
Germany shows no tendency 10 diminish, and IN
Upper Silesia whore OF all places population ac-
cording TO Speuccrs theory ought TO increase most
slowly it increases most rapidly. The increase OF
population i'll the German Empire during the years
1871 was about ll3 per cent, but IN the DIS
tricts Tarnowitz Beuthen, and Kattowitz. all in
Upper Slesa. the increase was % per cent; IN
Bculen the population has doubled during the last
sixteen years.
a slower increase of population would save Ger
many great expeusc'and increase the wealth OF the
country in proportion TO the number Of the people
in other words the strength and prosperity OF the
country 1t does not make much difference how
many people there i'll country as how they
live physically mentally, and morally. The
power and wealth OF kings" said Henry ~. Of
France depend on the number and the Opulence
of their subjects" and that is the est OF the whole
theory Of population numbers ana opulence. MS
applics to war. Frederick the Great declared that
the Weather nation would ultimately conquer. and
Germans are now beginning to understand what he
meant 1t looks as if wealthy France might con
ouer poor Germany by means OF the armed peace,
now bearing so heavily on tho resources Of the
latter
NJ Bertillon has recently given us some highly III
terestn0 statistics to SHOW what France gains
relatively TO Germany by her slower increase OF
nopulotion. The number OF births in Germany
each wear Is equal to about per cent OF the popu-
lotion or 100000. In France the number OF
births is equal only 20 per cent OF the popula-
+ion According to the ratio existing IN France
the number of births in Germany ought TO be only
100000, but this is exceeded. rs we have seen
bv 100000 According TO statistical average
$4,000 OF these $50 900 attain the age of twenty
If we follow French statistcians, we must put the
cost of bringing up each one OF these $4,000 at
I 600 francs; and the total cost at 1000 times
3l35OO or 1,37G.00O0O0 francs. Gemanys
higher tate of increase of population costs her
yearly one and Onc-third millaIds of francs more
than the cost would be at the French rate. II the
population Of France increased rapidly rs that of
1;ermnny. she would be obliged to bear yearly the
expensr Of bringing up 20 the twentieth year an
additional population of 10000. or 1,2i00)0.0O0
francs Franco saves at present and capitallZes
this one ana one-fourth miliiards OF francs; this
saving in four years is considerable enough TO pay
the WA, indemnificaton received by Germany. The
slower increase in population i'll France is not due
I'm q smaller number OF marriages, but TO smaller
families AS regards marriage. thore is no other
country III Europe which is i'll so desirable con
dition as France In proportion 10 population mar
liacos are more frequent in France than III Ger
many and the parties marry younger, both of which
circumstances are fortunate for France. physically
and morally. All statistics. those of German as
we'll as French writers. show a relatively far
greater amount of conjuga happiness in France
than in Germany, whether regard be mad to fire.
ouencv OF marriage, TO divorce, lllegtimate child
ZEN length of married life. age and condition of