Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1890-03-06
THE POPULATION OF FRANCE.
Causes Leading t" Its Decline--What tho
Official Records Say.

Oficial Records Say.
II seems hard to realize that one OF tho
great nations Of tho world is III imminent
danger Of losing its position as first rate
power; but the recent published statistics OF
the French population point to this contin.
gency as not remote one, and already meas
ures have been taken by the government to
bring about change for the better.
The official records set forth that in 1SSS
the births numbered $50, ,G39 and tho deaths
SS7, 1867, SO that the natural Increase of popu-
lation was only 44,772. The year before it
was So, ,536 Since 1SS4 the number Of births
shows constant decrease, and the chief OF
tine municipal statistical department says the
birth rate per 900 has been lower each Sue
reedng decennial period from lsll-lS2O, when
the trate was 33 1t has come down as fol-
lows: 81, 20, 81, 9G, s6, 25 Last year it was
222, and in no less than 43 departments out
of 81 the deaths exceed the births.
Contrast the statistics Of Russia for 1887
ut. those of France for 1883. Tie Russian
deaths were 3,s2Ss S3S; the births 4, Sa ,447, un
excess of ,505, ,Gl9 and birth rate of 40 for
evcry 1000 of population of los, ,Se6,97s
From 1861 TO 1850 the average excess OF births
over deaths per VU of population was: In
England, l3; Germany, ~; Italy, Z; and the
last Of the European nations stands France,
with a sorry showing of 2. The little COM
fort left in this is wiped out by the statement
that, in order to produce the result, che
births and deaths of the foreigners were taken
into consideration, the real Increase OF TIE
French people being but 90 per 600. It is
sad to record such falling OF in nation
whose people have played so important and
active part in the worlds history, but the
facts are there, stubborn enough. and the
subject is likely to he dealt with by tho au
thorities without delay We understand that
parents of seven children, legitimate or
acknowledged, are TO I've relieved from the
"contribution personelle ct immobiiere,'
thus to some extent encouraging the raising
Of large families.
Two causes seem to be working the evil re-
ferred to, low birth and heavy death rates.
The first is due to voluntary limitation OF
families. The decrease in population is no
tice,ble in the rich agricultural parts OF
France, and readers may remember with
what pride certain advocates Of the Malthu-
sian theory pointed to the small families OF
the prosperous French peasantry. TO whata
pass the limitation has brought the country
the figures now given tell. Another cause,
which may not appear on the surface, un-
doubtedly has something to do with the pres
ent state Of things. We allutle to the gross
loss of life during the first Napoleons cam
paigns The country was drained of men
who were physically fitted for the ordeal of
war. Napoleon's levies were large, and in
the flush of victory, costly though 1t was, no
consideration seems to have been paid to the
price in human life at which it was bought.
The first reul shock came after the news of
the retreat from Moscow, during which
enough men perishe1 to partially account for
,he unwiingness Of the people to furnish
food for powder' 1t is the third genera
ton since the retreat, and La Belle France is
having her "bad quarter Of an hour"
The sanitary condition of the cities also
appears to be bad, and NJ Henri Monod, Di-
recteur LAssurance Publiquc lays great
stress upon the inefliciency Of sanitary laws
because nobody has the authority to impose
on the communal budget expenses which
may be really necessary AS an example of
what practical sanitary measures will achieve
this gentleman points to the fact that from
lSfD-lS1O the general mortality in Eng land
was about 22 50 per ZOO. After the estab-
lishment of local government boards the
death rate from 1S1l-lSSO fell to Fl. 40, and
in eight years more it had dropped to 1920,
while for 1883 it was but lS.S
Calculating on population Of 3s,OO,0D,
the average French death rate per 1000 was
last year % 05. If our Gallc neighbors be-
come sufficiently aroused to the Importance
of the interests at stake and take steps to re-
duce the mortality four per 1000, and also
hold out some special inducements to parents
to rear larger families, the evil will in turn
be overcome, but action should not be de-
ferred.-New York Spectator.