London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Deptford 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
9
Social Conditions and Chief Occupations of the Population.
Deptford, although in parts inhabited by persons financially comfortably
situated, is essentially an industrial and working-class borough.
Unemployment and under employment is common and the standard of
life for many is, consequently, far below that which one would like to
see.
The following figures have been kindly supplied to me by the Manager of the Deptford Labour Exchange:—
| Number registered as Unemployed:— | ||
| 18th Oct., 1937 | Males, 1,799 | Females, 584 |
| I am indebted to the Public Assistance Officer for the following figures:— | ||
| (a) Total number or Deptford Residents, including wives and children, on outdoor relief, at the end of 1937: — | ||
| Men, 897 | Women, 1,247 | Children, 530 |
| (b) Amount expended on outdoor relief in Deptford during year ended 31st December, 1937:— | ||
| £61,370 9s. 5d. | ||
A further index of the economic position is afforded by the details
of the incomes of persons receiving milk through the Council's scheme.
An analysis of the applications made in December showed that the
number of persons granted milk was 473. Of these, 396 persons were
in receipt of a wage which, after deduction of rent, left less than 7s. 6d.
per head in the family: in the case of a further 77 persons, the same
conditions being observed, the amount per head varied between 7s. 6d.
and 10s. 6d. During the whole year 13,133 applications for fortnightly
supplies were granted. Of this number, 10,717 applications were in
respect of families in receipt of an income, after deduction of rent, of
less than 7s. 6d. per head per week, and in the remainder, the amount
varied from 7s. 6d. to 10s. 6d.
Education facilities in respect of elementary, secondary and technical
education are well provided, while the Borough Council has made a
valuable contribution in establishing a Central and two Branch Libraries