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14
The District has a frontage to the river of about 6 miles.
The northern part lying alongside the river, is mostly below
the level of high tide in the river, and is marshy. The southern
portion rises fairly rapidly to about 200 feet above sea level.
In parts of the Area, new estates of the residential suburban
type, have been growing up in the past few years, with a socalled
"dormitory population."
A(8). Unemployment Figures and Comments.
A further most gratifying reduction has again occurred in
the unemployment figures for 1936. The increase in employment
has again occurred mainly in the adult male group, there
being very little alteration in the adult female group, and the
December 1936 figure for the adult male group is nearly half
the figure of two years before. It is hoped that this reduction
will continue during 1937.
It has been pointed out before that it is the reduction in
unemployment of male adults that is most desirable. It has
happened, that new industrial undertakings come into a
District, and take on a large number of young persons between
the ages of 16 to 18 years, thus reducing the total unemployment
figures, but not affecting the adult males, which from
the social point of view is the important group. Furthermore
to employ the young person until the age of 18 and then to
expose him to long periods of idleness, sometimes almost permanent,
is of no benefit to the person or the community.

A(9). Riverside Gardens.
During the year a scheme was conceived to secure some
of Erith's river frontage for pleasure grounds and it was proposed
to purchase the piece about 200 feet in length which
included Cannon & Gaze's flour mill and extends from The
Causeway to opposite Walnut Tree Road.