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14
Social Conditions. Woolwich may be described as one of
the suburban working.class metropolitan boroughs. It comprises
the three Civil Parishes of Woolwich, Plumstead and
Eltham, and its area is 8,282 statute acres. In Woolwich
Parish there are 1,135 acres; in Plumstead, 3,387 acres; and in
Eltham, 3,760 acres. The River Thames covers approximately
an additional 645 acres. Much of the Borough is
unbuilt on and the number of persons per acre varies from
10 in Eltham to 31 in Woolwich, the general average of the
Borough being 17.
Population. The Registrar General estimates the total
population of the Borough at the 30th June, 1928, as 146,600.
This is the highest estimate since the end of the war. The
figures include the military, and in order to obtain the civilian
population it is necessary to make a reduction of 5,500, which
is the estimated number of non.civilians. The civilian population,
therefore, is estimated to be 141,100. In 1926, the
civilian population was estimated by the Registrar General
as 141,900. Compared with 1927 the civilian population is
estimated to show an increase of only 330. For the reasons
which were given in my annual report for 1927, I am unable
to understand these figures. To my mind the estimates thus
furnished are below the true figure, and my estimate of the
population of the Borough at the middle of 1928 was 147,130,
but, as the practice in recent years has been to accept the
figures of the Registrar.General for comparative statistical
purposes, his figures have again been adopted this year, and
populations of the registration districts of the Borough have
been calculated. It has been necessary in these calculations
to make allowance for transfers which have taken place under
the Council's housing scheme from Woolwich and Plumstead
to Eltham, and figures are available to shew that over 7,000
persons have moved from these districts to the Council's
housing estate. Internal movement of the population in the