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15
our Engineer was elected President on 8th November, 1915. Of course, some
of the members are away on war service, but that is no cause for the apathy
of those still here. "Heaven helps those who help themselves."
VITAL STATISTICS.
My statistics refer to 52 weeks ending on December 30th, 1916.
I am much indebted to Mr. W. H. Miller, our Registrar of births and
deaths, for information promptly afforded whenever asked for.
The Registrar-General estimates our civil population at 66,800 for deathrate,
and 72,680 for birth-rate, whereas I estimate our nett civil population,
including 654 refugees, at 72,050, and the gross civil population (including
institutions) at 72,536, plus an average military population of 1,419. My
figures are. more likely to be in accordance with the facts, as there are few
(if any) houses vacant in Edmonton, and those occupied are more overcrowded
than ever. Besides, many Belgians (formerly in the Refuge) have
become householders or lodgers, and thus absorbed into the general body of
ratepayers. The exit of men for His Majesty's Services has been quite
compensated by the influx of munition workers.
I estimate the nett population at the middle of 1916 as 72,050 persons,
including 156 Edmonton people in Edmonton Workhouse and old Infirmary
and 654 Belgian refugees and resident staff. Without the Belgians, our
resident population is 71,396.
The natural increase of the population, that is the excess of the nett
total of births over the nett total of deaths, was 1,638 minus 726, equals 9 1 2
without Belgians. The figure was 849 last year.
For four out of the five weeks ending December 30th, 1916, the births
were less than the gross deaths for three times and exactly equal once. For
the week ending December 23rd the births were three less than even the deaths
amongst private residents. Measles was largely to blame for this.
The area of the district is 3,864 acres (less 31 of water), and the density
of the population, or the average number of persons per acre of land, is 18.7.
This figure is calculated on the gross population, which includes the average
populations of Edmonton Workhouse and old Infirmary, and the Belgian
refugees, and amounts to 72,536. The patients, nurses, medical men,
orderlies, etc., at the Military Hospital, are excluded.
In the Edmonton Workhouse and old Infirmary there were estimated to be
642 persons, of whom 156 were Edmonton residents.