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below those of the whole of England & Wales. Our death-rate
has always been lower, but until recently our birth-rate was higher
than the rates which obtained in the rest of the country. In some
of the districts around London the birth-rate is still higher than in
the whole of England and Wales. This fact does not point to a real
increase or even to a high birth-rate, but is due to changes in the
population. The higher birth-rates occur in those districts which
are now in course of development, as these naturally attract newly
married couples ; based upon the gross population, their birth-rates
appear high. If the birth-rates were standardised according to
the age distribution of the population, or based upon the number
of married people between ages say of 20 and 45 years of age, it
would be found that the extra-metropolitan districts had a lower
birth-rate than that of the whole of the Kingdom, and that the rate
was a falling one.
The birth-rate has been declining regularly since 1880. Except
for the abnormality of the years 1915-21, due to war conditions,
the birth-rate is a regular slant to 1934. In Acton this phenomenon
has not been marked until recently, because of the abnormal agedistribution
of the population as a developing district, but now
that the borough is almost fully developed, the birth-rate will exhibit
the same character as that of the rest of the Kingdom and show
a regular decline, probably in an exaggerated degree. Moreover,
not only the rate will decline, but the actual number of births will
be much less.
What is the explanation of the fact that the birth-rate and
the number of births last year were higher than they were in the
previous year ?
This phenomenon, of course, may only Occur in 1934, and as
the period is such a short one, is of no significance, but I am of
opinion that the cause is due to an underestimate of the population
by the Registrar General. Before the last Census it was suspected
that the estimate of the population was too low, and the Census
proved that our suspicions were well founded. At the present time
also, I think that similar conditions exist, and that instead of the
population being lower than it was at the Census, it is higher, and
that the birth-rate had not increased last year.
DEATHS.
Four hundred and fifty-four deaths were registered in the
disrict; of these 24 did not belong to Acton, and were transferred
to other districts.