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51
It will be noticed that the population of the district has
decreased very considerably since the last census, amounting in
all to 2,568. This has been chiefly due to the careful carrying out
of the provisions of the Public Health Act of 1891. It is a matter
of congratulation that so many insanitary dwellings have been
closed, but, on the other hand, it has unfortunately entailed a
great deal of inconvenience, to use no stronger term, on those
who have been displaced from these houses; and unless steps
are taken to supply some dwellings for the working classes in
the district, the work of depopulation must go on. When we
look at the large amount of ground lying vacant, some of it for
years, it seems a pity that no means can be devised to erect
suitable and healthy dwellings thereon. This matter has frequently
engaged the attention of your Sanitary Committee, but the very
high, not to say prohibitive, prices asked for ground suitable for
the purpose are such as to make it absolutely impossible to construct
dwellings which would be within the means of the artisan
or unskilled labourer.
INQUESTS.
In St. Saviour district inquests were held on the bodies of 16
persons, 7 of whom did not belong to the parish. The following
verdicts were returned:—
Found drowned 6
Convulsions 3
Suicide, Drowning 1
„ Hanging 1
Apoplexy 1
Electric Shock 1
Accidentally Suffocated in bed 1
Heart Disease 1
Haemorrhage into Lung 1
In Christchurch district inquests were held on 14 bodies,
7 of which did not belong to the district. The following verdicts
were returned:—
Drowned 4
Suicide by Drowning 1
Heart Disease 3
Accidentally Suffocated in bed 2
Pneumonia 1
Electric Shock 1
Apoplexy 1
Tuberculosis 1
E 2