in darkest england and the way out-第69章

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fficer's　quarters　will　become　a　centre　where　poor　sinful　suffering　men　and　women　may　find　sympathy；　counsel；　and　practical　assistance　in　every　sorrow　that　can　possibly　come　upon　them；　and　every　Officer　throughout　our　ranks　in　every　quarter　of　the　globe　will　become　a　co…worker。

See　how　useful　our　people　will　be　in　the　gathering　in　of　this　class。　They　are　in　touch　with　them。　　They　live　in　the　same　street；　work　in　the　same　shops　and　factories；　and　come　in　contact　with　them　at　every　turn　and　corner　of　life。　　If　they　don't　live　amongst　them；　they　formerly　did。　They　know　where　to　find　them；　they　are　their　old　chums；　pot…house　companions；　and　pals　in　crime　and　mischief。　　This　class　is　the　perpetual　difficulty　of　a　Salvationist's　life。　　He　feels　that　there　is　no　help　for　them　in　the　conditions　in　which　they　are　at　present　found。　They　are　so　hopelessly　weak；　and　their　temptations　are　so　terribly　strong；　that　they　go　down　before　them。　　The　Salvationist　feels　this　when　he　attacks　them　in　the　tap…rooms；　in　the　low　lodging　houses；　or　in　their　own　desolate　homes。　　Hence；　with　many；　the　Crusader　has　lost　all　heart。　　He　has　tried　them　so　often。　　But　this　Scheme　of　taking　them　right　away　from　their　old　haunts　and　temptations　will　put　new　life　into　him　and　he　will　gather　up　the　poor　social　wrecks　wholesale；　pass　them　along；　and　then　go　and　hunt　for　more。

Then　see　how　useful　this　army　of　Officers　and　Soldiers　will　be　for　the　regeneration　of　this　festering　mass　of　vice　and　crime　when　it　is；　so　to　speak；　in　our　possession。　　All　the　thousands　of　drunkards；　and　harlots；　and　blasphemers；　and　idlers　have　to　be　made　over　again；　to　be　renewed　in　the　spirit　of　their　minds；　that　ismade　good。　　What　a　host　of　moral　workers　will　be　required　to　accomplish　such　a　gigantic　transformation。　　In　the　Army　we　have　a　few　thousands　ready；　anyway　we　have　as　many　as　can　be　used　at　the　outset；　and　the　Scheme　itself　will　go　on　manufacturing　more。　　Look　at　the　qualifications　of　these　warriors　for　the　work！

They　have　been　trained　themselves；　brought　into　line　and　are　examples　of　the　characters　we　want　to　produce。

They　understand　their　pupilshaving　been　dug　out　of　the　same　pit。　Set　a　rogue　to　catch　a　rogue；　they　say；　that　is；　we　suppose；　are　formed　rogue。　　Anyway；　it　is　so　with　us。　　These　rough…and…ready　warriors　will　work　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　them　in　the　same　manual　employment。　They　will　engage　in　the　task　for　love。　　This　is　a　substantial　part　of　their　religion；　the　moving　instinct　of　the　new　heavenly　nature　that　has　come　upon　them。　　They　want　to　spend　their　lives　in　doing　good。　Here　will　be　an　opportunity。

Then　see　how　useful　these　Soldiers　will　be　for　distribution！　Every　Salvation　Officer　and　Soldier　in　every　one　of　these　4；000　centres；　scattered　through　these　thirty　odd　countries　and　colonies；　with　all　their　correspondents　and　friends　and　comrades　living　elsewhere；　will　be　ever　on　the　watch…tower　looking　out　for　homes　and　employments　where　these　rescued　men　and　women　can　be　fixed　up　to　advantage；　nursed　into　moral　vigour；　picked　up　again　on　stumbling；　and　watched　over　generally　until　able　to　travel　the　rough　and　slippery　paths　of　life　alone。

I　am；　therefore；　not　without　warrant　for　my　confidence　in　the　possibility　of　doing　great　things；　if　the　problem　so　long　deemed　hopeless　be　approached　with　intelligence　and　determination　on　a　scale　corresponding　to　the　magnitude　of　the　evil　with　which　we　have　to　cope。


SECTION　2。HOW　MUCH　WILL　IT　COST？

A　considerable　amount　of　money　will　be　required　to　fairly　launch　this　Scheme；　and　some　income　may　be　necessary　to　sustain　it　for　a　season；　but；　once　fairly　afloat；　we　think　there　is　good　reason　to　believe　that　in　all　its　branches　it　will　be　self…supporting；　unless　its　area　of　operation　is　largely　extended；　on　which　we　fully　rely。　　Of　course；　the　cost　of　the　effort　must　depend　very　much　upon　its　magnitude。　If　anything　is　to　be　done　commensurate　with　the　extent　of　the　evil；　it　will　necessarily　require　a　proportionate　outlay。　　If　it　is　only　the　drainage　of　a　garden　that　is　undertaken；　a　few　pounds　will　meet　the　cost；　but　if　it　is　a　great　dismal　swamp　of　many　miles　in　area；　harbouring　all　manner　of　vermin；　and　breeding　all　kinds　of　deadly　malaria；　that　has　to　be　reclaimed　and　cultivated；　a　very　different　sum　will　not　only　be　found　necessary；　but　be　deemed　an　economic　investment。

