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6
In considering the above death-rates it must be remembered
firstly, that the estimated populations are even more unreliable than
the general estimate for the whole Borough, and, secondly, that the
rates are calculated upon the deaths actually occurring in the Wards
which do not include deaths in Public Institutions. I believe that a
larger percentage of deaths occurs in Canning Town and Forest Gate
Wards than in Stratford and Plaistow, owing to the greater facilities
obtaining in the latter districts of gaining the advantage of admission
to such institutions as West Ham Hospital and Saint Mary's Children's
Hospital, while the difficulties met with in gauging the population is
shown by an examination of the new building returns. A few years
ago Stratford was the chief scene of building operations, with a
corresponding increase of population. Latterly the building activity
has been largely localized in the Southern Wards, as may be seen by
distributing the 1,426 new houses erected during 1899:
New Buildings erected in 1899.
Stratford 15
Forest Gate 109
Plaistow 966
Canning Town 336
1,426
One feels on firmer ground in dealing with the death-rates of the
specially selected areas, the populations of which were obtained by
personal canvass in 1897, and in which no building operations have
introduced liability to error since that year. In the Table below, the
deaths in Public Institutions, both inside and outside the Borough, have
been, as far as possible, distributed to their appropriate areas, and as
these latter include some of the oldest and worst districts in the Borough