in darkest england and the way out-第67章

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d　spinsters；　who　cannot　spin；　and　who　are　utterly　unable　to　find　themselves　husbands。　　This　is　a　wide　field　on　the　discussion　of　which　I　must　not　enter。　　I　merely　indicate　it　as　one　of　those　departments　in　which　an　intelligent　philanthropy　might　find　a　great　sphere　for　its　endeavours；　but　it　would　be　better　not　to　touch　it　at　all　than　to　deal　with　it　with　light…hearted　precipitancy　and　without　due　consideration　of　all　the　difficulties　and　dangers　connected　therewith。　　Obstacles；　however；　exist　to　be　overcome　and　converted　into　victories。　　There　is　even　a　certain　fascination　about　the　difficult　and　dangerous；　which　appeals　very　strongly　to　all　who　know　that　it　is　the　apparently　insolvable　difficulty　which　contains　within　its　bosom　the　key　to　the　problem　which　you　are　seeking　to　solve。


SECTION　8。WHITECHAPEL…BY…THE…SEA。

In　considering　the　various　means　by　which　some　substantial　improvement　can　be　made　in　the　condition　of　the　toiling　masses；　recreation　cannot　be　omitted。　　I　have　repeatedly　had　forced　upon　me　the　desirability　of　making　it　possible　for　them　to　spend　a　few　hours　occasionally　by　the　seaside；　or　even　at　times　three　or　four　days。　　Notwithstanding　the　cheapened　rates　and　frequent　excursions；　there　are　multitudes　of　the　poor　who；　year　in　and　out；　never　get　beyond　the　crowded　city；　with　the　exception　of　dragging　themselves　and　their　children　now　and　then　to　the　parks　on　holidays　or　hot　summer　evenings。　　The　majority；　especially　the　inhabitants　of　the　East　of　London；　never　get　away　from　the　sunless　alleys　and　grimy　streets　in　which　they　exist　from　year　to　year。　It　is　true　that　a　few　here　and　there　of　the　adult　population；　and　a　good　many　of　the　children；　have　a　sort　of　annual　charity　excursion　to　Epping　Forest；　Hampton　Court；　or　perhaps　to　the　sea。　　But　it　is　only　the　minority。　　The　vast　number；　while　possessed　of　a　passionate　love　of　the　sea；　which　only　those　who　have　mixed　with　them　can　conceive；　pass　their　whole　lives　without　having　once　looked　over　its　blue　waters；　or　watched　its　waves　breaking　at　their　feet。

Now　I　am　not　so　foolish　as　to　dream　that　it　is　possible　to　make　any　such　change　in　Society　as　will　enable　the　poor　man　to　take　his　wife　and　children　for　a　fortnight's　sojourn；　during　the　oppressive　summer　days；　to　brace　them　up　for　their　winter's　task；　although　this　might　be　as　desirable　in　their　case　as　in　that　of　their　more　highly　favoured　fellow…creatures。　　But　I　would　make　it　possible　for　every　man；　woman　and　child；　to　get；　now　and　then；　a　day's　refreshing　change　by　a　visit　to　that　never…failing　source　of　interest。　　In　the　carrying　out　of　this　plan；　we　are　met　at　the　onset　with　a　difficulty　of　some　little　magnitude；　and　that　is　the　necessity　of　a　vastly　reduced　charge　in　the　cost　of　the　journey。　　To　do　anything　effective　we　must　be　able　to　get　a　man　from　Whitechapel　or　Stratford　to　the　sea…side　and　back　for　a　shilling。

Unfortunately；　London　is　sixty　miles　from　the　sea。　　Suppose　we　take　it　at　seventy　miles。　　This　would　involve　a　journey　of　one　hundred　and　forty　miles　for　the　small　sum　of　1s。　　Can　this　be　done？　　I　think　it　can；　and　done　to　pay　the　railway　companies；　otherwise　there　is　no　ground　to　hope　for　this　part　of　my　Scheme　ever　being　realised。　　But　I　think　that　this　great　boon　can　be　granted　to　the　poor　people　without　the　dividends　being　sensibly　affected。　　I　am　told　that　the　cost　of　haulage　for　an　ordinary　passenger　train；　carrying　from　five　hundred　to　a　thousand　persons；　is　2s。　7d。　per　mile；　a　railway　company　could　take　six　hundred　passengers　seventy　miles　there；　and　bring　them　seventy　miles　back；　at　a　cost　of　#18　1s。　8d。　　Six　hundred　passengers　at　a　shilling　is　#30；　so　that　there　would　be　a　clear　profit　to　the　company　of　nearly　#12　on　the　haulage；　towards　the　payment　of　interest　on　the　capital；　wear　and　tear　of　line；　&c。　　But　I　reckon；　at　a　very　moderate　computation；　that　two　hundred　thousand　persons　would　travel　to　and　fro　every　season。　An　addition　of　#10；000　to　the　exchequer　of　a　railway　company　is　not　to　be　despised　and　this　would　be　a　mere　bagatelle　to　the　indirect　profits　which　would　follow　the　establishment　of　a　settlement　which　must　in　due　course　necessarily　become　very　speedily　a　large　and　active　community。

