The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-08-10
BY Rev. II. P. smyth
Catholic Press Association.)

(CathOllc Press ASsOclatiOn.)
A recent address on this subject de-
livered by Mr.. Louis 1. Dublin, statis-
tician of the Metropolitan Life Insur-
ance Co., has been considered of suffi-
cient Importance to warrant it's being
printed in the Congressional Record
and issued from the Government
Printing Office at Washington. The
address was made before Section I,
Social and Economic Science, Amer
lean Association for the Advancement
of Science, of which Mr.. Dublin had
been vice president. The gentleman's
position, the distinguished body before
whom he spoke, the governments in
terest, all indicate the quality and
timeliness of the paper. The speaker
considered the matter from the view
point of the nations welfare.
After dwelling considerably on the
horrible example that France is, and
giving some attention to England and
Germany, he takes up the question as
it bears upon the United States.
Mr.. Dublin finds that our condition
is not reassuring; that, in fact, we're
it not for immigration and the large
families that immigrants usually give
the country, our population would be
on the road to extinction. He quotes
Prof Wilcox, who holds that if our
birth rate should continue to decline,
as it has declined in the last sixty
years, in hundred and fifty years
there would be no more births.
The worst of the situation, in his
opinion, is that they who fail their
country in this matter are the ones
best able to bring up and educate
large families. In Massachusetts,
among the native population, there
are more deaths than births. OF
those who do the least for their coun-
try in the matter of productivity, col
lege folks occupy conspicuous place;
and of these the worst offenders are
the graduates of women's colleges.
The alumnae of Smith, Vassar, Bryn
Mawr and Holyoke do not average one
child each. When we consider that,
| in order that the population may be
maintained at it's present strength, an
average birth rate of almost four to
a family is required, it will be readily
seen what little hope for the future
the college man-and particularly the
college woman-inspires. Mr.. Dublin
rightly concludes that what he calls
the best American stock is dying out
and is being replaced by the immi-
grant and his children. Whether or
not these will continue to maintain
Americas population remains to be
seen.
The address furnishes much food for
thought, but what. particularly inter-
ests us are the remedies suggested.
First of all, Mr.. Dublin finds fault
with our system of education, which
he thinks develops ambition and self
ishness. Too little is done to make
students in school and college under
stand their place in human society,
their duty to the community and the
nation. He would have this remedied,
especially in the training Of women.
Beyond this he would have the state
extend some form of favor to mothers
of large families. He does not exactly
say that they should be compensated
to any great extent, but they should
receive some recognition, or honor,
and might, too. be favorably consid-
cred in tax levies.
Mr.. Dublin admits that economically
speaking raising large families is not
profitable business, and is conse-
quently more and more stunned in an
age of growing materialism." This