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Report of the Count// Medical Officer—General.
5
Alien immigration.—In 1913 there was a considerable increase in the number of foreigners settling
in London as compared with the previous year, the alien passengers landed in the Port of London
from European and Mediterranean ports being 5,450 as against 3,726 in 1912. The increase is mainly
among the Russian immigrants, who numbered 3,569, as compared with 2,145 in 1912, an increase of
nearly 70 per cent. There was, however, in 1913 a renewed activity in the general movement from
Russia, the recorded number of Russian immigrants into the United States of America being about
80 per cent. greater than in 1912; and it does not, therefore, appear that the increase in Russian immigrants
to London is due to any special local cause.
The proportion of immigrants of British nationality refused admission, or deported after admission,
to the Colonies or the United States, varies considerably; on an average of the five years 1909-1913
there were 2.1 per cent. rejected by the United States, 0.4 per cent, by Canada, 0.06 per cent. by Cape
Colony, and 0.04 per cent. by Australasia. More than half those rejected by the United States were
described as paupers or likely to become a public charge. Disease and defective mental condition
caused the rejection of 0.28 per cent. by the United States, 0.17 per cent. by Canada, and 0.04 per cent.
by Australasia.
Alien
immigration
Natural Increase.—The following table shows the mean annual rate of "natural increase" of
the population per 1,000 living in certain periods from 1886 to 1913:—
With a view to a proper understanding of this table it may be well here to state that the observed
rate of increase in the population is dependent upon two causes (i) the difference between the numbers
of births and deaths described as "natural increase," and (ii) the difference in the numbers of emigrants
and immigrants generally referred to as "the balance of passenger movement."
Natural
increase
of the
population.

Rates of
natural
increase in
large English
towns.