the people of the abyss(深渊居民)-第45节
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the Blind； 〃Blindness is more prevalent in poor districts； and poverty
accelerates this dreadful affliction。〃
But he went further； this blind man； and in his voice was the bitterness
of an afflicted man to whom society did not give enough to eat。 He was
one of an enormous army of blind in London； and he said that in the blind
homes they did not receive half enough to eat。 He gave the diet for a
day：…
Breakfast0。75 pint of skilly and dry bread。 Dinner 3 oz。 meat。
1 slice of bread。 0。5 lb。 potatoes。 Supper 0。75 pint of
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skilly and dry bread。
Oscar Wilde； God rest his soul； voices the cry of the prison child；
which； in varying degree； is the cry of the prison man and woman：…
〃The second thing from which a child suffers in prison is hunger。 The
food that is given to it consists of a piece of usually bad… baked prison
bread and a tin of water for breakfast at half…past seven。 At twelve
o'clock it gets dinner； composed of a tin of coarse Indian meal stirabout
（skilly）； and at half…past five it gets a piece of dry bread and a tin of water
for its supper。 This diet in the case of a strong grown man is always
productive of illness of some kind； chiefly of course diarrhoea； with its
attendant weakness。 In fact； in a big prison astringent medicines are served
out regularly by the warders as a matter of course。 In the case of a child；
the child is； as a rule； incapable of eating the food at all。 Any one who
knows anything about children knows how easily a child's digestion is
upset by a fit of crying； or trouble and mental distress of any kind。 A
child who has been crying all day long； and perhaps half the night； in a
lonely dim…lit cell； and is preyed upon by terror； simply cannot eat food of
this coarse； horrible kind。 In the case of the little child to whom Warder
Martin gave the biscuits； the child was crying with hunger on Tuesday
morning； and utterly unable to eat the bread and water served to it for its
breakfast。 Martin went out after the breakfasts had been served and
bought the few sweet biscuits for the child rather than see it starving。 It
was a beautiful action on his part； and was so recognised by the child； who；
utterly unconscious of the regulations of the Prison Board； told one of the
senior wardens how kind this junior warden had been to him。 The result
was； of course； a report and a dismissal。〃
Robert Blatchford compares the workhouse pauper's daily diet with the
soldier's； which； when he was a soldier； was not considered liberal enough；
and yet is twice as liberal as the pauper's。
PAUPER DIET SOLDIER 3。25 oz。 Meat
12 oz。 15。5 oz。 Bread 24 oz。 6 oz。 Vegetables 8 oz。
The adult male pauper gets meat （outside of soup） but once a week；
and the paupers 〃have nearly all that pallid； pasty complexion which is the
sure mark of starvation。〃
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Here is a table； comparing the workhouse officer's weekly allowance：…
OFFICER DIET PAUPER 7 lb。 Bread
6。75 lb。 5 lb。 Meat 1 lb。 2 oz。 12 oz。 Bacon
2。5 oz。 8 oz。 Cheese 2 oz。 7 lb。 Potatoes 1。5
lb。 6 lb。 Vegetables none。 1 lb。 Flour none。 2
oz。 Lard none。 12 oz。 Butter 7 oz。 none。
Rice Pudding 1 lb。
And as the same writer remarks： 〃The officer's diet is still more
liberal than the pauper's； but evidently it is not considered liberal enough；
for a footnote is added to the officer's table saying that 'a cash payment of
two shillings and sixpence a week is also made to each resident officer and
servant。' If the pauper has ample food； why does the officer have more？
And if the officer has not too much； can the pauper be properly fed on less
than half the amount？〃
But it is not alone the Ghetto…dweller； the prisoner； and the pauper that
starve。 Hodge； of the country； does not know what it is always to have a
full belly。 In truth； it is his empty belly which has driven him to the city
in such great numbers。 Let us investigate the way of living of a labourer
from a parish in the Bradfield Poor Law Union； Berks。 Supposing him to
have two children； steady work； a rent…free cottage； and an average weekly
wage of thirteen shillings； which is equivalent to 3。25； then here is his
weekly budget：…
s。 d。 Bread （5
quarterns） 1 10 Flour （0。5 gallon）
0 4 Tea （0。25 lb。） 0 6 Butter （1 lb。）
1 3 Lard （1 lb。） 0 6 Sugar （6 lb。）
1 0 Bacon or other meat （about 0。25 lb。） 2 8 Cheese （1 lb。）
0 8 Milk （half…tin condensed） 0 3。25 Coal
1 6 Beer none Tobacco
none Insurance （〃Prudential〃） 0 3 Labourers' Union
0 1 Wood； tools； dispensary； &c。 0 6 Insurance
（〃Foresters〃） and margin 1 1。75 for clothes Total
13 0
The guardians of the workhouse in the above Union pride themselves
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on their rigid economy。 It costs per pauper per week：…
s。 d。 Men 6 1。5 Women
5 6。5 Children 5 1。25
If the labourer whose budget has been described should quit his toil
and go into the workhouse； he would cost the guardians for
s。 d。 Himself 6 1。5 Wife
5 6。5 Two children 10 2。5 Total 21 10。5 Or
roughly； 5。46
It would require more than a guinea for the workhouse to care for
him and his family； which he； somehow； manages to do on thirteen
shillings。 And in addition； it is an understood fact that it is cheaper to
cater for a large number of peoplebuying； cooking； and serving
wholesalethan it is to cater for a small number of people； say a family。
Nevertheless； at the time this budget was compiled； there was in that
parish another family； not of four； but eleven persons； who had to live on
an income； not of thirteen shillings； but of twelve shillings per week
（eleven shillings in winter）； and which had； not a rent…free cottage； but a
cottage for which it paid three shillings per week。
This must be understood； and understood clearly： WHATEVER IS
TRUE OF LONDON IN THE WAY OF POVERTY AND
DEGRADATION； IS TRUE OF ALL ENGLAND。 While Paris is not by
any means France； the city of London is England。 The frightful
conditions which mark London an inferno likewise mark the United
Kingdom an inferno。 The argument that the decentralisation of London
would ameliorate conditions is a vain thing and false。 If the 6；000；000
people of London were separated into one hundred cities each with a
population of 60；000； misery would be decentralised but not diminished。
The sum of it would remain as large。
In this instance； Mr。 B。 S。 Rowntree； by an exhaustive analysis； has
proved for the country town what Mr。 Charles Booth has proved for the
metropolis； that fully one…fourth of the dwellers are condemned to a
poverty which destroys them physically and spir
