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ed them in the City察or prepared for them on the Farm察they would prefer to rot in their present miseries rather than avail themselves of the benefit provided。
In order to gather the opinions of those most concerned察we consulted one evening察by a Census in our London Shelters察two hundred and fifty men out of work察and all suffering severely in consequence。 We furnished a set of questions察and obtained answers from the whole。 Now察it must be borne in mind that these men were under no obligation whatever to make any reply to our enquiries察much less to answer them favourably to our plan察of which they knew next to nothing。
These two hundred and fifty men were mostly in the prime of life察the greater portion of them being skilled workmen察an examination of the return papers showing that out of the entire number two hundred and seven were able to work at their trades had they the opportunity。
The number of trades naturally varied。 There were some of all kinds此Engineers察Custom House Officers察Schoolmasters察Watch and Clockmakers察Sailors察and men of the different branches of the Building trade察also a number of men who have been in business on their own account。
The average amount of wages earned by the skilled mechanics when regularly employed was 33s。 per week察the money earned by the unskilled averaged 22s。 per week。
They could not be accounted lazy察as most of them察when not employed at their own trade or occupation察had proved their willingness to work by getting jobs at anything that turned up。 On looking over the list we saw that one who had been a Custom House Officer had recently acted as Carpenter's Labourer察a Type´founder had been glad to work at Chimney Sweeping察the Schoolmaster察able to speak five languages察who in his prosperous days had owned a farm察was glad to do odd jobs as a Bricklayer's Labourer察a Gentleman's Valet察who once earned #5 a week察had come so low down in the world that he was glad to act as Sandwich man for the magnificent sum of fourteenpence a day察and that察only as an occasional affair。
In the list was a dyer and cleaner察married察with a wife and nine children察who had been able to earn 40s。 a week察but had done no regular work for three years out of the last ten。
We put the following question to the entire number此 If you were put on a farm察and set to work at anything you could do察and supplied with food察lodging察and clothing察with a view to getting you on to your feet察would you be willing to do all you could拭
In response察the whole 250 replied in the affirmative察with one exception察and on enquiry we elicited that察being a sailor察the man was afraid he would not know how to do the work。
On being interrogated as to their willingness to grapple with the hard labour on the land察they said此 Why should we not拭 Look at us。 Can any plight be more miserable than ours拭─ Why not察indeed拭A glance at them would certainly make it impossible for any thoughtful person to assign a rational reason for their refusalin rags察swarming with vermin察hungry察many of them living on scraps of food察begged or earned in the most haphazard fashion察without sufficient clothing to cover their poor gaunt limbs察most of them without a shirt。 They had to start out the next morning察uncertain which way to turn to earn a crust for dinner察or the fourpence necessary to supply them again with the humble shelter they had enjoyed that night。 The idea of their refusing employment which would supply abundantly the necessaries of life察and give the prospect of becoming察in process of time察the owner of a home察with its comforts and companionships察is beyond conception。 There is not much question that this class will not only accept the Scheme we want to set before them察but gratefully do all in their power to make it a success。
II。Too many would come。 This would be very probable。 There would certainly be too many apply。 But we should be under no obligation to take more than was convenient。 The larger the number of applications the wider the field for selection察and the greater the necessity for the enlargement of our operations。
III。They would run away。 It is further objected that if they did come察the monotony of the life察the strangeness of the work察together with the absence of the excitements and amusements with which they had been entertained in the cities and towns察would render their existence unbearable。 Even when left to the streets察there is an amount of life and action in the city which is very attractive。 Doubtless some would run away察but I don't think this would be a large proportion。 The change would be so great察and so palpably advantageous察that I think they would find in it ample compensation for the deprivation of any little pleasureable excitement they had left behind them in the city。 For instance察there would be
A Sufficiency of Food。
The friendliness and sympathy of their new associates。 There would be abundance of companions of similar tastes and circumstances not all pious。 It would be quite another matter to going single´handed on to a farm察or into a melancholy family。
Then there would be the prospect of doing well for themselves in the future察together with all the religious life察meetings察music察 and freedom of the Salvation Army。
But what says our experience
If there be one class which is the despair of the social reformer察it is that which is variously described察but which we may term the lost women of our streets。 From the point of view of the industrial organiser察they suffer from almost every fault that human material can possess。 They are察with some exceptions察untrained to labour察demoralised by a life of debauchery察accustomed to the wildest license察emancipated from all discipline but that of starvation察given to drink察and察for the most part察impaired in health。 If察therefore察any considerable number of this class can be shown to be ready to submit themselves voluntarily to discipline察to endure deprivation of drink察and to apply themselves steadily to industry察then example will go a long way towards proving that even the worst description of humanity察when intelligently察thoroughly handled察is amenable to discipline and willing to work。 In our British Rescue Homes we receive considerably over a thousand unfortunates every year察while all over the world察our annual average is two thousand。 The work has been in progress for three yearslong enough to enable us to test very fully the capacity of the class in question to reform。
With us there is no compulsion。 If any girl wishes to remain察she remains。 If she wishes to go察she goes。 No one is detained a day or an hour longer than they choose to stay。 Yet our experience shows that察as a rule察they do not run away。 Much more restless and thoughtless and given to change察as a class察than men察the girls do not察in any considerable numbers察desert。 The average of our London Homes察for the last three years察gives only 14 per cent。 as leaving on their own account察while for the year 1889 only 5 per cent。 And the entire number察who have either left or been dismissed during that year察amounts only to 13 per cent。 on the whole。
IV。They would not work。 Of course察to such as had for years been leading idle lives察anything like work and exhaustive labour would be very trying and wearisome察and a little patience and coaxing might be required to get them into the way of it。 Perhaps some would be hopelessly beyond salvation in this respect察and察until the time comes察if it ever does arrive察when the Government will make it a crime for an abled´bodied man to beg when there is an opportunity for him to engage in remunerative work察this class will wander abroad preying upon a generous public。 It will察however察only need to be known that any man can obtain work if he wants it察for those who have by their liberality maintained men and women in idleness to cease doing so。 And when it comes to this pass察that a man cannot eat without working察of the two evils he will choose the latter察preferring labour察however unpleasant it may be to his tastes察to actual starvation。
It must be borne in mind that the penalty of certain expulsion察which all would be given to understand would be strictly enforced would have a good influence in inducing the idlest to give work a fair trial察and once at it should not despair of conquering the aversion altogether察and eventually being able to transform and pass these once lazy loafers as real industrious members of Society。
Again察any who have fears on this point may be encouraged by contrasting the varied and ever´changing methods of labour we should pursue察with the monotonous and uninteresting grind of many of the ordinary employments of the poor察and the circumstances by which they are surrounded。
Here察again察we fall back upon our actual experience in reclamation work。 In our Homes for Saving the Lost Women we have no difficulty of getting them to work。 The idleness of this section of the social strata has been before referred to察it is not for a moment denied察and there can be no question察as to its being the cause of much of their poverty and distress。 But from early morn until the lights are out at night察all is a