London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of Westminster 1936

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]

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7
Social Conditions.
As stated in previous reports Westminster includes within its
boundaries the residences of the Sovereign and members of His family.
It is the seat of Government of both State and Church, the centre for
the learned professions and the Arts and Sciences. It is the capital City
of the Empire contained within the County of London. It follows that
while there are few local industries in the accepted sense, offices, large
shops, hotels, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and clubs being so conspicuous
a feature of this City, provide in large measure employment for the
occupied population. By far the greater proportion of the occupied
population does not reside in Westminster, but flocks in daily in hundreds
of thousands from the suburbs to places of employment in the City.
U reemployment.
I am indebted to the Manager of the local Ministry of Labour
Employment Exchange for the figures of unemployed persons set out
in the following table :—

Number of Unemployed Persons on the Register at Westminster Employment Exchange during one selected week in each of the 12 months 1936.

Month.Men.Women.Boys.Girls.
January1,9386342141
February2,2887161614
March2,347660713
April2,0716911415
May1,95356029
June...1,73645365
July1,562355134
August1,5654121110
September1,6554201413
October1,793529714
November1,8945351315
December1,83543058

Meteorological.
The following note is extracted from a letter appearing in "The Times"
of 4th January, 1937, by Mr. W. G. Cochran, of the Rothamsted
Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts.
The most striking feature of the weather during 1936 was the
persistent deficiency in sunshine, the total for the year being 270.6
hours below the average, and the weather generally was notably unseasonable
in Spring, Summer, and Autumn.