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1.—VITAL STATISTICS.
Population.
The population of the Borough of Bermondsey, as enumerated
in the Census of 1911 and 1921, and the estimate of the year
under report are as follows: —
1911.
1921.
Estimated
to
June 30th, 1923.
125,903
119,452
121,700
The population of Bermondsey for 1923 has been estimated
by the Registrar-General as 121,700, and this figure has been
utilised in estimating the birth and death rates.
Births.
The total number of births registered in the Borough for the
52 weeks ended December 29th, 1923, was 2,912, consisting of
1,522 males and 1,390 females. This is 333 below the average
for the last 10 years, and 255 below the figure for 1922.
The birth rate for 1923 was 23·9 per thousand persons living,
which is 2·2 below that for 1922 and 2·4 below the average for the
last 10 years.
The birth rate is unusually low for Bermondsey, but the same
may be said of the death rate, and substracting the latter from
the former, leaves us with a net increase of population of 11.8.
The decrease in the birth rate is probably due to the Birth
Control Propaganda, which began many years ago in the upper
and middle classes, and has only begun to filter down to the
working classes during the last few years. The question crops
up every now and then whether we should undertake propaganda
in "Birth Control." The answer that I have always given is
that it is not part of the duty of the Sanitary Authority. The