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17
The number of small towns has been increased by three places, from 145
to 148, by the addition of Mitcham (Surrey), Eston and Spenborough (Yorks).
On January 1st, 1915, Mr. W. H. Miller became the successor of Mr.
Harman Judd as the registrar of births and deaths in Edmonton sub-district;
the sub-district of Southgate being taken over by Mr. T. E. David. I am
much indebted to Mr. Miller for information promptly afforded, whenever
asked for.
The Registrar-General estimates our civil population at 68,143, whereas I
estimate our nett civil population, including 690 refugees, at 70,464, and the
gross civil population (including institutions) at 70,998, plus an average military
population of 676. So there is a difference of 2,855 our figures. Mine are
more likely to be in accordance with the facts, as there are few (if any) houses
vacant in Edmonton, and those occupied are more overcrowded than ever.
Besides, many Belgians formerly in the refuge have become householders or
lodgers, and thus absorbed into the general body of ratepayers.
I understand that the estimate of the Registrar-General has been arrived
at by a calculation based on the National Register of August 15th, 1915
excluding all those men who are on war service, persons between 18-41 years
of age. But the exit of these men has been quite compensated by the influx of
munition workers and Belgian refugees.
The National Register.—This census differed from the ordinary
decennial one in many particulars. It only recorded those persons between
15 and 65 years of age who were sleeping in the house on Sunday night, 15th
August, 1915; soldiers and sailors and inmates of public institutions were not
enumerated. Each individual was dealt with by a separate paper, not on one
paper for each household. Everyone was asked to definitely state his or her
occupation, and how many children or others were wholly or partially dependent
on them. Every male between 18 and 41 years of age was specially listed for
recruiting purposes.
The papers were distributed through local authorities by voluntary workers,
who also helped at the coding according to occupations, and the issue of certificates
of registration.
I estimate the nett population at the middle of 1915 as 70,464 persons
including 396 Edmonton people in Edmonton Workhouse and old Infirmary
and 690 Belgian refugees and resident staff.
The natural increase of the population, that is the excess of the nett total
of births over the nett total of deaths, was 1,666 minus 817, equals 849, without
Belgians. The figure was 1,123 last year.