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er　of　other　pieces　which　it　will　be　impossible　to　fit　in　until　you　fix　your　unmanageable；　unshapely　piece　in　the　centre。　　Now；　in　the　work　of　piecing　together　the　fragments　which　lie　scattered　around　the　base　of　our　social　system　we　must　not　despair　because　we　have　in　the　unorganised；　untrained　labourers　that　which　seems　hopelessly　out　of　fit　with　everything　around。　　There　must　be　something　corresponding　to　it　which　is　equally　useless　until　he　can　be　brought　to　bear　upon　it。　　In　other　words；　having　got　one　difficulty　in　the　case　of　the　Out…of…Works；　we　must　cast　about　to　find　another　difficulty　to　pair　off　against　it；　and　then　out　of　two　difficulties　will　arise　the　solution　of　the　problem。

We　shall　not　have　far　to　seek　before　we　discover　in　every　town　and　in　every　country　the　corresponding　element　to　our　unemployed　labourer。　We　have　waste　labour　on　the　one　hand；　we　have　waste　commodities　on　the　other。　　About　waste　land　I　shall　speak　in　the　next　chapter；　I　am　concerned　now　solely　with　waste　commodities。　　Herein　we　have　a　means　of　immediately　employing　a　large　number　of　men　under　conditions　which　will　enable　us　to　permanently　provide　for　many　of　those　whose　hard　lot　we　are　now　considering。

I　propose　to　establish　in　every　large　town　what　I　may　call　〃A　Household　Salvage　Brigade；〃　a　civil　force　of　organised　collectors；　who　will　patrol　the　whole　town　as　regularly　as　the　policeman；　who　will　have　their　appointed　beats；　and　each　of　whom　will　been　trusted　with　the　task　of　collecting　the　waste　of　the　houses　in　their　circuit。　　In　small　towns　and　villages　this　is　already　done；　and　it　will　be　noticed　that　most　of　the　suggestions　which　I　have　put　forth　in　this　book　are　based　upon　the　central　principle；　which　is　that　of　restoring；　to　the　over…grown；　and；　therefore；　uninformed　masses　of　population　in　our　towns　the　same　intelligence　and　co…operation　as　to　the　mutual　wants　of　each　and　all；　that　prevails　in　your　small　town　or　village。　　The　latter　is　the　manageable　unit；　because　its　dimensions　and　its　needs　have　not　out…grown　the　range　of　the　individual　intelligence　and　ability　of　those　who　dwell　therein。　　Our　troubles　in　large　towns　arise　chiefly　from　the　fact　that　the　massing　of　population　has　caused　the　physical　bulk　of　Society　to　outgrow　its　intelligence。　　It　is　as　if　a　human　being　had　suddenly　developed　fresh　limbs　which　were　not　connected　by　any　nervous　system　with　the　gray　matter　of　his　brain。　　Such　a　thing　is　impossible　in　the　human　being；　but；　unfortunately；　it　is　only　too　possible　in　human　society。　　In　the　human　body　no　member　can　suffer　without　an　instantaneous　telegram　being　despatched；　as　it　were；　to　the　seat　of　intelligence；　the　foot　or　the　finger　cries　out　when　it　suffers；　and　the　whole　body　suffers　with　it。　　So；　in　a　small　community；　every　one；　rich　and　poor；　is　more　or　less　cognizant　of　the　sufferings　of　the　community。　In　a　large　town；　where　people　have　ceased　to　be　neighbourly；　there　is　only　a　congested　mass　of　population　settled　down　on　a　certain　small　area　without　any　human　ties　connecting　them　together。　　Here；　it　is　perfectly　possible；　and　it　frequently　happens；　that　men　actually　die　of　starvation　within　a　few　doors　of　those　who；　if　they　had　been　informed　of　the　actual　condition　of　the　sufferer　that　lay　within　earshot　of　their　comfortable　drawing…rooms；　would　have　been　eager　to　minister　the　needed　relief。　　What　we　have　to　do；　therefore；　is　to　grow　a　new　nervous　system　for　the　body　politic；　to　create　a　swift；　almost　automatic；　means　of　communication　between　the　community　as　a　whole　and　the　meanest　of　its　members；　so　as　to　restore　to　the　city　what　the　village　possesses。

I　do　not　say　that　the　plan　which　I　have　suggested　is　the　only　plan　or　the　best　plan　conceivable。　　All　that　I　claim　for　it　is　that　it　is　the　only　plan　which　I　can　conceive　as　practicable　at　the　present　moment；　and　that；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　it　holds　the　field　alone；　for　no　one；　so　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　discover；　even　proposes　to　reconstitute　the　connection　between　what　I　have　called　the　gray　matter　of　the　brain　of　the　municipal　community　and　all　the　individual　units　which　make　up　the　body　politic。