Seeing　that　the　country　pays　out　something　like　Ten　Millions　per　annum　in　Poor　Law　and　Charitable　Relief　without　securing　any　real　abatement　of　the　evil；　I　cannot　doubt　that　the　public　will　hasten　to　supply　one…tenth　of　that　sum。　　If　you　reckon　that　of　the　submerged　tenth　we　have　one　million　to　deal　with；　this　will　only　be　one　pound　per　head　for　each　of　those　whom　it　is　sought　to　benefit；　or　say　ONE　MILLION　STERLING　to　give　the　present　Scheme　a　fair　chance　of　getting　into　practical　operation。

According　to　the　amount　furnished；　must　necessarily　be　the　extent　of　our　operations。　　We　have　carefully　calculated　that　with　one　hundred　thousand　pounds　the　scheme　can　be　successfully　set　in　motion；　and　that　it　can　be　kept　going　on　an　annual　income　of　#30；000　which　is　about　three　and　a…quarter　per　cent。　on　the　balance　of　the　million　sterling；　for　which　I　ask　as　an　earnest　that　the　public　intend　to　put　its　hand　to　this　business　with　serious　resolution；　and　our　judgment　is　based；　not　on　any　mere　imaginings；　but　upon　the　actual　result　of　the　experiments　already　made。　　Still　it　must　be　remembered　that　so　vast　and　desirable　an　end　cannot　be　even　practically　contemplated　without　a　proportionate　financial　outlay。　　Supposing；　however；　by　the　subscription　of　this　amount　the　undertaking　is　fairly　set　afloat。　　The　question　may　be　asked；　〃What　further　funds　will　be　required　for　its　efficient　maintenance？〃　　This　question　we　proceed　to　answer。　　Let　us　look　at　the　three　Colonies　apart；　and　then　at　some　of　the　circumstances　which　apply　to　the　whole。　　To　begin　with；　there　is

THE　FINANCIAL　ASPECT　OF　THE　CITY　COLONY。

Here　there　will　be；　of　course；　a　considerable　outlay　required　for　the　purchasing　and　fitting　up　of　property；　the　acquisition　of　machinery；　furniture；　tools；　and　the　necessary　plant　for　carrying　forward　all　these　varied　operations。　　These　once　acquired；　no　further　outlay　will　be　needed　except　for　the　necessary　reparations。

The　Homes　for　the　Destitute　will　be　nearly；　if　not　quite；　self…sustaining。　The　Superior　Homes　for　both　Single　and　Married　people　will　not　only　pay　for　themselves；　but　return　some　interest　on　the　amount　invested；　which　would　be　devoted　to　the　futherance　of　other　parts　of　the　Scheme。

The　Refuges　for　Fallen　Girls　would　require　considerable　funds　to　keep　them　going。　　But　the　public　has　never　been　slow　to　practically　express　its　sympathy　with　this　class　of　work。

The　Criminal　Homes　and　Prison　Gate　Operations　would　require　continued　help；　but　not　a　very　great　deal。　　Then；　the　work　in　the　Slums　is　somewhat　expensive。　　The　eighty　young　women　at　present　engaged　in　it　cost　on　an　average　12s。　per　week　each　for　personal　maintenance；　inclusive　of　clothes　and　other　little　matters；　and　there　are　expenses　for　Halls　and　some　little　relief　which　cannot　in　anyway　be　avoided；　bringing　our　present　annual　Slum　outlay　to　over　#4；000。　　But　the　poor　people　amongst　whom　they　work　notwithstanding　their　extreme　poverty；　are　already　contributing　over　#1；000　per　annum　towards　this　amount；　which　income　will　increase。　　Still　as　by　this　Scheme　we　propose　to　add　at　once　a　hundred　to　the　number　already　engaged；　money　will　be　required　to　keep　th　is　department　going。

The　Inebriate　Home；　I　calculate；　will　maintain　itself。　　All　its　inmates　will　have　to　engage　in　some　kind　of　remunerative　labour；　and　we　calculate；　in　addition；　upon　receiving　money　with　a　considerable　number　of　those　availing　themselves　of　its　benefits。　　But　to　practically　assist　the　half…million　slaves　of　the　cup　we　must　have　money　not　only　to　launch　out　but　to　keep　our　operations　going。

The　Food　Depots；　once　fitted　up；　pay　their　own　working　expenses。

The　Emigration；　Advice；　and　Inquiry　Bureaux　must　maintain　themselves　or　nearly　so。　　The　Labour　Shops；　Anti…Sweating；　and　other　similar　operations　will　without　question　require　money　to　make　ends　meet。　But　on　the　whole；　a　very　small　sum　of　mon