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for 1923, page 38, it was shown that in the past 20 years the female mortality at
ages below 65 years has decreased, while above that age the rate of increase has
diminished.
The facts are the more remarkable when it is borne in mind that it is just
during this period the greatest improvement in the means of diagnosis has
occurred.
Much of the increase shown in the annual rates since the beginning of this
century does not represent actual increase in the incidence of cancer,
but it is the result of the increased proportion of persons of higher age in the
London population, which has in recent years been further accentuated by the rapid
decrease in the birth-rate. It is found that when allowance is made for the change in
the age constitution of the population which occurred in London between the census
of 1911 and that of 1921, the number of deaths among females actually decreased,
while the male rate only slightly increased.
Under section 37 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1907,
the medical officer or any person provided with his authority (in writing) may
examine the person or clothing of any inmate of a common lodging house where
they have reason to suspect that such person or clothing is verminous or in a foul
and filthy condition.
Verminous
lodgers in
common
lodging
houses.
The "worker" is generally clean as far as regards body vermin. The main
sources of difficulty are the shabby genteel man and the tramp. There are no
figures of the actual lodgers cleansed, but the attached table shows the improvement
in London, and the improvement amongst the lodgers is even more than among the
population generally (the figures for children are not included).
Not only are the figures less, but those actually dealt with are far less
verminous.
14172 c
Administration.
The supervision of the 162 common lodging houses licensed by the Council
under the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1902, entailed 9,607 day visits and 348 night
visits by the inspectors. The supervision of 35 seamen's lodging houses licensed
under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, entailed 784 visits by day and 64
by night.
Common and
seamen's
lodging
houses.
A comprehensive report on common lodging houses, with special reference to the
accommodation for women, was prepared in December, 1926, and is obtainable at
the Council's publishers, P. S. King and Son, 14, Great Smith Street, Westminster,
S.W. 1, price 1s. 6d.
A census ot homeless persons in London was taken on the night of Friday the
19th February, 1926. The area covered extended over the whole of the county,
except such of the outlying portions as are not usually the resort of such persons.
The night was fine and very mild. Only 3 persons (all females) were found
sheltering under arches, or on staircases. In the streets 76 males and 24 females
were found, as compared with 76 males and 37 females in 1925, and 296 males and
76 females in 1914, on the occasion of previous censuses. In the common lodging
houses 14,593 persons were accommodated as compared with 14,425 in 1925 and
20,173 in 1914 before the war. In the free shelters and labour homes not licensed,
647 males, 125 females and 20 children were accommodated as compared with
448 males, 118 females and 23 children in 1925. The number of persons in casual
wards and in the hostel under the auspices of the Metropolitan Asylums Board on
the night in question was 668 (661 males and 7 females), the largest number recorded
at any census since 1913. At London Rowton Houses, 5,043 men were accommodated,
and there were 10 vacant beds.
Census of
homeless
persons.