the people of the abyss(深渊居民)-第34节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
females under the bed； and in one room of 1650 cubic feet； one adult male
and two children in the bed； and two adult females under the bed。
Here is a typical example of a room on the more respectable two… relay
system。 It is occupied in the daytime by a young woman employed all
night in a hotel。 At seven o'clock in the evening she vacates the room；
and a bricklayer's labourer comes in。 At seven in the morning he vacates；
and goes to his work； at which time she returns from hers。
The Rev。 W。 N。 Davies； rector of Spitalfields； took a census of some of
the alleys in his parish。 He says：…
In one alley there are ten housesfifty…one rooms； nearly all about 8
feet by 9 feetand 254 people。 In six instances only do 2 people occupy
one room； and in others the number varied from 3 to 9。 In another court
with six houses and twenty…two rooms were 84 people again 6； 7； 8； and
9 being the number living in one room； in several instances。 In one
house with eight rooms are 45 peopleone room containing 9 persons； one
8； two 7； and another 6。
This Ghetto crowding is not through inclination； but compulsion。
Nearly fifty per cent。 of the workers pay from one…fourth to one… half of
their earnings for rent。 The average rent in the larger part of the East End
is from four to six shillings per week for one room； while skilled
mechanics； earning thirty…five shillings per week； are forced to part with
fifteen shillings of it for two or three pokey little dens； in which they strive
desperately to obtain some semblance of home life。 And rents are going
up all the time。 In one street in Stepney the increase in only two years has
been from thirteen to eighteen shillings； in another street from eleven to
sixteen shillings； and in another street； from eleven to fifteen shillings；
while in Whitechapel； two…room houses that recently rented for ten
121
… Page 122…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
shillings are now costing twenty…one shillings。 East； west； north； and south
the rents are going up。 When land is worth from 20；000 pounds to
30；000 pounds an acre； some one must pay the landlord。
Mr。 W。 C。 Steadman； in the House of Commons； in a speech
concerning his constituency in Stepney； related the following：…
This morning； not a hundred yards from where I am myself living； a
widow stopped me。 She has six children to support； and the rent of her
house was fourteen shillings per week。 She gets her living by letting the
house to lodgers and doing a day's washing or charring。 That woman； with
tears in her eyes； told me that the landlord had increased the rent from
fourteen shillings to eighteen shillings。 What could the woman do？
There is no accommodation in Stepney。 Every place is taken up and
overcrowded。
Class supremacy can rest only on class degradation； and when the
workers are segregated in the Ghetto； they cannot escape the consequent
degradation。 A short and stunted people is createda breed strikingly
differentiated from their masters' breed； a pavement folk； as it were
lacking stamina and strength。 The men become caricatures of what
physical men ought to be； and their women and children are pale and
anaemic； with eyes ringed darkly； who stoop and slouch； and are early
twisted out of all shapeliness and beauty。
To make matters worse； the men of the Ghetto are the men who are
lefta deteriorated stock； left to undergo still further deterioration。 For a
hundred and fifty years； at least； they have been drained of their best。
The strong men； the men of pluck； initiative； and ambition； have been
faring forth to the fresher and freer portions of the globe； to make new
lands and nations。 Those who are lacking； the weak of heart and head
and hand； as well as the rotten and hopeless； have remained to carry on the
breed。 And year by year； in turn； the best they breed are taken from them。
Wherever a man of vigour and stature manages to grow up； he is haled
forthwith into the army。 A soldier； as Bernard Shaw has said； 〃ostensibly
a heroic and patriotic defender of his country； is really an unfortunate man
driven by destitution to offer himself as food for powder for the sake of
regular rations； shelter； and clothing。〃
122
… Page 123…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
This constant selection of the best from the workers has impoverished
those who are left； a sadly degraded remainder； for the great part； which；
in the Ghetto； sinks to the deepest depths。 The wine of life has been
drawn off to spill itself in blood and progeny over the rest of the earth。
Those that remain are the lees； and they are segregated and steeped in
themselves。 They become indecent and bestial。 When they kill； they
kill with their hands； and then stupidly surrender themselves to the
executioners。 There is no splendid audacity about their transgressions。
They gouge a mate with a dull knife； or beat his head in with an iron pot；
and then sit down and wait for the police。 Wife…beating is the masculine
prerogative of matrimony。 They wear remarkable boots of brass and iron；
and when they have polished off the mother of their children with a black
eye or so； they knock her down and proceed to trample her very much as a
Western stallion tramples a rattlesnake。
A woman of the lower Ghetto classes is as much the slave of her
husband as is the Indian squaw。 And I； for one； were I a woman and had
but the two choices； should prefer being a squaw。 The men are
economically dependent on their masters； and the women are
economically dependent on the men。 The result is； the woman gets the
beating the man should give his master； and she can do nothing。 There are
the kiddies； and he is the breadwinner； and she dare not send him to jail
and leave herself and children to starve。 Evidence to convict can rarely
be obtained when such cases come into the courts； as a rule； the trampled
wife and mother is weeping and hysterically beseeching the magistrate to
let her husband off for the kiddies' sakes。
The wives become screaming harridans or； broken…spirited and doglike；
lose what little decency and self…respect they have remaining over from
their maiden days； and all sink together； unheeding； in their degradation
and dirt。
Sometimes I become afraid of my own generalizations upon the
massed misery of this Ghetto life； and feel that my impressions are
exaggerated； that I am too close to the picture and lack perspective。 At
such moments I find it well to turn to the testimony of other men to prove
to myself that I am not becoming over…wrought and addle…pated。
123
… Page 124…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
Frederick Harrison has always struck me as being a level…headed； well…
controlled man； and he says：…
To me； at least； it would be enough to condemn modern society as
hardly an advance on slavery or serfdom； if the permanent condition of
industry were to be that which we behold； that ninety per cent。 of the
actual producers of wealth have no home that they can call their own
beyond the end of the week； have no bit of soil； or so much as a room that
belongs to them； have nothing of value of any kind； except as much old
furniture as will go into a cart； have the precarious chance of weekly
wages； which barely suffice to keep them in health； are housed； for the
most part； in places that no man thinks fit for his horse； are separated by so
narrow a margin from
