Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-07-28

New York. are lacking; that IS a pieca
Of very bad municipal government. a
census of Fifth avenue once proved con-
clusively that it is the people who are
best able to care for children who are
least willing 10 do so. The proportion of
children among the very rich is about
as one is to three, when compared TO
the proportion OF children among the
very poor. Figures have just come TO
hand which show in detail the working
of this strange law in London. In 1892
there were born in London 191, 1893 ba-
bies. This gave a birth rate of 300. In
1880 the birth rate in London was 25.3.
Thus in twelve years the number OF
births to the one thousand of population
decreased A. a map accompanying
these statistics showed that in the dis
trlcts inhabited by LOndon's very poor
the birth rate was the highest. In Bel
gravia and other CT London's most ar
istocratic sections 10 was the lowest.
In three selected districts, one occupied
principally bv professional psOple, one
by the rich middle class, and one by the
very rich, the birth rate IL invariably
less than 20 to the 1000. In Shoreditch
Bethnal Green and Whitechapel il is
higher than SO to the 900.
These figures themselves are not so in
teTesting as the study for the reason of
Il. 1t cannot be that the world is get
to be over-pOpUlated, and that nature,
in order to protect those already here,
is decreasing the number of new-com-
ers. Henry NJ Stanley. in an address
before the Royal Geographical Society in
the summer of 1895, said that through
exploration and conquest more available
unoccupied territory is now at the SER
vice of mankind than ever before in the
history OF the world. 1t cannot mean
that the standard of vitality is decreas-
ing, because sanitary and medical sci
ence is known to have increased it. Civ
ilization is not robbing the race OF abil-
ity to reproduce its kind. A recent wri-
ter said: Our strong men are stronger
than old-time strong men; our runners
are swifter than those of Greece: the
physique Of our women has maryellously
improved"
DR.. George F. Shrady once said to the
writer THE decrease of the birth rate
is Cue to womens vanity and mans fear
that she will not be happy unless he sat
isles il. | voice fact that every fan,
lily physician will confirm. The spread
of wealth has brought vast increase of
luxury The first luxury is ecse. the
second is amusement. The pain Of
childbirth is not ease. The woman who
has many children to care for cannot
devote much time to amusement. 1t is
natural that in the existing false condi-
tions she should Try to avoid both, and
the spread of education makes it posi-
bic for her TO do so.
1.-The aim of modern womankind seems
to be to shine as Independent wives in
stead of as loving mothers. The hus-
bands recognize this, and they are more
willing to secure easy happiness by
spending their incomes for fine clothes
and fine houses and other things for
their wives that 90 to make up the gaudy
display Of modern luxury then they
are IL spend them on children. Every
dollar given to a child means a dollar
taken from a life. Young men of small
income are afraid to marry until they
have accumulated a sum large enough
20 dress their brides in satin. The re-
suit is that men marry too old and wo-
men marry too young Thus woman's
vanity threatens the race"
But scientists say that independ-
ence threatens the race. France is
fighting its results with laws. Statistics
show that il is in the United States that
this necessity will next arise.