It has already been shown, that in this colony the best fit to multiply are ceasing to do so, because of a desire to attain a social and financial stability that will protect them and their dependents from want or the prospect of want.  There is every reason to believe, that when this stability is assured the normal family soon follows.

The love of luxurious idleness and a passion for excitement, which were typical of the voluntarily barren women of ancient Rome, have little place with us, as a cause of limited nativity.

Men and women reason out, that they cannot bear all the burdens that the State imposes upon them, support an increasing army of paupers, and lunatics and defectives, and non-producers, and that luxuriously, and at the same time incur the additional burden of rearing a large family.

Let us examine these burdens, and see if the complaint of our best stock is justified.

The amount raised by taxation in New Zealand (including local rates) during the year 1902-03, amounted per head of population (excluding Maories) to L5 4s. 7d.  The bread-winners in New Zealand number according to official returns, 340,230, and the total rates and taxes collected for the year 1902-03 amounted to L4,174,787 or L12 5s. 4d. for each bread-winner for the year.

On March 31st, 1901 (the last census date) there were 23.01 persons per thousand of population over 15 years of age, unable to work from sickness, accident and infirmity.  Of these 12.72 were due to sickness and accident, and 10.29 to “specified infirmities.”

The proportion of those suffering from sickness and accident in 1874 was 12.64 per 1000 over 15 years, practically the same as for 1901, while disability from “specified infirmities” (lunacy, idiocy, epilepsy, deformity, etc.)—­degeneracies strongly hereditary—­rose rapidly from 5.32 in 1874 to 10.29 in 1901, or taking the total sickness and infirmity, from 17.96 in 1874 to 23.01 in 1901.

On the last census date there were 340,230 bread-winners, and 12,747 persons suffering from sickness, accident, and infirmity, or 26 fit to work and earn for every one unfit.

The cost to the Colony per year of—­

L
1.  Hospitals, year ended 31st March, 1903 138,027

2.  Charitable Aid (expended by boards),

year ended 31st March, 1903 93,158

3.  Lunatic Asylums, year ended 31st Dec,

1902 (gross) 85,238

    Lunatic Asylums, year ended 31st Dec,

    1902 (nett) 64,688

4.  Industrial Schools, year ended 31st Dec,1902

    Government Industrial Schools for

    neglected and criminal children 21,708

Government Expenditure on Private

Denominational Industrial Schools 2,526

5.  Police Force, year ended 31st March, 1903 123,804