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INTRODUCTION
The year under review has been an unquiet one. The prolonged
cold winter, the fuel shortage with its consequent interference with
industry, the more stringent rationing of some foods, the restrictions
on travel and the anxiety over matters affecting the future peace of
the world, all hindered the recovery from the weariness left behind by
nearly six years of war. Few of these things, however, could be
proved to have had an immediately harmful influence on health, but
the cumulative effect of numerous small privations must inevitably
become manifest in time. There is some evidence already of this
cumulative strain and, as might be expected, it concerns the housewives
and mothers: there is evidence that the toxæmias of pregnancy
are of more frequent occurrence.
The cold winter was followed by a warm, dry summer: although
welcome in many ways this had its own disadvantages in this particular
year; it provided the climatic conditions in which Infantile Paralysis,
if it happens to be prevalent, spreads most easily. A full account of
the outbreak of Infantile Paralysis will be found in another section of
this Report.
Housing.
It could not be expected that the Housing situation would show
much improvement, though considerable progress was made with the
Corporation's permanent housing programme. Requests for assistance
in finding adequate living accommodation were as numerous
as in previous years, but there seemed to be, if not more resignation at
the state of affairs, at any rate more apathy; people seemed to feel
in advance that they made their requests with little real hope. A
Housing Survey was conducted during the year; the results of this
survey were printed in full in a Report of the Health and Welfare
Committee to the Council, but since it was a part of the year's work,
it is reprinted in this Report. The Housing problem is, of course,
a National one and conditions similar to or possibly worse than those
existing in Beckenham must exist in most places in the country. The
problem actually seems to be more a shortage of materials and labour
than a shortage of land. There are undoubtedly many families, at
present inadequately housed in Beckenham, who could solve their
own problems if the supply of materials and labour were sufficient to
enable private enterprise to resume the erection of houses. Whether
it would be possible for private enterprise to build these houses in
Beckenham is, however, another question. The Council has already
indicated that in their view it is most desirable to retain the existing
open spaces in the Borough as open spaces; moreover, in the long
term development plan for Greater London, it is suggested that no
further extension of building in Beckenham is desirable. The
Council have not been able to find any more land in the Borough for
the erection of Corporation houses; private enterprise is not likely
to be more successful.