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I have no statistical evidence to offer in regard to the result of unemployment
upon the health and physique of children and adults in Barking.
It is, however, a matter of concern that a number of Barking women still
present themselves at the ante-natal clinics, in whose blood the amount of red
colouring matter is significantly below normal. A scientific enquiry into this
problem has been undertaken at your pathological laboratory, and you are referred
to pages 67 to 70 which deal with the work of this laboratory.
It would be rash at the present time to associate directly the incidence of this
form of anaemia with unemployment, indeed, it should be stated quite clearly that
the factors leading to this anæmia are still obscure, but I cannot help feeling that a
more generous diet, even if we do not know the precise item it would supply, would
be likely, materially, to alter the incidence of these cases of anaemia.
During the later months of pregnancy this falling off in the amount of
haemoglobin, as the red colouring matter is named, is met with even in fine,
upstanding and well fed athletic women, and of course where you have this
abnormal drain upon the resources of the expectant mother it is not to be expected
that some added nourishment during the later months of pregnancy is likely, at
one and the same time, to arrest this added drain and augment significantly the
amount of haemoglobin in the blood.
(d) Housing.—In continuing these remarks upon social conditions, I want to say how
happy I am that the Council have stated that they are unprepared to look favourably
upon any scheme or development, which would mean that more than sixty persons
would be housed per acre.
I am persuaded that the number of persons per acre, rather than an arbitrary
number of houses is the right way in which we should assess density. There can be
no doubt, particularly with regard to "catching diseases" that the more densely
people are herded together, the less opportunity will there be for limiting any minor
outbreak of infection.
I am the more persuaded in this opinion, owing to the fact that Barking is a
dormitory town, where there is no present need that some people should of necessity
live in Barking.
(e) Travelling Facilities.—I look upon this problem as one to be linked up with
housing, and to be considered parallel with it.
Travelling facilities to and from Barking are generally bad. The trains at
rush hours are overcrowded, sometimes the standard of cleanliness is less than one
would desire and altogether I find it difficult to believe that any one factor, likely to
spread diseases which are catching, in Barking, can compare to the circumstances
under which so many travel to and from the City.