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11
In March a local branch of the Middlesex War Agricultural Committee
was formed, consisting of the three County Councillors for Edmonton, three
Councillors and three outside members, with the assistance of the Architect.
In December the County Committee began to interest themselves in the supply
of seed potatoes.
MUNITION WORKS.
During the year the greatest activity prevailed in the manufacture of
munitions, and a great deal of attention was required from my Department
with reference to providing for each one proper and sufficient water supply,
sanitary conveniences and collection of refuse.
The Home Office complained of shortness of closet accommodation at an
old-established factory, which report was unfounded. Whereas I received no
complaints from the Home Office about newly-established factories where the
accommodation was, for some time, grossly inadequate.
In November, notwithstanding the protests of my Council and our
Engineer, a large permanent munition building was placed over one of the
main sewers; the site of the building is well below flood-water level of the
neighbouring brook.
Of course the extraordinary and heavy traffic to and from these munition
works has badly affected the surface of certain of our roads. An application
was made to the Government towards the cost of repairs, but it was not
granted.
BELGIAN REFUGEES
At the old Strand School (Millfield House) there are mainly men, and
those men who have been found to require strict discipline; whilst the men
with families are mostly at the old Strand Workhouse near by. Dr. Beels
(late of Antwerp) lives at Millfield House; he acts as medical officer for both
institutions, whilst Mr. S. Pallin is their lay superintendent. The average
daily number of refugees and resident staff for 1916 is taken as 654, but
the real numbers of the former are subject to fluctuation.
The Local Government Board has directed me to include the refugees
amongst the resident population, so that (as for 1915) the vital statistics
of this Report have been made out in two forms, i.e., with or without the
Belgians, in order to allow the statistics of 1916 to be comparable with past
and future years. In the past the poor people in the buildings of the Strand
Guardians have been regarded as "foreigners" from a statistical point of
view.
The children are supervised by a resident Roman Catholic priest; and
a special school of two classes is held in St. Aldhelm's Sunday School.
As regards Infectious Diseases. Thirty two cases were notified:
5 scarlet fever, 4 diphtheria, 4 puerperal fever, 1 erysipelas, and 18 (English)
measles.