The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-09-07
"ThiS LeSsening of Birth 30
Rate Is Not an EyiP'

nent official % tho federal cfhala
bureau I1A
Dr. John Shaw niulngA wh6 Ms
employed 10 help write the baby
[ bulletin. lately issued. does not
think tho decrease in chiidrcn 10
necessarily an evil
1t does not appear 20 Be. DE
says. that this lsnneniuE OF The
birth rate il In Itself an eVil. Or
that u wiii Be worth whiie TO AZ
tempt 70 iucreasr the birth rate
merely Tor the sakr Of maintaining
constant increase ia population.
because TO neither this. nor the next
generation. wili such Increase be
specially beneficial
A theory that the diminishing
birth rate might be due % over
indulgence in tobacco. iiaunr and
other racesseN. bringing about a de-
trrinration Of the race and a weak
eninR Of the s~K powers. is said b.
Dr. billings 10 be absolutely unsup-
ported By the facta
Dr. Killings says 1T IL probable
that The most important factor IN
the change is the deliberate and vol
uutarY avoidance 90 prevention 81
child heaFinr on the part Of a
steadily increasing number e mar
! risd people. Who not only prefer 10
have but few children. but who
know how 10 obtain their wlsh The
reasons for thtn aTe numerous. bat
{ sifi ussnttaa only three
Fs..s - 49, .sFFFt.mt..a - IL
formation with regard to the subject
az generation by means % popular
ard school tFeatis.@ on PHYSIOLOGY
and hygiene. which diffusion began
between 10 and 90 years ago. 0tris
Of 20 years Of are AT the present day
know much more hbout anatomy
and physioloxy than di1 their grand
mothers az the Same sEr. and the
married ~orsen ara much better in
Termed as TO the means by which
the number Of cisstaren may be lin
To Some rrssnt thiz rn4y alao be
true as regards the young men. bat
DO nos think this In al Important
factor.
Tho second eaa- has been the
growth OF the opinion that the alb
staining frvrn having chlidren on
the part % a married couple ts not
only not IN itself sinful or con
trary % thr usual forms Of religious
crrrdu. but that u may even be. IN
der certain circumstances. com
msndabie.
The third cause iA the great In
crease in the uss Of things which
we're formerly considered as lux
uftas. but which now have bernme
almost necessities. 49,
in the struggle Tor what IL eon-
sidercd a desirable mode of exist
euoe nj tho present day. marrisr- p
being held less desirable ard tfx
bonds less sacred than they we're %
years ago. Young women are FraA-
uaily being irnbued with the idea
that marriage and motherhood are
not 90 be their chief objects In llfa.
or tho sole methods Of obtnsniug
Subsistence. that they should attn
AT being independent Of possible Or
actual husbands and should Ct
themselves to earn their own lie
ine IN some one 81 the many ways IN
which females are beginning to ind
increasing sources of remunerattxe
employment. that housekeeping IL a
sort Of domestic slavery. and that II
ia best to remain unmarried until
someone offers who has the means
20 crafty their educated tastes.
$50 long as the present tendency
81 people 10 aggregate in cities con-
tinues. ms u In likely Ca 10 until our
coal supplies begin 20 shrink per
ccptibly. with a corresponding In
crease IN the cost of power for man.
ufacturinE and transportation. 30
long the death rates are likely to
Increase. and therefore the rate OF
increase in population due to excess
Of births over deaths viii diminish.
This state OF things has occurred
before la the worlds history In Ger
tain regions, as. for instance. In
southern and western Europe. dur
ing the decline OF the Roman em-
pire. and. II the increase OF popula
tion had not been checked. as II
then was. the world would new be
overerowded."