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26
At the Census there were 903 uninhabited houses, but since
then there is evidence that this number has been reduced, so
allowing 600 uninhabited houses for the middle of the year
1912 and deducting those from the total number of houses,
18,149—600=17,549; this number multiplied by 4.3, as the
average number of persons per inhabited house, with the
1,405 inhabitants of the Village Homes added, gives a total
population of 76,865 for the district proper, as compared
with the Registrar-General's estimate of 79,330. There is
no doubt that the ratio of increase in the population of Ilford
is diminishing. For the decennium 1891 to 1901 the population
quadrupled, whereas for the ten-year period 1901 to
1911 it merely doubled. Just as the Registrar-General's
estimate for 1910 was too high, so I think his estimate for
1912 is also too high, and therefore I propose to take 76,865
as my estimate of the population of the district proper for the
calculation of all my rates, and by adding 3,750, the population
of Claybury and West Ham Asylums, situated in this
district, I arrive at 80,615 as the total population of Ilford
for 1912. The manner of calculating has answered fairly
well in the past, and seems to be as good a method as it is
possible to use for a district of this character. The decline
in the average number of persons per house is curious, and
interesting, though contrary to what one expected. As the
Census returns come to hand it may be necessary to modify
slightly some of these figures, but they are accurate enough
for practical purposes at present.
BIRTHS.
The total number of births registered during 1912 was
1,492 (767 males and 725 females), giving a birth-rate of
19.4, or a corrected rate of 17.7 per 1,000 of the population.
Of the above, 17 males and 16 females were illegitimate.
On reference to Table 1. at the end of this section it will
be seen that the total number of births is steadily decreasing.