196 EOOT MATTERS IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. 



No better example from actual facts could be obtained to 

 show that the increase of disease and misery, as shown by 

 the death rate C + T has more influence in lowering the 

 value of B a, or surplus of births over deaths, than the 

 lowering of the rate of births ; for Norway's actual rate of 

 increase is higher than that of Spain and Hungary respec- 

 tively by 7'8 and 1*1 per 1,000 persons ; although its birth 

 rate is actually lower than in these countries by 5*7 and 14'4 

 per 1,000 respectively. In a healthy, happy, prosperous, and 

 peaceful country, the actual rate of increase is invariably 

 high, due to a high birth rate and a low death rate. 



In an unhealthy, miserable, and savage society, the ten- 

 dency, while these conditions last, is invariably shown in a 

 higher death than birth rate, resulting in a positive decline in 

 population. 



It is clear, therefore, that when population is declining it 

 is rather because misery, disease, and vice have abnormally 

 raised the death rate higher than the birth rate, and not 

 because of any material tendency to a decline in the birth 

 rate. 



While there are different stages of civilisation in existence, 

 over-population is a relative term applicable to the particular 

 country, and not an absolute quantity to be determined by 

 an absolute number of persons to a given area, as most 

 erroneously indicated by Mr. George. This is clear to any 

 one who studies the civilisation and the sanitary state of 

 different countries. 



When peoples who have attained to the same state of 

 civilisation are so situated that the struggle for existence is 

 made ligther for a given community by local causes, such as 

 may be seen in the comparison between the Australian colonies 

 and the older countries of Europe — then the increased pros- 

 perity, the diminution of competition for labour, the increased 

 health due to the smaller density of population, and other 

 advantages — climate not being too unequal — would show such 

 an improvement in the actual rate of increase from natural 

 causes alone that their effect is significant and instructive. 

 Thus, although the actual rate of increase in the colonies, 

 during many years, is equal to about 20*05 per 1,000 (not 

 including the effects of immigration), or about 10 per 1,000 

 above the rate of Europe, nevertheless, its average birth rate 

 is only about 1*5 per 1,000 higher. This again forcibly proves 

 that the higher rate of actual increase to population is due 

 mainly to favourable circumstances lowering cheek C, or 

 deaths from preventible causes. These illustrations by explicit 

 reference to actual facts entirely overthrow the arguments of 

 Mr. Henry George, which solely confine attention to one of 

 the two great factors in the problem relating to the causes of 



