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tion increased from 30,170 to 35,190, this was largely
due to immigration, as births only exceeded deaths by
316. The immigrants are for the most part families
from the London area which have been selected for
occupation of houses completed during the year on the
L.C.C. estates. The total number of inhabited houses
in the district increased from 8,747 to 10,380 during the
year, so that building has kept pace with the population
increase, and overcrowding has, in fact, diminished
slightly; the average number of occupants per inhabited
house was 3.45 in 1947, and 3.39 in 1948.
With regard to infectious diseases, the filling up
of the new L.C.C. estates has inevitably affected the
picture, and until the population becomes stabilised on
completion of these estates, the notification rates of
certain diseases will be liable to fluctuation. It must
be remembered that many of the successful applicants
for these houses have been given priority on account
of living under very bad conditions in the London area,
some with large families of young children, or delicate
children, or with tuberculosis in the family. Infections
of children such as measles and whooping cough, and
tuberculosis, may therefore be expected for a time to
be more prevalent among a selected population of this
kind than in a normal cross-section of the population,
and this is borne out by the tuberculosis and measles
figures for the year under review.
A noteworthy feature during the year was the
inauguration of the Chigwell and Waltham Holy Cross
Hygienic Food Traders' Guild, with the object of
assisting and encouraging voluntary efforts among
traders in foodstuffs towards improved methods of
manufacture, distribution and handling of food. It will
be recalled that a notable outbreak of food poisoning,