"In the Dawn, death will not be the haphazard affair that it is under
the present anarchic conditions. Men will not be stumbling out of
the world at odd moments and for reasons over which they have no
control. There will always, of course, be a percentage of deaths by
misadventure. But there will be no deaths by disease. Nor, on the
other hand, will people die of old age. Every child will start life
knowing that (barring misadventure) he has a certain fixed period of
life before him--so much and no more, but not a moment less.

"It is impossible to foretell to what average age the children of the
Dawn will retain the use of all their faculties--be fully vigorous
mentally and physically. We only know they will be 'going strong' at
ages when we have long ceased to be any use to the State. Let us, for
sake of argument, say that on the average their facilities will have
begun to decay at the age of ninety--a trifle over thirty-two, by the
new reckoning. That, then, will be the period of life fixed for all
citizens. Every man on fulfilling that period will avail himself of
the Municipal Lethal Chamber. He will 'make way'....

"I thought at one time that it would be best for every man to 'make
way' on the actual day when he reaches the age-limit. But I see now
that this would savour of private enterprise. Moreover, it would rule
out that element of sentiment which, in relation to such a thing as
death, we must do nothing to mar. The children and friends of a man on
the brink of death would instinctively wish to gather round him. How
could they accompany him to the lethal chamber, if it were an ordinary
working-day, with every moment of the time mapped out for them?

"On General Cessation Day, therefore, the gates of the lethal chambers