View report page

5
tuberculosis. Lack of sunshine deprives the body of building up resisting
powers to respiratory and other catarrhal affections which abound in
the winter months. Although rainfall for the year was below average,
the six months mentioned showed a rainfall above normal. The holiday
months of July, August and September were colder than average. It
can well be understood, then, that 1931 deserves to be called a
depressing and gloomy year.
Population.
The population of Westminster, as enumerated by the Census taken
on the 26th April, 1931, was 129,535 (56,535 males and 73,000 females).
This shows a decrease of 12,043 (8.5 per cent.) on the population of 1921.
Males were decreased by 4,845 and females by 7,198. These figures are
provisional, as are the figures of the population of wards in Table XXa.
Births.
The births registered in Westminster during 1931 numbered 1,640,
but of these the homes of 921 were in other districts and 21 were
registered under the Legitimacy Act, and have therefore to be deducted
from the total. There were, however, 513 children belonging to
Westminster parents born in institutions outside the City, and these
must be added. This gives a net total of 1,211, which is 157 less than the
similar figure for 1930. The Birth Kate of 10.17 is the lowest ever
recorded in the City of Westminster.
Women whose homes are outside the City continue, in increasing
numbers, to avail themselves of the facilities for confinement which the
large general hospitals in the City offer. The number in 1919—mostly
women whose home address was within easy reach of the hospital,
although in some neighbouring borough—was only 98. This figure has
risen to 921 in 1931, and includes not only women from the various
metropolitan boroughs but also from the counties around London.
It will be observed from Table I that the total registered births are
also less than last year.