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108
More cars also mean greater mobility. Greater mobility not only
leads to a tendency for people to commute to work over longer
distances but it also stimulates demands for a second domicile for
recreational purposes. Loss of good quality agricultural land
becomes inevitable and the need for increased imports of foodstuffs
to satisfy growing consumption is a natural corollary.
With improving mortality and no corresponding limitation of
births it is true to say that, as a species, we are out of control.
Results of such phenomena are more clearly seen on the continents
of Africa, Asia and America where, despite prodigious practical
and financial assistance, emergent nations are becoming progressively
poorer by reason of uncontrolled population growth.
In a consumer society production is primarily a response to
demand and to produce without this motivation is to invite
disaster. As a nation we devote a great deal of time and effort to
this kind of problem but the question of increasing population and
its implications has, until recently, received little official attention.
Nevertheless, such a problem is far from being theoretical or
academic.
There are as many people in Greater and Outer London as there
are in the whole of Australia and the capital's high density in many
areas must indicate a measure of overcrowding. There is evidence
to show that, beyond a certain level, overcrowding produces
social breakdown and distorted individual behaviour. With the
extension of public health to include social as well as medical and
environmental matters, family planning becomes an important
element in preventive medicine.
Medical interest in family planning has, traditionally, been confined
to the minority of cases where there has been clinical contraindications
to further pregnancy and. in general terms, such projects
have been left largely to non-medical voluntary bodies.
However, the introduction of the Family Planning Act in June
of the current year marks a first but vital legislative step taken by
government in recognising the importance of population control
in the life of the nation. Inherent in these measures is the emancipation
of women from enforced motherhood and a reduction in
the numbers, of unwanted and illegitimate children is a likely
bonus.
I am indebted to Harold Pring, Organising Secretary of the South
East London Branch of the Family Planning Association for the
following account of his association's activities in this Borough
during the year ended 31st March, 1969.