The Case for Birth Control: A Supplementary Brief and Statement of FactsSanger, Margaret
Science
The Case for Birth Control: A Supplementary Brief and Statement of Facts
Sanger, Margaret
Birth control; Eugenics
_Ireland._—Ireland’s statistics differ so much from those of most other
countries that they merit special consideration. In Fig. 3 are shown the
variations of its birth and death-rates. From these it appears that, for
many years past, Ireland has had very low but practically steady
birth-and death-rates. On further studying the matter, however, we find
that Ireland’s low birth-rate is not due to small families, but to a low
marriage rate (probably due to immigration of young people). The
fertility rate of its women has remained high and steady, 283 per
thousand in 1881, and 289 in 1901. The excess of births over deaths has
averaged 6 per thousand recently, although it was much higher forty-five
years ago. But the terrible poverty succeeding the famine produced the
great tide of emigration which has reduced the population from eight to
little over four millions. It should be observed, however, that it is
late in the day to deplore the depopulation of Ireland, _as it has now
practically ceased_. The fall of population was 11.8 per cent. between
the censuses of 1851 and 1861, but only 1.7 per cent. between those of
1901 and 1911; while in the closing years of the decade, the
Registrar-General’s returns gave the population as almost exactly
stationary. It is highly probable that the next census will show an
increase in the population of Ireland for the first time since 1846.
We may now turn to the various parts of our Empire overseas, and it will
be sufficient if we consider the four principal divisions: Australasia,
Canada, Union of South Africa, and India. The order is chosen as dealing
with the populations of British origin first.
_Australasia._—Australia and New Zealand both call for particular
attention in this connection, as family limitation appears to be very
general in them, and many authorities have spoken about it in strong
terms. Mr. Roosevelt, for example, wrote as follows in 1911: “The rate
of natural increase in New Zealand is actually lower than in Great
Britain, and has tended steadily to decrease; while Australia increases
so slowly that, even if the present rate were maintained, the population
would not double itself in the next century.”
Again, the Bishop of London, last year appears to have told the
North-West Australian Diocesan Association “that the birth-rate in
Australia is going down even more rapidly than at home (United Kingdom),
and that he did not know how we are going to keep Australia even
British.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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