The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1916-12-09
FEWER
BIRTHS,
PROBLEM
Small Family is Discussed
at Federal Church
Council
lRv Assoeiated Press.(


st. Louis, Mo-. Dec. 9.-The declin-
ing birth rate was discussed in the
report of the commission on family
life presented to the federal council
of churches of Christ in ARerica this
afternoon. ...r
THAT there is a declining birth rate
in the United states, as well as every
where else in the civilized world can
not be doubted" said the report. 1T
is interesting to observe that with the
lowering of the birth rate Ia the
United States there is also lowering
Of the death rate. The latter has fall
en- much more rapidly than the form
er. and hence the increase Of popula-
tion has not been arrested.
Deaths are fewer because Of ad-
vanced knowsadge In medicine, the bet
ter water supply, and reforms in milk
inspection. housing. and sanitation
But the steadily falling birth rate
will overtake this decrease in mortal
.ity in due time. Already it is appar-
ent that if it were not for immigra-
tion the increase in population would
be very slight In certain sections Of
the country.
when we seek the causes of the
falling birth rate we discover that
economic reasons play a most i'm
portant part. An increasing number
Of single women refuse marriage he
cause it will impair their economic in
dependence. or interfere with their
entrance into professional careers.
Possibly an equal number of women
who do marry are eager after mar
riage to follow some remunerative
and congenial occupation with which
child bearing would interfere; while
husbands who find that large families
make difficult their material progress.
show a similar disinclination.
THE falling birth rate is not &C
counted for so much by childless mar
riages as by restricted families OF ons
or two children. For this the con-
ment houses must bear it's share Of
responsibility. Other instances are
by the i'll health of one of
the parents who recognize the peril
OF transmitting disease to their off,
spring.
But it is to be feared that beyond
all these causes the inherent selfish
ness of husband and wife who desiN
to be saved from the burdens of par
enthood is most influential among
people in good circumstances.
Since there Is no method of count. .
eractine these tendencies by govern
mental control. and since it probably
will continue to be a fact that large
families will be among the lowly, 1t
would seem incumbent upon the state
to counteract this downward trend by
legislation to encourage marriages and
births"
N this connection the report re-
ferred to mothers and widows pen
sions.
A large section of the report was
devoted to divorce.
1T is a striking fact" said the re-
port. that in the majority. of cases
the dissolution OF marriage has oc-
Cured, not hastily after brief trial,
period of marriage.
"On the whole II must be consid-
cred that the increase in divorce is
not altogether evidence of moral de-
cline on the part of. the American peo-
pie. Nor is it strictly accurate to claim
that divorce is the underlying cause
for breaking UP Of the home. since the
happiness of many a household has
been ruined long before the action for
divorce was begun"
The report emphasized regulation of
marriage rather than need of divorce
legislation and recommended COM
puisory registration of marriages, an
obligatory interval between issuance
of the license and the marriage cern-
mony to permit investigation Of the
proposed union, refusal of marriage
IhSohSCS W the LcEDlS~ ~Illnue0, 6pllept-
les, tubercular persons and to suffer-
ers from communicable diseases, and
to the criminal'y degenerate.
OF the social evils and It's causes
the report said:
Portrayal Of licentiousness on tho
stage; broad exposure Of indeiicacy on
billboards, evil suggestions abounding
in literature of the day, immodesty IL.
the dress Of women, the constant ap-
peal of fashionable society to the
lower instincts, the Haunting of vice
in attractive guises in the very faces
of the young on the streets. the un-
holy familiarity of the vulgar in
treating the most sacred functions of
Observation-Disclosures and scores of other
elements which abound in current
life, constantly increase the liability
to every form of immortality"
The report urged that a strong
religious impulse" be back of anti
vice instruction of the young and
that sex education. as part Of our
social hygiene, receive earnest at
tention:' This latter, the report said,
could take its place naturally in
course OF biological study removed
from any association that would ap-
peal to prurient curiosity
Y W 6 A WTIT uAIIr