New-York tribune., 1902-02-03
INCREASE AND MULTIPLY"

A Parliamentary commission. with the Prime
Minister at its head, IS investigating what is
called the depopuatiOn of France. 1t IS well
that it should do Many years ago the slow
rate Of increase OF French population caused
some concern. That rate has now so nearly
reached zero as to cause lively alarm. In five
years the net increase has been 444,613 only, or
1.5 per cent, or 0.3 per cent year. That Is an
omlnous state OF affairs. Seventy-five years ago
the excess OF births over deaths in 10000 popu-
latiOn was 81. Fifty years ago it was only Al.
Thrty-ive years ago it had fallen to % Twen-
ty years ago 1t was II. Ten years ago it was
6. Now it IS three. The next census may show
an excess Of deaths over births The cause OF
this decline is evident, to wit the unfrutfuness
OF marriages. For marriages are now just as
numerous as they were seventy-five years ago
The death rate has been steadily decreasing
too, with the advance in sanitary and medical
science. from 253 thousand seventy-fve years
ago to 211 thousand now. If, therefore mar
riages were as fruitful now as then, the excess
Of births over deaths in 10000 would be 1O3 n
year, instead of only 3. But the birth rate has
been declining more rapidly than the death rate,
to wit from 314 thousand seventy-five years
ago to ola Il thousand at the present time In
that fact is the enemy Of France. This would
be OminOus in any case. In the case OF a mill
tary empire it is disastrous. The number of
available cOnscripts for the French army in
1870 was $4,000 It is now 100000. Ten years
hence it will be only 10000 Meantime the
number in Germany is rapidly increasing so
that at the present rate Germany will have,
twenty years hence twice as many as France.
No wonder Parliamentary commission has
seriously taken the matter in hand
The present is no place for any detailed con-
sideration Of tnc causes OF this deplorable state
of affairs in France Doubtless there are some
special causes, some of them connected with the
land laws and system of Inheritance. But it is
pretty we'll recognized by thoughtful observers
that some potent causes are such as are COM
mon to nearly all highly-perhaps we should
say artihcially-civilized society, even TO some
extent to our own. At the recent convention of
the Federation Of Churches and Christian organ
izations. in this city. a speaker declared that
Its lack of homes is the first penalty that New
York is paying for its greatness" In that fact
there was a profound suggestion No other CITY
in the world is so well equipped with hotels as
this and it is well that it should be So But
hotel is not home. not even a family hotel"
For a family hotel" is generally Il place from
which children are strictly excluded. 1t is one of
its recommendations that il is for adults ouIvv
No other city is so superby equipped with the
glorihed flats" known as apartment houses In
such establishments there are 'all the comforts
of home" and OF most luxurious home But
it has long been proverbial that they are no
places in which to bring up children There are
of course many private houses, we'll suited TO
be homes. But the proportion of them is not
as large as 1t should be, while more and more
people are entering systems of life which are
calculated directly to discourage domesticity
in its highest and best sense
We have not yet reached the ominous condi
ton which justly alarms France and which is
beginning to excite some concern in England II
has taken those countries thousand years to
reach it. But 1t is our boast that we live far
more rapidly than they, and it is perfectly obyi-
Gus that the germs of the same evil have lodpa
ment here. They may develop here far more
rapidly than elsewhere. The smalIness of fami
lies. If not the entire absence of children, in
considerable part of the community has long
been a matter of comment. Nor is il an nm
common thing TO hear bride scarcely cut NJ
the honeymoon. boastingly declare that she in
tends never TO be bothered with the pains and