View report page

4
thirds being to the North of the line, and one-third to
the South, the two parts of the district being connected
by a bridge which might have served the requirements
of the district fairly well 15 years ago when the population
was less than a fifth of what it is at present, but
which is now quite inadequate for the purpose, and constitutes
a source of constant danger to the heavy traffic
passing over its narrow and tortuous roadway. The
area of the district is about 1072 acres. The number of
persons per house at last Government Census was 5¾.
The population is almost entirely composed of the
industrial classes. A very large number travel by train
to the City and other parts of London to their employment.
Many are employed in the local factories, of
which there are 6 in the district. Some of these are of
considerable size, and employ several hundreds of
workers, both male and female. Of those not employed
in the factories a fairly large proportion belong to the
unskilled labour class, such as labourers, carters, etc.
There is plenty of house accommodation for all classes.
At the close of the year there were 1633 occupied houses
and 318 occupied flats in the district.
BIRTHS.
The number of births registered was 303—an increase
of 41 over that of the previous year. The birthrate
per 1000 inhabitants is therefore 35.5, as compared
with 33.2 for 1905. Of the total births 7 were illegitimate—or
2.3 per cent. Thus it will be noticed that the
district maintains its high birth-rate, notwithstanding
the downward tendency in this direction shown by the
country generally. This is very satisfactory and indicates
the presence of a high proportion of individuals in the
most vigorous age periods of life, and should correspond
with a low death-rate, as is also the fact in our case.
In Table I. of Vital Statistics appended to this
report will be found the birth-rate for the preceding 12
years.
DEATHS.
The deaths registered during the year were 74 in
number, affording a death-rate of 6.8 per 1000 living.
Adding to these the number of deaths of residents
occurring outside the district in hospitals, asylums,