the people of the abyss(深渊居民)-第32节
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This leaves nothing for clothes； recreation； or sickness。 And yet
many of the girls are receiving； not eighteen shillings； but eleven shillings；
twelve shillings； and fourteen shillings per week。 They must have
clothes and recreation； and …
Man to Man so oft unjust； Is always so to Woman。
At the Trades Union Congress now being held in London； the
Gasworkers' Union moved that instructions be given the Parliamentary
Committee to introduce a Bill to prohibit the employment of children
under fifteen years of age。 Mr。 Shackleton； Member of Parliament and a
representative of the Northern Counties Weavers； opposed the resolution
on behalf of the textile workers； who； he said； could not dispense with the
earnings of their children and live on the scale of wages which obtained。
The representatives of 514；000 workers voted against the resolution； while
the representatives of 535；000 workers voted in favour of it。 When
514；000 workers oppose a resolution prohibiting child…labour under fifteen；
it is evident that a less…than…living wage is being paid to an immense
number of the adult workers of the country。
I have spoken with women in Whitechapel who receive right along
less than one shilling for a twelve…hour day in the coat…making sweat
shops； and with women trousers finishers who receive an average princely
and weekly wage of three to four shillings。
A case recently cropped up of men； in the employ of a wealthy
business house； receiving their board and six shillings per week for six
working days of sixteen hours each。 The sandwich men get
fourteenpence per day and find themselves。 The average weekly
earnings of the hawkers and costermongers are not more than ten to twelve
shillings。 The average of all common labourers； outside the dockers； is
less than sixteen shillings per week； while the dockers average from eight
to nine shillings。 These figures are taken from a royal commission report
and are authentic。
Conceive of an old woman； broken and dying； supporting herself and
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four children； and paying three shillings per week rent； by making match
boxes at 2。25d。 per gross。 Twelve dozen boxes for 2。25d。； and； in
addition； finding her own paste and thread！ She never knew a clay off；
either for sickness； rest； or recreation。 Each day and every day； Sundays
as well； she toiled fourteen hours。 Her day's stint was seven gross； for
which she received 1s。 3。75d。 In the week of ninety…eight hours' work；
she made 7066 match boxes； and earned 4s。 10。25d。； less per paste and
thread。
Last year； Mr。 Thomas Holmes； a police…court missionary of note； after
writing about the condition of the women workers； received the following
letter； dated April 18； 1901：…
Sir；Pardon the liberty I am taking； but； having read what you said
about poor women working fourteen hours a day for ten shillings per week；
I beg to state my case。 I am a tie…maker； who； after working all the week；
cannot earn more than five shillings； and I have a poor afflicted husband to
keep who hasn't earned a penny for more than ten years。
Imagine a woman； capable of writing such a clear； sensible；
grammatical letter； supporting her husband and self on five shillings per
week！ Mr。 Holmes visited her。 He had to squeeze to get into the room。
There lay her sick husband； there she worked all day long； there she
cooked； ate； washed； and slept； and there her husband and she performed
all the functions of living and dying。 There was no space for the
missionary to sit down； save on the bed； which was partially covered with
ties and silk。 The sick man's lungs were in the last stages of decay。 He
coughed and expectorated constantly； the woman ceasing from her work to
assist him in his paroxysms。 The silken fluff from the ties was not good
for his sickness； nor was his sickness good for the ties； and the handlers
and wearers of the ties yet to come。
Another case Mr。 Holmes visited was that of a young girl； twelve years
of age； charged in the police court with stealing food。 He found her the
deputy mother of a boy of nine； a crippled boy of seven； and a younger
child。 Her mother was a widow and a blouse… maker。 She paid five
shillings a week rent。 Here are the last items in her housekeeping
account： Tea。 0。5d。； sugar； 0。5d。； bread； 0。25d。； margarine； 1d。； oil； 1。5d。；
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and firewood； 1d。 Good housewives of the soft and tender folk； imagine
yourselves marketing and keeping house on such a scale； setting a table
for five； and keeping an eye on your deputy mother of twelve to see that
she did not steal food for her little brothers and sisters； the while you
stitched； stitched； stitched at a nightmare line of blouses； which stretched
away into the gloom and down to the pauper's coffin a…yawn for you。
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CHAPTER XIXTHE GHETTO
Is it well that while we range with Science； glorying in the time； City
children soak and blacken soul and sense in city slime？ There among the
gloomy alleys Progress halts on palsied feet； Crime and hunger cast out
maidens by the thousand on the street；
There the master scrimps his haggard seamstress of her daily bread；
There the single sordid attic holds the living and the dead； There the
smouldering fire of fever creeps across the rotted floor； And the crowded
couch of incest； in the warrens of the poor。
At one time the nations of Europe confined the undesirable Jews in
city ghettos。 But to…day the dominant economic class； by less arbitrary
but none the less rigorous methods； has confined the undesirable yet
necessary workers into ghettos of remarkable meanness and vastness。
East London is such a ghetto； where the rich and the powerful do not
dwell； and the traveller cometh not； and where two million workers swarm；
procreate； and die。
It must not be supposed that all the workers of London are crowded
into the East End； but the tide is setting strongly in that direction。 The
poor quarters of the city proper are constantly being destroyed； and the
main stream of the unhoused is toward the east。 In the last twelve years；
one district； 〃London over the Border；〃 as it is called； which lies well
beyond Aldgate； Whitechapel； and Mile End； has increased 260；000； or
over sixty per cent。 The churches in this district； by the way； can seat but
one in every thirty…seven of the added population。
The City of Dreadful Monotony； the East End is often called；
especially by well…fed； optimistic sightseers； who look over the surface of
things and are merely shocked by the intolerable sameness and meanness
of it all。 If the East End is worthy of no worse title than The City of
Dreadful Monotony； and if working people are unworthy of variety and
beauty and surprise； it would not be such a bad place in which to live。
But the East End does merit a worse title。 It should be called The City of
Degradation。
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While it is not a city of slums； as some people imagine； it may well be
said to be one gigantic slum。 From the standpoint of simple decency and
clean manhood and womanhood； any mean street； of all its mean streets； is
a slum。 Where sights and sounds abound which neither you nor I would
care to have our children see and hear is a place where no man
