The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-09-24
IN FRANCE.
h European Republic Alarmed by
Its Declining Birth Rate.

iZers are DR.. Jacques Bertillon. chief
of the bureau Of statistics. of Paris; NJ.
Charles Richet. professor of the faculty
of medicine in the same city. and DR..
laval, member Of h Academy OF
Medicine. For years these men have
noticed with regret that the population
of France was not increasing proper
tionately with the population Of other
countries, and now they come forward
with what they believe to be ar infalli-
bic remedy for this evil.
That some drastic remedy is needed
they insist. az otherwise France must
o o sink to the rank of secOnd-rate,
or Eve a third-rate. nation. A hun
dred years z the great cOuntries-in
other words, the great powers of Eu-
rope-contained 9S. 900, 900 inhabitants,
of whom 26, 1000, 900. or 81 per cent. were
residents of France. To-day these same
countries contain 900, 900, 900 inhabi-
tants, of whom $4,000 900, or only II
per cent, live in France. These figures
speak for themselves. and the obvious
conclusion. according to DR.. Bertillon
anu Ills COilttlS utS, IL tlldt IL ttt Dlllls
continue to decrease at the same omin-
Gus rate, France, which vas once n
of the most powerful countries in Eu-
rope, will soon be one of the weakest.
These gentlemen have begun their
novel campaign by founding a society.
for the Relief Of the French Population"
The defensive measures which they
propose to adopt are numerous, but FOR
the immediate present they will confine
their attention to three points. l. They
will try to get the laws relating to in
heritance greatly modified; 2. they will
try to get all direct taxes removed from
those families which have more than
three children; and, 3. they will try to
have the laws relating to succession
duties thoroughly reformed. AS 1t Is
manifest that the nations treasury
would be seriously affected by the re-
mOval Of taxes in the case of all fami-
lies which have more than three chill
dren, it is proposed to place a tax of
one-ffth of l per cent. on all families
which are childlesS or have only one or
two children.
There are said to be excellent rea-
sons for these proposed reforms. The
larger a mans family in France. we are
told. the more he is taxed, both directly
and indirectly, the result being that
thrifty parents do not care to have
many children. Moreover. the parents
property must be divided among the
children, and If the children are num-
erOus and the property small. the dlSas-
trous results can easily be %fOreseen. In
other countries the law of entail Is
maintained pretty rigidly and though
it's operation seems hardly equitable OF
natural as regards younger children, 1t
certainly seems to act in some degrees
as a preventive Of depOpulaitOn.
Remove all ~burdensome taxes from
fruitful families" say the members of
the National Alliance, land let French
women and Frenchmen know that.
even from a monetary point OF view,
1t will be fortunate for them to have
many children. Then, as the national
treasury must be supported, let us tax
those parents who have few or no chill
dren. Parents who have no children or
only one or two children may reason
ably be required to contribute a goodly
quota toward the support of the safe.
whereas 1t Is improper and unjust to
expect any support from those parents
who have to provide for numerous
children. DO this, and France Will
soon become, as she was in the past.
one of the greatest powers in Europe:
fail to do this and France will soon
sink to the level of Denmark. Belgium
or Holland"
The members Of the alliance intend
to hold several public meetings and to
publish several pamphlets setting forth
their views. They offer membership 10
all who care to assist them. irrespective
Of creed or political opinions. Many
persons throughout France have al
ready announced their adhesion 10 the
program of the alliance. and it is con
tidently expected that in the near flu
ture the necessary bills In regard 10
succession duties and the abolition of
taxes will be presented to the French
Legislature. What the result will he
can not be foretOld. but DIR. BertillUn
and his colleagues are confident that
01eir appeal to French patriotism will
not be in vain.
Others. however. who kuoW nothing
about statistics, but who profess TO
know a good deal about human nature.
maintain that this clllSdar Will pro
duce little result for he reason that the
opposing forces are NOT mainly econ
Omical. but are the result of old time
habits and ways OF thinking, against
which it will be impossible to success
fully combat. Taxes and Succession
duties, say these critics. have nothing