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56
The Superintendent of the Leeds Crematorium is of opinion "that the
"prejudice against cremation is lessening, though dying hard. Personally I
" Believe that there is an appreciable tendency towards this form of disposal of
"the dead, and one hears repeated expressions of satisfaction that a Crema"torium
has been provided in this neighbourhood. The near future may not
"see any great change in the sentiment and opinion of the general public
"towards cremation, but I incline towards the belief that the next generation
"will accept cremation more as a custom and less as an innovation, the feeling
" against it having to be banished by education and familiarity."
ARTIZANS' DWELLINGS, STONEY LANE, HOUNDSDITCH.
These buildings, erected by the late Commissioners of Sewers and opened
in January, 1885, stand upon ground formerly the site of several courts and
alleys in the Ward of Portsoken.
There are five "blocks" of Dwellings, severally named King's—Queen's—
Prince's—North—and South, designed for occupation by persons of the
artizan class ; some of the ground floors being let as shops. Exclusive of
the shops and cellars, they contain 501 rooms, arranged in 241 tenements,
and are occupied by 995 persons. Sixty.one per cent, are adults and
thirty.nine per cent, children (under 14 years).
The death rate for 1905 was 17.0 per 1,000 per annum [of which 35.3
per cent, was of children under 5 years of age]. Deaths of children under
one year to 1,000 births were 138, as against 139 for the City generally.
The number of births was 29, viz. : 17 males and 12 females. The birth
rate, 29.1 per 1,000, is the lowest recorded since 1894, and is 6.7 per 1,000
below the average for the previous five years.
Only one illegitimate birth has been recorded in these Dwellings since 1894,
which is consistent with the high reputation for morality among the Jews, by
whom they are mainly occupied.