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18
1907]
of 12.8 per 1,000. This is a very serious difference. The births and birthrates
in the several districts were as. follows:—
Sub-Districts.
Births.
Birth-rates.
Tufnell
745
21.63
Upper Holloway
1,023
28.08
Tollington
755
20.76
Lower Holloway
1,094
26.20
Highbury
1,278
18.90
Barnsbury
1,709
31.70
South-East Islington
1,927
25.18
The Borough
8,531
24.58
If, for comparative purposes, the birth-rate of the borough be taken as
100, then the comparative figures will be as follows:—
Highbury
77
Tollington
84
Tufnell
88
The Borough
100
South-East Islington
102
Lower Holloway
107
Upper Holloway
114
Barnsbury
129
These figures show that the fertility of the inhabitants of Highbury,
Tollington and Tufnell were respectively 23, 16, and 12 per cent. lower than
the average rate of the borough, and that that of the people of South-East
Islington, Lower Holloway, Upper Holloway, and Barnsbury were respectively
2, 7, 14, and 29 per cent. higher than it. With these facts before us, it may be
well be asked, why is this so? The birth-rate of the borough is not large,
indeed, compared with some of the great towns, it is very low; and therefore
one wonders if it was a hyper-civilization that was the cause of the low rates
in Highbury, Tollington, and Tufnell, or was the opposite the case in SouthEast
Islington, Lower Holloway, Upper Holloway, and Barnsbury. Inasmuch
is the birth-rate in none of these four districts was very high, it is to be feared
that the answer to the query must be in the affirmative with respect to the
three first mentioned districts.