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27
ALIEN IMMIGRATION.
During February a communication was received
by the Town Clerk's Department from the Home
Office asking for certain information as to the influx
of aliens, and the following letter on the subject was
sent to the Deputy Town Clerk upon which to base
his reply:—
"Public Health Department,
2, Paradise Row, N.E.
9th February, 1909.
C. G. E. Fletcher Esq.,
Town Hall, N.E.
Dear Sir,
Re ALIEN IMMIGRATION.
Adverting to our conversation last evening, respecting the
information required in this matter, I fear it is somewhat
difficult to reply to each question on the matter in detail, as
that would mean a census of several streets in the Borough.
In a general way I should say that the increase in the alien
population as compared with 1903 has not been so great as the
previous five, ten, and fifteen years, so far as Bethnal Green is
concerned. This does not follow that the alien immigration
into London has been less in bulk, but that it has in fact heen
diverted to some extent into the suburbs, especially Tottenham,
Edmonton, Ponders End, etc. This arises mainly through
certain manufacturers having removed their works from the
central area.
With regard to the extent of overcrowding, that again is
difficult to determine precisely except by actual early morning
or late at night visits, but speaking generally there is of course
a tendency shown by the alien to overcrowd more than is the
case with the native except in the poorest sections of our own
people, in which case overcrowding of course is simply a phase
of the poverty question.