Denver labor bulletin., 1918-08-10

Will America come out of the war
with n population problem confront
ing her? Nations either grow or de-
cline. Our growth in population has
been accomplished largely by the over
flow of Europe. During and after the
war il will be adversely affected by
the following factors:
Great reduction of the European
overflow.
Loss of large numbers Of young
women of marriageable age.
Increasing number Of young .wom-
en- in industry. prolonging the period
of single life.
Decreasing size Of the family re-
sulting from various causes.
There is no doubt that the growth
Of certain sections of our population
ought to be checked" said Alice
Adams Fulton. secretary of the state
board Of charities and corrections for
Colorado. "Wc have too long been
letting nature take its course in the
reproduction of the diseases, the weak
and the unfit. This thing of accumu-
lating n burden of public charges be-
cause we lack the foresight to pre-
vent their being born will very short
ly pass into history and give place to
more intelligent policy"
Education Means Race Suicide.
"But IL we have this problem at the
bottom of society,"" ! replied. I'VE
have the reverse of il at the top. As
fast as the people rise to n certain
level of education and comfort, they
die Off like plants or animals trans
ported to n different climate. The
college graduates of America. both
men and women. do not reproduce
their own numbers. Many never
marry; others marry late and pro-
duce few children"
'Do you make the inference from
this that higher education is a bad
thing?" asked Mrs. Fulton.
at is good thing for the individ-
ual." / said. 1T enlarges his life and
prolongs it. At the present time It
signifies absolute suicide for the race,
which can be kept up only by the
great excess of births among those
who strive less after knowledge and
live closer to the level of impulse"
Natural Laws Are Important.
at has seemed to me-" said Mrs.
Fulton, "that our attempts to sup
press the primary instincts must al
ways result in disaster. Nature is in
finitely wiser than mankind. At the
recent national convention of social
workers, with 1000 people present,
only single voice dared question the
right of the unmarried mother to the
respect of society. The natural law
which she has obeycd is OF far greater
importance than the social conven-
tion which she has violated"
But, after all, the unmarried mother
makes but small contribution to
population. As n whole, the birth of
children is going to be accompanied
by formalities and responsibilities.
Every social change affects the bal
ance OF these things. For example,
in certain states where fifty years
ago n child was n wage Garner in cot
ton mills Mt six years of age, it is
now against the law to employ chill
dren under fourteen. On the farms
of America children, especially boys,
used to be considered valuable assets.
Changes in school laws and social Gus
toms have made things different. The
child has ceased to be an asset and
has become liability. Every new
child represents a pledge on the part
Of his parents to earn and pay several
thousand dollars at the expense Of
bringing him up.
Becomes Liability for Society.
But II !. not only the parent who
pays" said Mrs. Fulton. Society
pays. For every child society must
provide education and social super
vision, while the parents provide food
and clothing. You might say that the