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14
which is not in the power of any local authority
to control, is the necessary consequence.
Systematic inspections in many of the newlybuilt
streets and houses evidence remarkably few
sanitary orders. These are well carried out, and
over-crowding is tolerably well kept under ; but as
the rapid increase of population proceeds without
corresponding means of securing to the young and
growing offspring that enlarged area and salubrious
domestic accommodation so essential to health,
a high death-rate naturally ensues. But this high
death-rate is not the only check to population.
Another and more painful form of evil manifests
itself in the sickly and puny race around us.
Young men and women are unable from low vitality
to cope with their contemporaries in the labour
market where prolonged muscular exertion is required.
We find in this class the seeds of debility
and disease. Destitution, pauperism, and crime,
leading to high rates, follow each other closely or
go hand-in-hand. Add debauchery to the prevailing
abuse of intoxicants and tobacco, we have
producing causes of the degraded pauper-breding
population of our large cities, becoming every day
more costly to rate-payers and which the poor laws
are so ineffectual to grapple with. In thus pointing
out some of our future dangers let me venture as a
duty not remote from my office to suggest that an
effort may be made to meet some at least of these
evils. Rate-payers would find it economical to