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13
Having thus in accordance with custom presented the statistics
which accompany this Report for the fourth Quarter of the year 1884,
it becomes my duty to review the Sanitary Work of the entire
District for the completed year of 53 weeks, so that by comparison
with the whole Metropolis, or with the neighbouring Districts during
the same year, or with the Whitechapel District at other periods,
some reliable clue may be afforded by which we may ascertain the
condition of our District at the present time.
ANNUAL REPORT.
If it were easy to ascertain with certainty our present population
no great difficulty would present itself in following ont the work I
suggest ; but it must be remembered that since 1881, when the last
census was taken, many and great changes have occurred in the
Districl. Whole areas have been swept clear of houses for improvement
schemes, under the "Artizans and Labourers' Dwellings Adts "
or by railway enterprise ; and, as a set off, certain portions of vacant
ground have been built upon. Then again, the constitution (as
regards the population of the District) has changed very considerably,
because, until recently, our poor consisted almost entirely of people
from the South of Ireland, but now by far the greater proportion
comprise Russian and Polish Jews, and so rapidly have the latter
poured into the District within the last few years, that according to
the Registrar-General's Report for 1881, I find that in a total population
of 71,363 persons, there were no fewer than 9660 foreigners. An
analysis of these immigrants reveals the fact that 4458 were Russian
Poles, 835 were Russians, 1850 were Dutch, 1805 were Germans, and
203 were Austrians ; leaving a balance of 509 to be claimed by other
nations. Our population in 1881 therefore consisted of foreigners to
the extent of 13.5 per cent.; whilst of the total number of foreigners
6.2 per cent. belonged to the wretchedly filthy class known generally
as "Polish Jews." It will be now readily seen why I referred to the
changed constitution of the District, for although, as I shall show,
our total population in 1884, as compared with 1881, has only decreased
by some 2000 persons, yet we know that the number of foreigners
has enormously increased. Those who have any experience of the