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Act has been applied vigorously enabling many unsightly hoardings
to be removed. Public buildings and private residences
have been repainted, shop fronts renewed and roads re-made,
and this, coupled with the rapidly developing community spirit
fostered by the Council, stimulates a new outlook in the Borough.
Vital Statistics.
(a) Population
In this report the rates are calculated on the estimated
population adopted by the Registrar General, i.e., 118,800. This
compares with 118,300 for the year 1951.
No epidemic resulting in high mortality occurred during the
year and the natural increase in population resulting from an
excess of births over deaths has been maintained.
(b) Marriages.
The number of marriages registered during the year was
I,262, this being an increase of 42 as compared with the previous
year.
(c) Births.
The corrected number of births for the year, supplied by
the Registrar-General, was 1,777. On the estimated population,
i.e., 118,800, this represents an annual rate of 14.9 births per
thousand persons living as compared with 15.8 the previous
year.
(d) Deaths.
During the year 1,509 deaths were registered. Adding 383
deaths of residents of this Borough transferred by the RegistrarGeneral
as having occurred in various parts of England, and
deducting 519 deaths of non-residents and 16 transferable deaths
which occurred, the corrected number of deaths of residents
was 1,357 (719 males, 638 females).
On the estimated population, i.e., 118,800, the corrected
number of deaths of residents was equal to an annual rate of
II.4 deaths per 1,000 persons living, as compared with the
previous years rate of 12.6.
In the month of December, London and many parts of the
Country experienced a very bad fog lasting continuously over
several days, and at the instance of the Ministry of Health investigations
were made into all deaths occurring in the Borough
between the 5th and 16th December with a view to ascertaining
how many of them were due to the fog or associated with it in
such a way that death resulted.