The grave problem of race suicide concerns North Carolina very little because the birth rate in this commonwealth is larger than in any other American commonwealth.
The birth rate is probably smallest among the old population in New England. Is there a reason for it? There exists in Boston and in not a few other cities a policy upon the part of owners of homes to insert in all rental agreements or leases a provision that terminates the rent or lease if there are children in the family.
Recently a child was born to Prof. T.N. Carver, a professor of economics at Harvard. That clause “no children allowed” was in his lease. He must therefore vacate having violated the rule by welcoming a new baby into the house. “There ought to be,” says Prof. Carver with natural feeling, “such a wholesome feeling on this subject as would compel say real estate office to refuse to list any apartment or tenement where children are taboo,” and the Springfield Republican published in his State where children are taboo, says: “If public sentiment cannot correct the abuse, legislation will. Economic and social tendencies are seriously restricting the birthrate among certain elements of the population. No more vicious antisocial policy is conceivable than that which imposes intolerable inconvenience and discrimination as the cost of having young children in a family.”
Is this spirit not one of the prolife causes of race suicide?
From the editorial page of The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 20, 1922
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