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4
quence of the pressure of work devolving upon two
inspectors being far more than they could successfully
cope with, the Council, early in the year, consented
to the appointment of a third with very satisfactory
results. We have been fortunate in possessing for
considerable periods the services of the two senior
inspectors, one for eleven years, and the other for
seven, so that there has been no break of continuity
or drawback incidental to the installing of new members,
but simply an addition to the existing experienced
ones—and certain work, especially in connection
with house to house inspection, which had of necessity
been somewhat neglected, is now satisfactorily
carried on.
Population.
As the time approaches for the taking of another
census, and nearer to the end of an inter-censal period,
the difficulties increase in arriving at a correct estimate
of the population. I have explained this in former
reports, and do not now propose to recapitulate it.
Deaths.
It is satisfactory to be able to state that the death
rate for the year shows a decrease of .81 compared
with that of 1907. The deaths registered in the
borough during the year were 593 (male 289, females
284), including those of residents who died outside
its confines, and who have to be included in the total
number.
The death rate on this calculated population of
51,000 is equal to 11.2 per thousand or 1 in 89 of the
population. Table IV. shows the distribution of deaths
in the wards, classified according to age and causation.
The following summary of vital statistics for
1908 will be found convenient:—
Population (estimated to middle of year), 51,000;
total number of births, 1,251; birth rate, 24.5; deaths