Carrying　out　the　same　idea　I　come　to　the　problem　of　the　waste　commodities　of　the　towns；　and　we　will　take　this　as　an　earnest　of　the　working　out　of　the　general　principle。　　In　the　villages　there　is　very　little　waste。　　The　sewage　is　applied　directly　to　the　land；　and　so　becomes　a　source　of　wealth　instead　of　being　emptied　into　great　subterranean　reservoirs；　to　generate　poisonous　gases；　which　by　a　most　ingenious　arrangement；　are　then　poured　forth　into　the　very　heart　of　our　dwellings；　as　is　the　case　in　the　great　cities。　　Neither　is　there　any　waste　of　broken　victuals。　　The　villager　has　his　pig　or　his　poultry；　or　if　he　has　not　a　pig　his　neighbour　has　one；　and　the　collection　of　broken　victuals　is　conducted　as　regularly　as　the　delivery　of　the　post。　　And　as　it　is　with　broken　victuals；　so　it　is　with　rags　and　bones；　and　old　iron；　and　all　the　debris　of　a　household。　　When　I　was　a　boy　one　of　the　most　familiar　figures　in　the　streets　of　a　country　town　was　the　man；　who；　with　his　small　hand…barrow　or　donkey…cart；　made　a　regular　patrol　through　all　the　streets　once　a　week；　collecting　rags；　bones；　and　all　other　waste　materials；　buying　the　same　from　the　juveniles　who　collected　them　in　specie；　not　of　Her　Majesty's　current　coin；　but　of　common　sweetmeats；　known　as　〃claggum〃　or　〃taffy。〃　　When　the　tootling　of　his　familiar　horn　was　heard　the　children　would　bring　out　their　stores；　and　trade　as　best　they　could　with　the　itinerant　merchant；　with　the　result　that　the　closets　which　in　our　towns　to…day　have　become　the　receptacles　of　all　kinds　of；　disused　lumber　were　kept　then　swept　and　garnished。　Now；　what　I　want　to　know　is　why　can　we　not　establish　on　a　scale　commensurate　with　our　extended　needs　the　rag…and…bone　industry　in　all　our　great　towns？　　That　there　is　sufficient　to　pay　for　the　collection　is；　I　think；　indisputable。　　If　it　paid　in　a　small　North…country　town　or　Midland　village；　why　would　it　not　pay　much　better　in　an　area　where　the　houses　stand　more　closely　together；　and　where　luxurious　living　and　thriftless　habits　have　so　increased　that　there　must　be　proportionately　far　more　breakage；　more　waste；　and；　therefore；　more　collectable　matter　than　in　the　rural　districts？　　In　looking　over　the　waste　of　London　it　has　occurred　to　me　that　in　the　debris　of　our　households　there　is　sufficient　food；　it　utilised；　to　feed　many　of　the　starving　poor；　and　to　employ　some　thousands　of　them　in　its　collection；　and；　in　addition；　largely　to　assist　the　general　scheme。　　What　I　propose　would　be　to　go　to　work　on　something　like　the　following　plan：…

London　would　be　divided　into　districts；　beginning　with　that　portion　of　it　most　likely　to　furnish　the　largest　supplies　of　what　would　be　worth　collection。　　Two　men；　or　a　man　and　a　boy；　would　be　told　of　for　this　purpose　to　this　district。

Households　would　be　requested　to　allow　a　receptacle　to　be　placed　in　some　convenient　spot　in　which　the　servants　could　deposit　the　waste　food；　and　a　sack　of　some　description　would　also　be　supplied　for　the　paper；　rags；　&c。

The　whole　would　be　collected；　say　once　or　twice　a　week；　or　more　frequently；　according　to　the　season　and　circumstances；　and　transferred　to　depots　as　central　as　possible　to　the　different　districts。

At　present　much　of　this　waste　is　thrown　into　the　dust…bin；　there　to　fester　and　breed　disease。　　Then　there　are　old　newspapers；　ragged　books；　old　bottles；　tins；　canisters；　etc。　　We　all　know　what　a　number　of　articles　there　are　which　are　not　quite　bad　enough　to　be　thrown　into　the　dust　heap；　and　yet　are　no　good　to　us。　　We　put　them　on　one　side；　hoping　that　something　may　turn　up；　and　as　that　something　very　seldom　does　turn　up；　there　they　remain。

Crippled　musical　instruments；　for　instance；　old　toys；　broken…down　perambulators；　old　clothes；　all　the　things；　in　short；　for　which　we　have　no　more　need；　and　for　which　there　is　no　market　within　our　reach；　but　which　we　feel　it　would　be　a　sin　and　a　shame　to　destroy。

When　I　get　my　Household　Salvage　Brigade　properly　organised；　beginning；　as　I　said；　in　some　district　where　we　should　be　likely　to　meet　with　most　material；　our　uniformed　collectors　would　call　every　other　day　or　twice　a　week　with　their　hand　barrow　or　pony　cart。　　As　these　men　would　be　under　strict　discipline；　and　numbered；　the　householder　would　have　a　security　against　any　abuse　of　which　such　regular　callers　might　otherwise　be　the　occasion。

At　present　the　rag　and　bone　man　who　drives　a　more　or　less　precarious　livelihood　by　intermittent　visits；　is　looked　upon　askance　by　prudent　housewives。　　They　fear　in　many　cases　he　takes　the　refuse　in　order　to　have　the　opportunity　of　finding　something　which　may　be　worth　while　〃picking　up；〃　and　should　he　be　impudent　or　negligent　there　is　no　authority　to　whom　they　can　appeal。　　Under　our　Brigade；　each　district　would　have　its　numbered　officer；　who　would　himself　be　subordinate　to　a　superior　officer；　to　whom　any　complaints　could　be　made；　and　whose　duty　it　would　be　to　see　that　the　officers　under　his　command　punctually　performed　their　rounds　and　discharged　their　duties　without　offence。

Here　let　me　disclaim　any　intention　of　interfering　with　the　Little　Sisters　of　the　Poor；　or　any　other　persons；　who　collect　the　broke