in darkest england and the way out-第21章

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the　doors　open　at　6；　you　walk　in；　they　tell　you　what　the　work　is；　and　that　if　you　fail　to　do　it；　you　will　be　liable　to　imprisonment。　　Then　you　bathe。　　Some　places　the　water　is　dirty。　　Three　persons　as　a　rule　wash　in　one　water。　At　Whitechapel　（been　there　three　times）　it　has　always　been　dirty；　also　at　St。　George's。　　I　had　no　bath　at　Mile　End；　they　were　short　of　water。　If　you　complain　they　take　no　notice。　　You　then　tie　your　clothes　in　a　bundle；　and　they　give　you　a　nightshirt。　　At　most　places　they　serve　supper　to　the　men；　who　have　to　go　to　bed　and　eat　it　there。　　Some　beds　are　in　cells；　some　in　large　rooms。　　You　get　up　at　6　a。m。　　and　do　the　task。　　The　amount　of　stone…breaking　is　too　much；　and　the　oakum…picking　is　also　heavy。　　The　food　differs。　　At　St。　Giles；　the　gruel　left　over…night　is　boiled　up　for　breakfast；　and　is　consequently　sour；　the　bread　is　puffy；　full　of　holes；　and　don't　weigh　the　regulation　amount。　Dinner　is　only　8　ounces　of　bread　and　1　1/2　ounce　of　cheese；　and　its　that's　short；　how　can　anybody　do　their　work？　　They　will　give　you　water　to　drink　if　you　ring　the　cell　bell　for　it；　that　is；　they　will　tell　you　to　wait；　and　bring　it　in　about　half　an　hour。　　There　are　a　good　lot　of　〃moochers〃　go　to　Casual　Wards；　but　there　are　large　numbers　of　men　who　only　want　work。

J。D。；　age　25；　Londoner；　can't　get　work；　tried　hard；　been　refused　work　several　times　on　account　of　having　no　settled　residence；　looks　suspicious；　they　think；　to　have　〃no　home。〃　　Seems　a　decent；　willing　man。　Had　two　penny…worth　of　soup　this　morning；　which　has　lasted　all　day。　Earned　1s。　6d。　yesterday；　bill　distributing；　nothing　the　day　before。　Been　in　good　many　London　Casual　Wards。　　Thinks　they　are　no　good；　because　they　keep　him　all　day；　when　he　might　be　seeking　work。　Don't　want　shelter　in　day　time；　wants　work。　　If　he　goes　in　twice　in　a　month　to　the　same　Casual　Ward；　they　detain　him　four　days。　　Considers　the　food　decidedly　insufficient　to　do　the　required　amount　of　work。　If　the　work　is　not　done　to　time；　you　are　liable　to　21　days'　imprisonment。　　Get　badly　treated　some　places；　especially　where　there　is　a　bullying　superintendent。　　Has　done　21　days　for　absolutely　refusing　to　do　the　work　on　such　low　diet；　when　unfit。　　Can't　get　justice；　doctor　always　sides　with　superintendent。

J。　S。；　odd　jobber。　　Is　working　at　board　carrying；　when　he　can　get　it。　There's　quite　a　rush　for　it　at　1s。　2d。　a　day。　　Carried　a　couple　of　parcels　yesterday；　got　5d。　for　them；　also　had　a　bit　of　bread　and　meat　given　him　by　a　working　man；　so　altogether　had　an　excellent　day。　Sometimes　goes　all　day　without　food；　and　plenty　more　do　the　same。　Sleeps　on　Embankment；　and　now　and　then　in　Casual　Ward。　　Latter　is　clean　and　comfortable　enough；　but　they　keep　you　in　all　day；　that　means　no　chance　of　getting　work。　　Was　a　clerk　once；　but　got　out　of　a　job；　and　couldn't　get　another；　there　are　so　many　clerks。

〃A　Tramp〃　says：　　〃I've　been　in　most　Casual　Wards　in　London；　was　in　the　one　in　Macklin　Street；　Drury　Lane；　last　week。　　They　keep　you　two　nights　and　a　day；　and　more　than　that　if　they　recognise　you。　　You　have　to　break　10　cwt。　of　stone；　or　pick　four　pounds　of　oakum。　　Both　are　hard。　About　thirty　a　night　go　to　Macklin　Street。　　The　food　is　1　pint　gruel　and　6　oz。　bread　for　breakfast；　8　oz。　bread　and　1　1/2　oz。　cheese　for　dinner；　tea　same　as　breakfast。　　No　supper。　　It　is　not　enough　to　do　the　work　on。　　Then　you　are　obliged　to　bathe；　of　course；　sometimes　three　will　bathe　in　one　water；　and　if　you　complain　they　turn　nasty；　and　ask　if　you　are　come　to　a　palace。　　Mitcham　Workhouse　I've　been　in；　grub　is　good；　1　1/2　pint　gruel　and　8　oz。　bread　for　breakfast；　and　same　for　supper。

