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16
On the gth March, Councillor Vincent (the Chairman) stated that the
Distress Committee had decided to close their register and offices. On October
12th, the Clerk of the Council, at the request of the Committee, took over their
books and other documents and the conduct of any business that may arise
until the Committee is resuscitated. However, on January 25th, 1916, the
Council filled up outside vacancies on the Committee for the coming year.
POOR LAW INSTITUTION.
The Institution belonging to the Edmonton Board of Guardians, which is
in Fore Street Ward, receives a certain proportion of its inmates from this
district, and such proportion is treated as part of our population for statistical
purposes. The large bulk of the inmates, however, is derived from Tottenham,
Southgate, Wood Green, Hornsey, Enfield, Cheshunt (Herts.), and Waltham
Abbey (Essex), which places make up the large Poor Law Union of Edmonton,
and these inmates, of course, do not enter into our vital statistics. In March,
1915, the estimated population of Edmonton Union was 479,001; rateable
value, ^2,516,791. Amongst a total of forty Guardians, Edmonton district
proper has only four representatives.
The New Infirmary and Nurses' Home became a military hospital in April;
for particulars of its work, see "The Foreword." In the same place will be
found the account of the Belgian refugees in the former Strand Union buildings.
N.A.L.G.O.
The local branch of the National Association of Local Government Officers
was established on the 19th March, 1914. I have the honour of representing it
on the Executive Council of the Association. On 8th November, Mr. Cuthbert
Brown was elected President, and I as Vice-President, and Mr. W. H. Tonkin
as Hon. Secretary; this was the only meeting held in 1915. Its usefulness to
its members will entirely depend upon the courage and energy of its Executive
Committee.
VITAL STATISTICS.
My statistics refer to 53 weeks, i.e., they include the week ending January 2,
1915, and that ending January 1st, 1916. The Registrar-General took 53 weeks
for the preceding year, so I end level with him.
Edmonton, since the census of April, 1911, has been promoted to the first
class, i.e., in the weekly returns of the Registrar-General, Edmonton appears
as one of the 97 largest towns in England and Wales, and therefore enjoys the
privilege of having her vital statistics published with the other 96 towns every
week. On the 9th of November, 1914, Devonport was absorbed into Plymouth,
thus reducing the number of great towns by one,