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of dwelling-houses, required to afford space for the construction of new
lines of railway. There are now 98 houses less than in 1861, and the
inhabitants have only decreased 111. Now, in this District in 1861, the
houses were inhabited by, on an average, 8 persons each; the taking
down of 98 houses would dislodge 764 persons; these would have to find
other homes, and help to overcrowd this and the neighbouring Parishes.
This brings us to the question that must arise in the minds of all
Sanitarians—"How to provide healthy homes for the poorer portion of
"our increasing population, at a rental within their means, and to give
"sufficient space to prevent the demoralizing influence of the indiscri"
minate mixing together, in families, of all ages and both sexes?"
There is no doubt that such buildings as those erected by Baroness
Burdett-Coutts, Mr. Peabody, and Sir Sydney Waterlow, have a great
tendency to prevent such a state of things. The rooms are well ventilated,
healthy, and conveniently arranged; and I hope that many more of our
small unhealthy houses will give place to such handsome and commodious
dwellings.
Although the ''Town" Sub-Division is the only one in which there is
an actual decrease in the population as compared with 1861, the same cause
which has produced that result has affected all the other Sub-Districts;
and anyone passing from the Goods Station, in Hare Street, to Cambridge
Heath, can see the devastation there, not only on the houses
demolished for the new line of railway, but also for the new streets. This
will be a great improvement when finished; but at present it has considerably
diminished the number of residents in the Parish, especially in
the "Hackney Road" and "Church" Sub-Division; and I am convinced
that, had the Census been taken last year, the population would have
been found to be nearer 125,000 than 120,200.
DEATH RATE.
The deaths during the past year were considerably below the average,
the total, from all causes, being 2894, as compared with 3378 in the
previous year, showing a decrease of 484.