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14
The one belonging to the Strand Union, London, to which is attached
the Strand Union Schools, receives its inmates from the Strand and other
Central London Districts; its population, therefore, does not enter
into our statistics. The Institution belonging to the Edmonton Board of
Guardians receives a certain proportion of its inmates from this district,
and such proportion is treated as part of our population for statistical
purposes. The large bulk of the inmates, however, is derived from
Tottenham, Southgate, Wood Green, Hornsey, Enfield, Cheshunt (Herts),
and Waltham Abbey (Essex), which places make up the large Poor-Law
Union of Edmonton, and these inmates, of course, do not enter into our
vital statistics. In March, 1912, the estimated population of Edmonton
Union was 452,754; rateable value, £2,397,429. The estimate of a
population of 482,539, in March, 1911, was incorrect, owing to the overestimation
of several districts, which has been corrected by the census of
April, 1911. Amongst a total of forty Guardians, Edmonton District
proper has only four representatives.
A table showing the number of inmates of both the Strand and
Edmonton Institutions, and the births and deaths that have taken place
there, will be found in Table 11a.
At the Edmonton Infirmary and Workhouse the general death rate
is over 460 per thousand inmates, and the infantile mortality rate is
over 462 per thousand births taking place there. The similar rates for
the district generally (excluding foreigners) are slightly over 10 per
thousand inhabitants and 84 per thousand births. A new agreement was
settled on 11th December with Edmonton Guardians with reference to
infectious diseases amongst outdoor paupers. (See Section 11a
Communicable Diseases.)
THE PREVENTION OF DESTITUTION.
I attended this series of meetings, not as a delegate of Edmonton,
but in response to an invitation from the organisers, prominent amongst
whom were Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Webb. Representatives of Edmonton
Council, Education Committee, Distress Committee, and Guardians were
also present. The meetings took place during the 11th to 14th June, and
all this time five sections, viz., those for (1) Public Health, (2) Education,
(3) Housing, (4) Unemployment, (5) Crime and Inebriety, were in active
session, and dealt with all the interesting aspects of these important
questions, important especially to working-class districts. Councillor
Vincent shortly afterwards reported thereon to the Council, Councillor
H. Barras to the Education Committee, and Mr. A. Grove to the Distress
Committee. I read a paper on "Health Conditions in Factories and
Workplaces" to a joint meeting of the Public Health and Unemployed
Sections, and took a share in the discussion at a joint meeting of the
Public Health and Housing Sections on "The Health Value of Good
Housing."