This Modern Age with its Radio, Cinema and extended educational fields has caused the working people to desire increasing improvements in their living conditions. This in itself is good, but coupled with a growing materialism it has become of too great an importance even to Catholics. But the fact is undeniable that we do set a great store by our creature comforts these days. And Catholics should be the last to cry down any attempt, at levelling up as opposed to the all-too-frequently expressed desire for levelling down.

The fulfilment of this desire for a nice home, well dressed children and other amenities of life has, especially among the great and increasing lower middle-class, caused new and exceedingly grave problems to appear. To understand these problems it is essential to understand the mental attitude of those to whom they apply.

These people are the great suburban dwellers, with their small but well appointed houses which they, very naturally, love. The non-Catholic parents of, perhaps, only two children find no great problem. They have raised their families to suit their own wishes and their means, and often not for several years after marriage. The possibility of more children with the added expense and the greatly added work does not. arise. They have the means to prevent any such unwelcome additions to the family, so they live as they have chosen to do, and have the time and the money to bring their children up well, materially at least, and still maintain a high standard of living. Their house is favourably compared to any in the street.