This　it　would　be　necessary　to　bring　home　to　the　railway　companies；　and　for　the　execution　of　this　part　of　my　Scheme　I　must　wait　till　I　get　some　manager　sufficiently　public…spirited　to　try　the　experiment。　　When　such　a　man　is　found；　I　purpose　to　set　at　once　about　my　Sea…Side　Establishment。　This　will　present　the　following　special　advantages；　which　I　am　quite　certain　will　be　duly　appreciated　by　the　very　poorest　of　the　London　population：　

An　estate　of　some　three　hundred　acres　would　be　purchased　on　which　buildings　would　be　erected；　calculated　to　meet　the　wants　of　this　class　of　excursionists。

Refreshments　would　be　provided　at　rates　very　similar　to　those　charged　at　our　London　Food　Depots。　　There　would；　of　course；　be　greater　facilities　in　the　way　of　rooms　and　accommodation　generally。

Lodgings　for　invalids；　children；　and　those　requiring　to　make　a　short　stay　in　the　place　would　be　supplied　at　the　lowest　prices。　　Beds　for　single　men　and　single　women　could　be　charged　at　the　low　rate　of　sixpence　a　night；　and　children　in　proportion；　while　accommodation　of　a　suitable　character；　on　very　moderate　terms；　could　be　arranged　for　married　people。

No　public…houses　would　be　allowed　within　the　precincts　of　the　settlement。

A　park；　playground；　music；　boats；　covered　conveniences　for　bathing；　without　the　expense　of　hiring　a　machine；　and　other　arrangements　for　the　comfort　and　enjoyment　of　the　people　would　be　provided。

The　estate　would　form　one　of　the　Colonies　of　the　general　enterprise；　and　on　it　would　be　grown　fruit；　vegetables；　flowers；　and　other　produce　for　the　use　of　the　visitors；　and　sold　at　the　lowest　remunerative　rates。　One　of　the　first　provisions　for　the　comfort　of　the　excursionists　would　be　the　erection　of　a　large　hall；　affording　ample　shelter　in　case　of　unfavourable　weather；　and　in　this　and　other　parts　of　the　place　there　would　be　the　fullest　opportunity　for　ministers　of　all　denominations　to　hold　religious　services　in　connection　with　any　excursionists　they　might　bring　with　them。

There　would　be　shops　for　tradesmen；　houses　for　residets；　a　museum　with　a　panorama　and　stuffed　whale；　boats　would　be　let　out　at　moderate　prices；　and　a　steamer　to　carry　people　so　many　miles　out　to　sea；　and　so　many　miles　back　for　a　penny；　with　a　possible　bout　of　sickness；　for　which　no　extra　charge　would　be　made。

In　fact　the　railway　fares　and　refreshment　arrangements　would　be　on　such　a　scale；　that　a　husband　and　wife　could　have　a　70…mile　ride　through　the　green　fields；　the　new…mown　hay；　the　waving　grain　or　fruit　laden　orchards；　could　wander　for　hours　on　the　seashore；　have　comforting　and　nourishing　refreshment；　and　be　landed　back　at　home　sober；　cheered　and　invigorated　for　the　small　sum　of　3s。　　A　couple　of　children　under　12　might　be　added　at　1s。　6d。nay；　a　whole　family；　husband；　wife　and　four　children；　supposing　one　is　in　arms；　could　have　a　day　at　the　seaside；　without　obligation　or　charity；　for　5s。

The　gaunt；　hungry　inhabitants　of　the　Slums　would　save　up　their　halfpence；　and　come　by　thousands；　clergymen　would　find　it　possible　to　bring　half　the　poor　and　needy　occupants　of　their　parishes；　schools；　mothers'　meetings；　and　philanthropic　societies　of　all　descriptions　would　come　down　wholesale；　in　short；　what　Brighton　is　to　the　West　End　and　middle　classes；　this　place　would　be　to　the　East　End　poor；　nay；　to　the　poor　of　the　Metropolis　generally；　a　Whitechapel…by…the…Sea。

Now　this　ought　to　be　done　apart　from　my　Scheme　altogether。　　The　rich　corporations　which　have　the　charge　of　the　affairs　of　this　great　City；　and　the　millionaires；　who　would　never　have　amassed　their　fortunes　but　by　the　assistance　of　the　masses；　ought　to　say　it　shall　be　done。　Suppose　the　Railway　Companies　refused　to　lend　the　great　highways　of　which　they　have　become　the　monopolists　for　such　an　undertaking　without　a　subvention；　then　the　necessary　subvention　should　be　forthcoming。　If　it　could　be　made　possible　for　the　joyless　toilers　to　come　out　of　the　sweater's　den；　or　the　stifling　factory；　if　the　seamstress　could　leave　her　needle；　and　the　mother　get　away　from　the