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9
which have taken place in the borough during the past
year.
The outstanding fact is widespread unemployment,
which, while fluctuating slightly during the year again
stood on the 16th November, 1931, at the similarly high
level of the previous year (14.7 per cent among the
total insured population and 22.4 per cent among the
men.) An unknown but substantial further percentage
of the workers in the Borough are on short time. The
reduced earnings in these latter families taken together
with the fact-that one - fifth of the natural breadwinners
are out of work and their dependents living
on the meagre allowances provided by unemployment
insurance or public assistance, make it not
prising that the health records for the year should
show a serious deterioration.
The administration of public assistance is now in
the hands of the London County Council. I have been
furnished, by the courtesy of the local Public Assistance
Officer, with the following figures concerning
public assistance granted during the year.
It is gratifying to note that there are now few
children in Bethnal Green Hospital and Waterloo
House, those needing the care of the L.C.C. being
transferred to the Leytonstone Children's Home. It
will be noted that at the end of the year the number
of persons receiving public assistance (apart from those
obtaining medical relief only) had increased from 4,016
to 4,764, and the number of persons receiving medical
relief only from 64 to 165.