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11
secure the physical efficiency of their people, and we are
forced to do the same for ours. The question of parental
responsibility is often referred to, but, unfortunately, the
classes which accept the doctrine of parental responsibility
to the full are the classes in which families are getting
smaller and smaller. In the classes with the largest families
responsibility has never been exercised and never will be. In
the past this class was much larger in proportion to the general
population, but now that so many more have learnt the higher
duties of citizenship, including parental responsibility, the
number refusing to accept those responsibilities is rapidly
increasing. Marriages take place later in life, if at all, and
this prevalence of small families amongst the more thoughtful
has made it imperative for the sake of trade and the defence
of the empire that we should look after all the children that
are born, and bring up as many as possible to be citizens of
sound physique.
Defect in physique leads to defect in education, and
defect in education means a large class of casual labourers,
who drop quickly out of employment in times of stress and
degenerate into that standing menace the " unemployed."
The baby must be looked after, and the infantile
mortality must be reduced—128 out of every 1000 children
die in this town during the first year of life. That means
that 50 or 60 babies are allowed to die every year through
stupidity, carelessness, and neglect which is too often wilful.
At school age these children are to be inspected, and the
parents informed when it is necessary that they should seek
medical advice, so that diseases may not be neglected till it is
too late to effect a cure. We shall have to see that eyesight,
hearing, consumptive tendencies, mental conditions, etc., are
so attended to that the least possible harm shall result.
To show that this is not a cry founded on panic, I would
submit to you the following figures:—
1865—1874
1875—1884
1885—1894
1895—1904
Latest figures
Births per marriage
Birth Rate, 35.4 per 1000.
„ 347 .»
„ 31'2 ..
„ 29
27.4 „
England less than 2.
Scotland more than 2.
Ireland „ 2.
Of 268,695 immigrants to Canada, 1903.4, only 92,702
came from the United Kingdom, whilst 94,702 came from
U.S.A., and 71,927 from other countries—roughly speaking
only about half were British born. At any rate, the