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PART I.
A. STATISTICS.
Population.
A census was taken in the Spring of 1911, when it was found that
there were 160,261 persons in the City of Westminster on the particular
night. Compared with the similar figure at the previous Census in
1901 there has been a net decrease of 22,750 persons, equal to 12.4 per
cent. In the previous ten years the rate of decrease was 9.4 per cent.;
consequently the yearly estimates of population founded on this rate of
decrease continuing throughout the last ten years, have been too high.
This difference does not affect the statistics calculated thereon for the
first five years of the decade; but in the second half there is a slight
increase. I have re-calculated the figures for the last 10 years on this
new basis where these are referred to in this Report.
For the purposes of the Equalisation of Rates Act, the RegistrarGeneral
calculates the population by multiplying the number of
inhabited tenements by the average number of persons per tenement
as shown by the former Census. Accordingly, as the number of rated
occupiers has increased in Westminster, he had estimated the population
by this method to be about 15,000 more than is shown by the census to
be the case. So far as Westminster is concerned it has not proved a
reliable method; this will doubtless be found to be due to changes
in the housing conditions.