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2
SECTION A
STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS
1. General Statistics.
Area in Acres 1,390
Total Population (including Service personnel) 38,790
Number of inhabited! houses (approx.) 11,755
Rateable Value - General Rate (1.4.56) £1,184,844
Sum represented by Penny Rate (Year 1956/57). £ 4,821
The total number of hereditaments is 14,182 of which 80%
are domestic dwellings. There are 2,329 commercial premises
in the town being 16% of the total hereditaments. The remaining
premises totalling 508 are classified as industrial,
entertainment, public utility, educational and miscellaneous.
2. Social Conditions.
The Royal and Ancient Borough of Kingston- upen- Thames
ia a thriving market town situated in the County of Surrey
on the bank of the river Thames. The shopping centre provides
the main economic function, but there is also an important
industrial activity mainly in Aircraft and Engineering.
Kingston is also a busy centre for education and recreation,
and is to some extent a dormitory town for London business
people.
An outstanding factor influencing the social conditions
is the fact of low unemployment and Mr. P.R. Smith, the
Manager of the local Employment Exchange has kindly provided
the following information regarding employment in Kingston
and the surrounding districts.
"The year 1956 was a good year from the employment
point of view, despite some redundancy in the aircraft
industry. At the commencement of the year
there were only 251 men and 95 women unemployed;
in July there were 208 men and 94 women on the
registers. The highest point reached was at the
end of the year when there were 400 men and 155
women unemployed.
During the year some 16,000 men and women
registered as unemployed, but there were never
more than 555 unemployed at one time.
The little long terra unemployment was restricted
to elderly men and some disabled persons.
There was an unsatisfied demand for skilled
labour of all types during the year; some 4,000
men and l,700 women were placed in local vacancies
and there were 500 men's and 350 women's vacancies
remaining to be filled in December.
The most important industries were aircraft
and motor manufacture and repair (9,000), building
(4,500) and engineering (4,000) whilst retail
distribution employed some 8,700."