| Kind of handicap | APPLICANTS AFFECTED BY EACH SPECIFIED HANDICAP | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Per cent | |
| Ill health | 8,231 | 81.0 |
| Numerous dependents | 832 | 8.2 |
| Injury | 582 | 5.7 |
| Death in family | 432 | 4.3 |
| Intemperance | 80 | 0.8 |
| Total | 10,157 | 100.0 |
The caution must be given that the percentage of 81.0 of ill health is a mere approximation. The return is unsatisfactory, because the records in regard to this entry were particularly vague. Too much weight should not be given to the mere handful of 80 cases in which intemperance was recorded. Only the most flagrant cases which called for medical or disciplinary treatment were so entered.
Consideration is given in [Table 38] to the size of the families applying and in [Table 39] to the number of families that had children under fourteen.
TABLE 38.—NUMBER OF PERSONS IN FAMILIES OF APPLICANTS FOR REHABILITATION[142]
| Number of persons in family | FAMILIES OF EACH SPECIFIED NUMBER OF PERSONS | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Per cent | |
| 1 | 4,768 | 20.9 |
| 2 | 5,759 | 25.2 |
| 3 | 4,368 | 19.1 |
| 4 | 3,262 | 14.3 |
| 5 | 2,105 | 9.2 |
| 6 | 1,223 | 5.3 |
| 7 | 658 | 2.9 |
| 8 | 381 | 1.7 |
| 9 | 194 | 0.8 |
| 10 or over | 145 | 0.6 |
| Total | 22,863 | 100.0 |
[142] The difference between the total of this table and the totals of preceding tables is due to a variation in the number of cases for which data are available.
The interesting fact brought out in [Table 38] is that 79.5 per cent had four or less in the family, and that 65.2 per cent had three or less. The table includes the families not only of married and widowed persons with minor children, but families in which there were adult children, aged parents, and other relatives. It is given in order to show the relative size of the family groups reached by rehabilitation.
TABLE 39.—FAMILIES AMONG THE APPLICANTS FOR REHABILITATION WITH CHILDREN, BY NUMBER OF CHILDREN UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE IN EACH FAMILY
| Number of children under fourteen in family | FAMILIES HAVING EACH SPECIFIED NUMBER OF CHILDREN | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Per cent | |
| 1 | 4,041 | 42.0 |
| 2 | 2,692 | 28.0 |
| 3 | 1,526 | 15.9 |
| 4 | 787 | 8.2 |
| 5 | 386 | 4.0 |
| 6 | 139 | 1.4 |
| 7 | 42 | 0.4 |
| 8 or over | 12 | 0.1 |
| Total | 9,625 | 100.0 |
We find in [Table 39] that 85.9 per cent had three or less children under fourteen and 70 per cent had two or less. No particular significance should be attached to the fact that 42 per cent had only one child under the age specified, for the reason that the ages of the parents are not given. The table shows that the families with which the Rehabilitation Committee had to deal did not have a “quiverful” of children.