LONDON THEN AND NOW

Hawera Star, Volume L, 7 August 1930, Page 5

LONDON THEN AND NOW

PICTURE: FOR PAST TEN YEARS

WHAT THE STATISTICS SHOW

Is London a better place to live in than it was ten years ago? asks a London newspaper. Ratepayers are putting their hands into their pockets for over £10,030,01)0 a year more than they were in 1920 for social sen ices. Are they getting their money’s worth in improvements?

The only way to find an answer, says the writer, is to comb the Yellow Book, entitled “A Statistical Abstract,” published by- the London County Council. Containing 100 pages of solid statistics without a line of comment, it gives a complete' comparative figure picture of London for the past ten years, which at first glance looks like a Chinese puzzjle.

The Yellow Book shows that, in spite of the fact that London is growing! bigger, there is less crime and disease. On the other hand, it reveals that the Metropolis is far more dangerous to live in and the big increase in suicides indicates that it is proving too nerve-wracking for many. Facts that seem to suggest that London is improving are:— Infant mortality rates are over 59 per cent, lower than ten years ago. Londoners are living longer, hundreds more people living to 85 and

over. Greater use of libraries; lasi year 14,512,112 books being borrowed, comparer! with 6,001,390 ten years ago. Large increase of visitors lo the art galleries and museum. Vast improvement in housing, 3>,009 now dwellings having been built by the London County Council alone since 1919. Less beer, wine, and spirits being drunk and more tea being consumed. Bigamy is on the wane. On tlie other hand the following facts have to he noted: — The yearly death-roll ol the streets has jumped in ten years from 088 to 1237. and the annual number of injured from 19,027 to 54,461. Suicides have increased from 400 to 600 last year. Many more ifires occur, and last year tiiere were 3000 more false alarms than in 1920. The number of deaths by violence lias slightly increased. Rates have gone up. Lastly, the report reveals that Loudon has debt of £145,786,463.