Decrease of Population

AT the annual meeting of the Bombay Jain Association held on Monday its members discussed the problem of decrease of Jain population and the ways of preventing it in future. It is certainly encouraging to note that people are nowadays evincing greater attention to problems of social improvement. The Hindus in the Punjab have similar problems to solve and indeed a serious matter that population should decrease in an age when every facility for the increase of human comfort and happiness is available. The Jains of Bombay think that poverty and ignorance are the root causes of the decay of population and measures should be adopted to attack these. Encouragement of education and economic measures have been suggested. But it is necessary also to note how far traditional habits and social practices account for the decay of population. For there are such things as child marriage, secluded life and objection to female education and liberty to deal with. A sociological survey will find out the causes. The Mahomedans, too, are ignorant and poor but their population is increasing.