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permanent employment of your Council are required to pass a medical
examination by one of your Medical Staff as an essential condition of
admission. 66 candidates were thus examined, and satisfied the
requirements of the examiners .
Reference to the Birth and Death-Rate tables will show that while
there has been a declension in the Birth-Rate (17.6 per 1,000 of the
population in 1925, as against 18.2 per 1,000 in 1924), the Death-Rate
has increased from 9.9 per 1,000 in 1924 to 10.1 per 1,000 in 1925. This
increased Death-Rate is not reflected in the Infant Mortality Rate, which
has declined from 61.6 per 1,000 children born in 1924 to 54 in 1925.
Without engaging in the controversy as to whether a decreased Birth-Rate
is desirable or otherwise, the increased Death-Rate and lowered BirthRate
indicates an ageing population. Carried over a considerable number
of years, the inevitable result would be that a sufficient number of children
will not be born to replace those dying at the other end of man's span of
life, and a process of depopulation would set in; that, from the Public
Health point of view, would be unfortunate. It is to be noted that the
Birth-Rate has been steadily falling since 1920.
The generous support that the Council as a whole, and its members
individually, have consistently given to the work of the Department—
control of which they entrusted to me—is much appreciated by all the
members of my s taff , who desire me to express their sincere thanks.
I am, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,