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27
The work in connection with the periodical inspection
of houses under the Housing (Inspection of District) Regulations,
1910, was not actively maintained during 1916
owing to the difficulties experienced in obtaining the necessary
labour to remedy defects and the high cost of building
material. Only the most urgent matters arising out of
Housing Inspection were dealt with.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Under the foregoing four main headings I have outlined
the steps taken by the Council for the maintenance of health.
In connection with such work there are many subsidiary,
but none the less essential activities and enquiries.
Vital Statistics.
In order that the results of the measures for securing
the health of the population may be judged and new methods
devised, it is necessary to have regard to the Vital Statistics
of the population.
The population of Willesden estimated at midsummer,
1916, was 167,810. This estimate is probably too low. It
is based on the number of occupied rooms in Willesden,
assuming that the number per room has remained the same
as at the Census, 1911. In normal times this is a fair assumption,
and gives a relatively accurate method of estimating
the population, but as practically no new building has
taken place since war broke out in August, 1914, and as
there has been a large influx of munition workers into
Willesden, it is probable that the number of persons per
occupied room is greater than in normal times.
The death rate during the past year has been 10.19 per
thousand of the population, while the infant mortality rate
has been 77 per t ousand births, or the lowest on record.
In connection with this latter figure it should be noted that
the birth rate during last year was likewise the lowest on