View report page

URBAN DISTRICT OF ERITH.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Medical Officer of Health,
FOR THE YEAR, 1904.
Erith, Kent,
March 9, 1905.
TO THE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL OF ERITH
Gentlemen,—
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report in accordance with
the Regulations of the Local Government Board.
In writing this Report I have had to rely, with regard to the first half
ot the year, on the periodical reports to the Council of your late Medical
Officer of Health, Dr. Rogers, and his successor pro. tem., Dr. Good, and
the assistance of the Inspector of Nuisances.
Population and Physical Features of the District,
It is difficult to correctly estimate the population of the district, as it
is somewhat migratory ; formerly the majority belonged to the Residential
or City Class, but these are rapidly dying out or removing, and now the
large majority belong to the Manufacturing Class, with a few belonging
to the Agricultural Class.
The Census returns for 1901 showed the population to be 25,296, with
4291 inhabited houses. Since then 1182 new houses have been built, 133 of
them during the past year, making a total of 5,473. At the time the Census
was taken every house was fully occupied, employment being plentiful. At
the present time quite 500 houses are empty, and many others, let out in
flats, are only half-occupied. One large factory, the oldest in the district,
employing 652 hands when the Census was taken, has been closed, and many
of the men working there have removed from the district with their families.
After deducting the deaths from the births in the district I estimate
that the population at the middle of the year was 27,582.