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29
[1912
Borough ; the object, as pointed out last year by the Medical Officer of Health,
being to enable the local authorities to reach the mothers, when they returned
to their homes with their babies, so as to instruct them how their infants
should be fed and cared for. These returns have been prompted by the
Notification of Births Act, 1907, which was passed by Parliament so that timely
information might be given to the Sanitary Authorities of the births of children
to their inhabitants that they may be taught the best means whereby strong
strong and healthy progeny shall result.
The 8,211 births represent a birth rate of 2515 per 1,000 of the inhabitants
of the Borough. This birth-rate, although an improvement on the rates
recorded in 1910 and 1911, when they were respectively 25 01 and 24 79 per
1,000 of our population, is still considerably below the rates registered in
former years, as may be seen by a reference to Table F. in the Appendix,
in which are given the returns for each year since 1841. The chief cause of
the reduction in the birth-rate is now so fully recognized, that no person dare
deny that it is due mainly to the deliberate action of modern married men
and women. The subject has been discussed in these reports from time to
time, and therefore, on the present occasion it will not be dwelt on, beyond
this one remark, that it will be a sad day for the nation if the shrinkage of
the population should ever become as great as it is in France to-day—should
this country, which does not believe in conscription, have to rely on its
volunteers; for clearly with a diminished population at the military age there
must be a decreased number of volunteers; and these volunteers, we know,
are not so numerous as they used to be.

The 8,211 births include the 160 undistributed births notified by the Registrar-General.