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Crayford Urban District Council.
To the Chairman and Members of the Urban District
Council and Health Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my 25th and last
Annual Report.
Of the 'old contemptibles' only Mr. Lyle as Councillor
and Mr. Goodman as Accountant remain., We
together have seen many changes in the comparatively
short time of 25 years.
Diphtheria. In looking back over the period the
most striking change is in the incidence of Diphtheria. In
1921 the first year of these reports it was my unfortunate
lot to have to report 111 cases with 12 deaths. No cases
have occurred since 1942. Making the widest allowance
for any other factors—i.e., housing, general improvement
in hygiene it is impossible to resist the conclusion that
this improvement is due to the widespread adoption of
immunisation. We have always had high figures and last
year the percentages were, under five years 81 per cent.,
and 5—15 years 94 per cent.
Housing. By 1938, overcrowding, according to
the admittedly low standards of the 1936 Act, had been
reduced to 24 cases. The war period of course played
havoc with these figures. 184 houses were totally demolished
and 568 seriously damaged.
The Council are proceeding vigourously with their
programme so as to get back as quickly as possible to
at least the pre-war standard.
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