F。K。　W。；　baker。　　Been　board…carrying　to…day；　earned　one　shilling；　Hours　9　till　5。　　I've　been　on　this　kind　of　life　six　years。　　Used　to　work　in　a　bakery；　but　had　congestion　of　the　brain；　and　couldn't　stand　the　heat。　　I've　been　in　about　every　Casual　Ward　in　England。　　They　treat　men　too　harshly。　　Have　to　work　very　hard；　too。　　Has　had　to　work　whilst　really　unfit。　　At　Peckham　（known　as　Camberwell）　Union；　was　quite　unable　to　do　it　through　weakness；　and　appealed　to　the　doctor；　who；　taking　the　part　of　the　other　officials；　as　usual；　refused　to　allow　him　to　forego　the　work。　　Cheeked　the　doctor；　telling　him　he　didn't　understand　his　work；　result；　got　three　days'　imprisonment。　　Before　going　to　a　Casual　Ward　at　all；　I　spent　seven　consecutive　nights　on　the　Embankment；　and　at　last　went　to　the　Ward。

The　result　of　the　deliberate　policy　of　making　the　night　refuge　for　the　unemployed　labourer　as　disagreeable　as　possible；　and　of　placing　as　many　obstacles　as　possible　in　the　way　of　his　finding　work　the　following　day；　is；　no　doubt；　to　minimise　the　number　of　Casuals；　and　without　question　succeeds。　　In　the　whole　of　London　the　number　of　Casuals　in　the　wards　at　night　is　only　1；136。　　That　is　to　say；　the　conditions　which　are　imposed　are　so　severe；　that　the　majority　of　the　Out…of…Works　prefer　to　sleep　in　the　open　air；　taking　their　chance　of　the　inclemency　and　mutability　of　our　English　weather；　rather　than　go　through　the　experience　of　the　Casual　Ward。

It　seems　to　me　that　such　a　mode　of　coping　with　distress　does　not　so　much　meet　the　difficulty　as　evade　it。　　It　is　obvious　that　an　apparatus；　which　only　provides　for　1；136　persons　per　night；　is　utterly　unable　to　deal　with　the　numbers　of　the　homeless　Out…of…Works。　　But　if　by　some　miracle　we　could　use　the　Casual　Wards　as　a　means　of　providing　for　all　those　who　are　seeking　work　from　day　to　day；　without　a　place　in　which　to　lay　their　heads；　save　the　kerbstone　of　the　pavement　or　the　back　of　a　seat　on　the　Embankment；　they　would　utterly　fail　to　have　any　appreciable　effect　upon　the　mass　of　human　misery　with　which　we　have　to　deal。　For　this　reason；　the　administration　of　the　Casual　Wards　is　mechanical；　perfunctory；　and　formal。　　Each　of　the　Casuals　is　to　the　Officer　in　Charge　merely　one　Casual　the　more。　　There　is　no　attempt　whatever　to　do　more　than　provide　for　them　merely　the　indispensable　requisites　of　existence。　　There　has　never　been　any　attempt　to　treat　them　as　human　beings；　to　deal　with　them　as　individuals；　to　appeal　to　their　hearts；　to　help　them　on　their　legs　again。　　They　are　simply　units；　no　more　thought　of　and　cared　for　than　if　they　were　so　many　coffee　beans　passing　through　a　coffee　mill；　and　as　the　net　result　of　all　my　experience　and　observation　of　men　and　things；　I　must　assert　unhesitatingly　that　anything　which　dehumanises　the　individual；　anything　which　treats　a　man　as　if　he　were　only　a　number　of　a　series　or　a　cog　in　a　wheel；　without　any　regard　to　the　character；　the　aspirations；　the　temptations；　and　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　man；　must　utterly　fail　as　a　remedial　agency。　The　Casual　Ward；　at　the　best；　is　merely　a　squalid　resting　place　for　the　Casual　in　his　downward　career。　　It　anything　is　to　be　done　for　these　men；　it　must　be　done　by　other　agents　than　those　which　prevail　in　the　administration　of　the　Poor　Laws。

The　second　method　in　which　Society　endeavours　to　do　its　duty　to　the　lapsed　masses　is　by　the　miscellaneous　and　heterogeneous　efforts　which　are　clubbed　together　under　the　generic　head　of　Charity。　　Far　be　it　from　me　to　say　one　word　in　disparagement　of　any　effort　that　is　prompted　by　a　sincere　desire　to　alleviate　the　misery　of　our　fellow　creatures；　but　the　most　charitable　are　those　who　most　deplore　the　utter　failure　which　has；　up　till　now；　attended　all　their　efforts　to　do　more　than　temporarily　alleviate　pain；　or　effect　an　occasional　improvement　in　the　condition　of　individuals。

There　are　many　institutions；　very　excellent　in　their　way；　without　which　it　is　difficult　to　see　how　society　could　get　on　at　all；　but　when　they　have　done　their　best　there　still　remains　this　great　and　appalling　mass　of　human　misery　on　our　hands；　a　perfect　quagmire　of　Human　Sludge。　They　may　ladle　out　individuals　here　and　there；　but　to　drain　the　whole　bog　is　an　effort　which　seems　to　be　beyond　the　imagination　of　most　of　those　who　spend　their　lives　in　philanthropic　work。　　It　is　no　doubt　better　than　nothing　to　take　the　individual　and　feed　him　from　day　to　day；　to　bandage　up　his　wounds　and　heal　his　diseases；　but　you　may　go　on　doing　that　for　ever；　if　you　do　not　do　more　than　that；　and　the　worst　of　it　is　that　all　authorities　agree　that　if　you　only　do　that　you　will　probably　increase　the　e