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POPULATION
All our statistics have been calculated on the population 184,388
supplied by the Registrar-General in November of last year. We have
since received an unrevised figure supplied by the Registrar-General
of 186,000, the increase in the latter figure would make our death-rates a
little better than those shown in the report.
There is little to record of the increase in new buildings, as with
a few small exceptions the whole of the area of the Borough has been
built over. Guinness' Buildings in the Kennington Park Road have now
been erected on the site that has remained vacant for some years owing
to the war. Further progress has been made also with the various blocks
being built on the Tabard Street area. The Grotto Place area still
remains in the same state as when represented.
There has been much distress during the year among our inhabitants
through increased unemployment. Southwark being a district inhabited
principally by artisans and casual labourers would naturally feel the
effect of this unemployment much more than the wealthier boroughs.
It always is to me a matter of surprise how all the families with the
breadwinner out of employment manage to exist. It is on account of the
strong communal feeling in our people that one seldom sees actual
starvation.
As I have reported in many previous years, Southwark, owing to its
close proximity to the centre, that is, the City, will always be more or
less overcrowded in the area occupied by casual workers Enquiry is
often made as to the present condition of the houses in the Borongh. I
admit that many of the houses from the outside are dirty in appearance,
but the interiors are as clean as they were before the war. The high cost
of repairs does not allow the owners to expend much money on outside
cleansing and painting. What with the income tax and the expenses of
maintaining houses in a fair condition, there is little as an income for the
owner.