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nine of whom retire annually. It is represented on the Middlesex County
Council by three members, Councillors Cornish, Green and Barrass.
The population is now almost entirely industrial, and a large
proportion of the workers travel daily by train and tram to their employment
in the City and other parts of London. There are, however,
several large works in Edmonton, notably the cartridge factory of Messrs.
Eley Bros., Messrs. Ridley Whitleys' linoleum works, the Gothic gas-meter
works, the New Pegamoid Company, Aerators Ltd., and the Tottenham
and Edmonton Gas Company, whose employees are, for the most part,
residents of Edmonton. In the first-mentioned factory, however, where
most of the workers (about 1,100) are women, nearly one-quarter of
their number reside in London, and come daily to their work by tram
or rail.
THE DISTRESS COMMITTEE.
The Distress Committee has been busy in finding useful work for the
unemployed, and putting to good use the monies supplied by the
Government. Unemployment has been less acute this year than last; from
October to December, 1912, there were 422 names entered on the
Committee's register, compared with 540 for the same period of 1911.
In June the Distress Committee issued a printed report of the work
from 1905, the date of the "Unemployed Workmen Act," to March 31st,
1912, compiled by their Clerk, Mr. A. C. Church. The Act was to be in
operation for three years only, but has been renewed yearly since 1908.
Each man is given three weeks' work at 6d. an hour for 44 hours per
week.
The Committee commenced emigration work in August, 1908, and up
to March, 31st, 1912, had enabled 195 persons to emigrate at a cost of
£1878 13s. 4d., paid partly out of rates and partly out of parliamentary
grant; of this, £64 12s. 11d. had been repaid by the emigrants. The past
experience of Mr. Church in shipping business has in this connection been
most useful. During the period under review, 56 persons, with 139
dependents, were enabled to emigrate. Of these, 84 went to Canada;
78, Australia; 26, New Zealand; 7, the United States; Total, 195.
The Chairmen of this Committee have been the Rev. E. A. B. Sanders,
Mr. F. W. Mason, and Councillor F. Vincent, who is the present occupant
of this responsible position.
POOR LAW INSTITUTIONS.
The workhouses of two large Unions are situated in Fore Street
Ward.