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5
Almost all the area included in the South East and South
West Ward has been developed and the available space built over.
In the North East and North West Wards, there is a considerable
amount of undeveloped ground, but the land in these
two wards is rapidly being developed for residential as well
as factory purposes.
The whole district has a density of about 28 persons
to the acre. In the North East Ward there are 15 persons to the
acre, in the North West 17, in the South East 63 and in the South
West Ward 82 persons to the acre.
The district is partly industrial and partly residential. At
the present time, it cannot be said that one of the wards is entirely
residential. Formerly, the South West Ward was regarded
as industrial in its character and the three others were residential.
The South East Ward which comprises Bedford Park is
almost entirely residential in character, and there are only a few
factories in the ward, and these are along the borders of the ward.
A considerable proportion of the inhabitants, and especially
those of the North East, North West and South East Wards are
employed outside the district.
The oldest industry, and at one time the most important,
and almost the sole one, is the laundry industry. This industry
has been established in the district for nearly half a century, and
absorbs a large number of workers. In August 1915, there were
1048 single and 1640 married women employed in the laundry
industry. It is probable that this number was exceeded ten
years ago, and it is likely that at the present time fewer persons
are employed than in 1915.
The introduction of labour saving machinery has had the
effect of closing most of the hand laundries, and this fact alone
would account for a diminished number of employees. But it
is also possible that less work is now done in the laundries of the
district than was the case ten years ago. In addition to the small
hand laundries, some factory laundries have recently been closed,
and possibly, some of the causes which led to the introduction
of the industry into the district may be operative in the establishment
of new laundries in another district. Owing to the