96 HEREDITY AND SOCIETY 



six weeks' absence on full pay to their female employees, 

 in the event of childbirth. 



On the general problem of encouraging the produc- 

 tion of children, the State allots ,20,000 annually to 

 maternity assistance. The Ministry of Labour provides 

 a marriage gift of 100 francs (^4) for each workman 

 in its service, and an additional 100 francs for the 

 birth of each child. The Ministry of War gives 

 premiums to mothers in its employ suckling their 

 own children. The City of Paris and the Departement 

 du Seine bestow an additional 50 francs a year 

 (2) on all employees not receiving more than 16 

 a year who are fathers of at least four children, 

 for each child in excess of that number ; whereas the 

 Credit Lyonnais, besides the maternal leave of absence 

 already mentioned, give an increase of salary equivalent 

 to about 10 francs a month (8s.) to each of their 

 workmen, on the birth of every succeeding child after 

 the first. 



The Municipal Council of Paris, when reorganizing 

 the relief of the poor, laid down the following guiding 

 principles. " What is needed is in the first instance 

 to assist mothers, young children and adults who may 

 be rescued from disease, and especially large families. 

 The insane and old people, who are the caput 

 mortuum (lit. ' death's head ') of Society, are a secondary 

 consideration. A nation's first duty is to protect the 

 productive element of the population." 



It is interesting to compare these modern enactments 

 of republican France, some of them directed towards 

 the encouragement of the more necessitous classes, with 

 the legislation of similar character, already detailed in 



