z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-04.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 275
ON MEASURES FOR BIRTH-CONTROL 275
people there get more nourishing food than that obtained by persons in thickly populated nations. Here are the figures of consumption per head per annum in Australia and Italy :
Australia Italy Milk and its products (gals.) ... 102 23 Meat (lbs.) ... ... 202 35 Fruit (lbs.) ... ... 104 40 Sugar (lbs.) ... ... 107 18 Wheat (lbs.) ... ... 297 351
Every article of food except wheat is consumed in far greater quantities in Australia than in Italy.
Out of the nations of the old world, countries like Holland that have their birth-rates much reduced through birth-control, are much happier than the rest.
In the Bombay Presidency, the amount of milk available per head per day is only one and a quarter “tolas”. According to authorities on nutrition, every individual must get on an average at least one pint of milk per day.
The main object of the movement for birth-control is to bring about a state of things wherein every country will have its birth-rate suitably reduced so that it would thus be able to maintain its population decently with the aid of its own produce.
Some are under the impression that modern scientific discoveries have solved the problems of food for mankind and that it is only mal-distribution that is at the root of the present economic difficulties. Fair distribution of property would, in their opinion, bring about plenty everywhere. There is no doubt that in many places injustice prevails in the division of property and every impartial public worker must take all steps to secure justice for wronged persons in this respect. It is, however, necessary to remember that mere equal distribution will never be able to bring about a permanent and material amelioration of the condition of the masses unless growth of population is controlled by means of family-limitation.
Land being the chief source of all wealth, there cannot be plenty for all unless plenty of fertile land falls to the share of each individual. Agricultural experts like Sir Damiel Hall and Prof. East have pointed out that about two and a half acres of cultivable land are needed to support one individual on the western European standard. But in all old countries, people have to. maintain themselves on land much less than this. In India, there is only three quarters of an acre of cultivable land for each individual and, as has been already pointed out, according to the opinion of the Royal Commission on Agriculture, much of the uncultivated land in this country is practically useless.
The view that the advent of chemical fertilisers has solved the problem of manures is also not a sound one. Artificial manures cannot be used at each and every place.
Rao Bahadur D. L. Sahastrabudhe, M.Ag., M.Sc, retired Agricultural