View report page

1908] 12
The birth-rate in London during the same period was 25.2, and in the
76 Great Towns 27.0 per 1,000 of the population.
The birth-rate now reported is the lowest that has been hitherto recorded
in Islington, where for many years it has shown a persistent fall, as may
be seen in Table X in Appendix, which gives the births and birth-rates in the
Borough from 1841 to the present time.
Illegitimate Births.—The number of illegitimate births registered in
1908 was 231, as compared with 230,244,227 and 223 in the preceding four
years.
Births in the Sub - Registration Districts.— Full particulars
respecting these are set out in Tables X. and XI., in the latter of which
it will be noticed that The birth-rate is greatest in the districts where the
people are mostly of the working classes and lowest in the districts where
the social position of the people is good. Thus it happens that persons who
can least afford to bring up families are blessed with the greatest number
of children, while those in better circumstances either refrain from getting
them or use methods of prevention.
The Notification of Births.—The Notification of Births Act, 1907
was adopted by a resolution of the Council of Islington on 12th June, 1908,
and the consent of the Local Government Board given thereto on 29th
June, 1908. The Act came into force on 16th July, 1908.
"The object of this Act, which will only be in operation where it has been
adopted by the Local Authority with the consent of the Board, or has been
declared to be in force by the Board, is to provide a speedy means whereby
information of a birth of a child may be given to the Medical Officer of Health
of the Local Authority, so that, if necessary, advice may be given to the mother in
regard to the rearing and nurture of the child." (L.G.B. Circular, Sept. 27, 1907.)
In order to meet the obligations which this Act implicitly places on Local
Authorities, and which the Local Government Board Circular states to be its
object, the Medical Officer of Health advised the Council to appoint Health
Visitors to advise and give instruction to the mothers, but the Council would
have none of them, notwithstanding the circular letter of the Local Government
Board, which in another paragraph says "The Board may observe that
in their opinion there is no occasion for impressing upon parents and others
the obligation of notifying births unless steps are taken to carry out the