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hand nor too high on the other. The difficulty has arisen
particularly in connection with Beddington, Merton, Mitcham,
and Sanderstead. For example, in Mitcham, an estimate
based on the inhabited houses would represent the population
as 11,872, and one based on the ratio of increase as 12,550.
The estimate adopted for the vital statistics is 12,100, although
it is quite possible that 12,550 may more nearly represent the
exact truth.
Natural Increase.
The natural increase of the population during the year,
that is, the excess of births over deaths, was 474, as compared
with 417 and 379 in 1895 and 1896 respectively. It has
amounted to 2,936 since the census of 1891.
II.—VITAL STATISTICS.
Births.
The number of births registered in this District during
the year was 821, of which 402 were of males and 419 of
females. The births of 21 children, 2½ per cent, of the total
births, were registered as illegitimate.
The birth-rate for the year was 27.4 per 1,000 as compared
with an average of 28.2 for the preceding ten years,
and 29.7 throughout England and Wales in 1897.