The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-01

| Dulll SeAeS VIII are thirty years Oh dSt
and upward will be subjected to a tax
equal to the fifteenth part Of the
amount OF the four direct imposts paid
them. Persons married for five years
at least will pay twentieth part of the
amount of direct taxes for which they
are assessed if they have no offspring
and they will continue to pay this tax
until the birth of a child. The second
clause provides for the opening of a
credit of twenty million francs, to ena-
BILE the minister of the interior to re-
ward prolific PARENTS and M. Plot also
clearly sets forth the manner In which
the claims for such remuneration are
| to be, obtained and examined. The
money, he points out, should be dis
| tributed annually to the fathers, or in
the event of the death of these to the
| mothers, who have more than -four
children living.
The senator is dreadfully In earnest
about his bill, and he is not afraid OF
| facetious or acrimonious criticism
He will defend his bantling with all the
energy and eloquence at his command
| His argument practically is that pro-
lection should be domestic as well as
political. If M. Meline and his school
show themselves to be ardent apostles
| for the careful protection of the seed
scattered by the peasant over the soil
of France, which Is to produce the
bread that is the staff Of life for citi-
zens why should the government and
parliament hesitate to help and to en-
courage the fathers of children who
will add to the strength of the nation?
For this reason the patriotic senator
has prepared his bill which, arithmeti-
cally considered, means that bachelor
or spinster paying, say, an average OF
Twelve pounds annually by way of
contributions directes,' or direct taxes
on real and personal property, doors,
windows and so on, would have to
stand an additional impost of twenty
francs, or the fifteenth part of the three
hundred francs, for which he or she is
assessed. In the case of married per-
sons without children, and paying di-
rect taxes to the amount of four hum
bred francs, or sixteen pounds, the in
crease would also be twenty francs. M
Plot, by the way, Is not to be considered
as animated with fierce intentions to-
ward unmarried persons, or to those
who, legally conjoined in wedlock, have
no children. His object is to protect
and assist the prolific progenitors of
future citizens and soldiers, and to
prevent the depopulation of the coun-
try from developing to an extent likely
to be dangerous for the future of
France.
According to a recent writer, who has
published some statistics on the sub
ject, the birth rate in France has been
steadily decreasing for a century. On
the other hand, the populations of Rus
STA, Germany, England and several
other nations are rapidly increasing.
IT was true that at some periods the
population of France showed small
increase; but, as the writer points out,
it was due to immigration, and not to
any rise In the birth rate. M. Plot by
the way, is not the only person who
has been endeavoring to propose rene
dies against the depopufation of France.
There are also the members of the al
lance Rationale" among whom are
some very notable men. These are bat
Ting for the modification of succession
duties, for the exemption from direct
taxation of families with more than
three children, and for the augmented
assessment of married persons unbur-
dened or unblessed, as the case may
be- with any offspring. Another group
of philanthropic persons have set them
selves the task of preventing as much
as possible mortality among the chill
dren of the struggling classes, which
has also to be reckoned with as cause
of depopulation. These good persons,
all women, have banded themselves
into an association called the "Solidar-
lite des Meres." They We're astounded
and frightened at the record of infant
mortality. No less than one hundred
and seventy thousand children of the
poor persisted annually through want
of care and medical attention. They
therefore opened an establishment for
the help of poor women about to be
confined, and the institution has been
working we'll for several years In Par
is. Appeals are now being made for
the creation of similar institutions all
over France. 1t will thus be seen that
serious efforts are being made in this
to arrest the depopulation
which patriots, political economists and
have been deploring for
MANY years past.-London Telegraph's
Paris Correspondence.