The movement indisputably represents a certain equalization of advantages economic, educational, and social.

The steady workman who moves into the town generally betters himself from the point of view of immediate material advantages.
But in regarding the movement as a whole a much more serious question confronts us.

What is the net result upon the physical well-being of the nation of this drafting of the abler and better country folk into the towns?
Let the death-rate first testify.

In 1902 the death-rate for the whole rural population was 13.7 per 1000, that of the whole urban population 17.8.Now it is not the case that town life is necessarily more unhealthy than country life to any considerable extent.

There are well-to-do districts of London, whole boroughs, such as Hampstead, where the death-rate is considerably lower than the ordinary rural rate.