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inhabited dwellings, and 507 uninhabited. Since that
date 41 new houses have been certified as fit for human
habitation up to the end of 1913, and the majority of
houses empty then have been occupied; allowing 100 as
still unoccupied, and this is an outside figure, there would
be in the middle of 1913 approximately 5,577 inhabited
houses. If each of these had an average of 5.4 persons
inhabiting it the population at the middle of the year
would have been approximately 30,100, and believing
this estimate to be much nearer the truth than the one
mentioned above, I have taken it as the basis for the
statistics for the year.
The majority of the population in the district are
employed at one or other of the Factories established
here; these comprise factories in which are carried on :
cable making, gun making, oil refining, manufacture of
mining and other machinery, and manufacture of asbetos
and cement slates and slabs. A small number are engaged
in agricultural and horticultural pursuits.
B.—Sanitary Circumstances of the District.
(1) Water Supply.
This is obtained from the Metropolitan Water Board.
The water is very hard, but otherwise of good quality,
and the supply is ample for the requirement of the district.
(2) Drainage and Sewerage.
The main portion of the sewage of the District is
carried by a sewer which was completed and opened in
1898.
This sewer consists of two portions; one taking the
sewage from the low-lying part of the District, and running
from the western boundary near Abbey Wood Railway
Station to Erith. This portion is worked by the
Shone Pneumatic System, the ejectors being situated
about every half mile throughout its length, and being
worked by compressed air from the Outfall works at
Anchor Bay.
The remaining portion of the sewer brings the
sewage from the upper part of Belvedere and from
Northumberland Heath; no ejectors are required on this
section, as the fall is sufficient to maintain a good flow
and keep the sewer clean.