LONDON IN FIGURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15685, 12 August 1914, Page 10

LONDON IN FIGURES.

WHERE 7,000.000 PEOPLE LIVE.

"London statistics" is the modest title of a most interesting volume just issued by the London County Council. It gives an amazing mass of figures and information of a kind little appreciated by the overwhelming majority of London's inhabitants.

For example, how many people knew, or even suspected, says the London Evening Standard, that there were over 170 local governing authorities in. London, with a total membership of 5332? This is a fact as astonishing as the statement that these 5352 offices are held by fewer than 3500 persons; the exact, number of cases of plural membership has not been calculated. Here are a few general particulars about the growth of Greater London's population — 1861-1891, 50 per cent, added each decade. 1891-1911, nearly doubled. 1801-1911, 551 per cent, increase. To-day it exceeds 7J millions, compared with: — 3.885.641 in 1871. 4,766,661, in 1881. 5,633,806 in 1891. 6,581,402 in 1901. How London People Live. To pass to the different areas one learns with surprise that in three (City of London, Holbora, and Westminster) the population was smaller in 1911 than in 1801. Tho latter was the year of the City's maximum population. Large increases are recorded in eight boroughs. Wandsworth, which easily leads the way, was the one area to gain by migration. Where do they all live? 75.5 per cent, live in ordinary dwelling-houses, 10.4 per cent, in flats, 7.2 per cent, in shops, and 3.8 per cent, institutions. The number of one-rooms tenements is 13.4 per cent of the total tenements; two rooms, 1 19 per v,ent; three rooms, 20 per cent; between them housing about 40 per cent of the population. London gives about ten millions a year to charities, and the report points out the need for some organisation which should be in a position to Lake a general view of the subject, such as is taken by King Edward's Hospital Fund Committee in respect of hospitals. Of the total income about £1,500,000 comes within the cognisance of this fund, but the rest remains more or less It is of interest to note that the income of London charities is more than double the expenditure on poor relief. Yet, with all this money spent on the poor, there were 132,374 paupers in London on January 1, 1913, and the highest average per thousand population was 92.7, in the 'Strand During 1912 poor relief, was given to 5654 aliens. Summarised Facts. London has 67,137 old-age pensioners (calculated up to March 1913) while the total number of persons over seventy years of age in receipt of public assistance in the form of either poor relief or pensions was 82,404, .or 64 per cent of the popu« lation over 70. There are 345 open spaces in London, 140.000 theatre seats, 4598 public-houses, 1499 beerhouses, 403 hotels and restaurants (an average of one on-license for every 742 persons, and 2358 off-licenses; 747,237 elementary school children; libraries which lend 7£ million books .a year, 2192 miles of streets. The average daily water supply is 242 million gallons. All these facts and thousands more, are contained in the bonk.

The volume contains between sixty ' and seventy pnges of diagrams, illustrating various phases of London life and administration. Those relating to population, births, deaths, market prices, and debt are of particular interest, and of no little value. Fifteen maps are also included, showing tho various administrative areas of the governing auothorities in Greater London.