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！
a slum。 Where sights and sounds abound which neither you nor I would
care to have our children see and hear is a place where no man's children
should live； and see； and hear。 Where you and I would not care to have
our wives pass their lives is a place where no other man's wife should have
to pass her life。 For here； in the East End； the obscenities and brute
vulgarities of life are rampant。 There is no privacy。 The bad corrupts
the good； and all fester together。 Innocent childhood is sweet and
beautiful： but in East London innocence is a fleeting thing； and you must
catch them before they crawl out of the cradle； or you will find the very
babes as unholily wise as you。
The application of the Golden Rule determines that East London is an
unfit place in which to live。 Where you would not have your own babe
live； and develop； and gather to itself knowledge of life and the things of
life； is not a fit place for the babes of other men to live； and develop； and
gather to themselves knowledge of life and the things of life。 It is a
simple thing； this Golden Rule； and all that is required。 Political
economy and the survival of the fittest can go hang if they say otherwise。
What is not good enough for you is not good enough for other men； and
there's no more to be said。
There are 300；000 people in London； divided into families； that live in
one…room tenements。 Far； far more live in two and three rooms and are
as badly crowded； regardless of sex； as those that live in one room。 The
law demands 400 cubic feet of space for each person。 In army barracks
each soldier is allowed 600 cubic feet。 Professor Huxley； at one time
himself a medical officer in East London； always held that each person
should have 800 cubic feet of space； and that it should be well ventilated
with pure air。 Yet in London there are 900；000 people living in less than
the 400 cubic feet prescribed by the law。
Mr。 Charles Booth； who engaged in a systematic work of years in
charting and classifying the toiling city population； estimates that there are
1；800；000 people in London who are POOR and VERY POOR。 It is of
118
… Page 119…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
interest to mark what he terms poor。 By POOR he means families which
have a total weekly income of from eighteen to twenty…one shillings。
The VERY POOR fall greatly below this standard。
The workers； as a class； are being more and more segregated by their
economic masters； and this process； with its jamming and overcrowding；
tends not so much toward immorality as unmorality。 Here is an extract
from a recent meeting of the London County Council； terse and bald； but
with a wealth of horror to be read between the lines：…
Mr。 Bruce asked the Chairman of the Public Health Committee
whether his attention had been called to a number of cases of serious
overcrowding in the East End。 In St。 Georges…in…the…East a man and his
wife and their family of eight occupied one small room。 This family
consisted of five daughters； aged twenty； seventeen； eight； four； and an
infant； and three sons； aged fifteen； thirteen； and twelve。 In Whitechapel
a man and his wife and their three daughters； aged sixteen； eight； and four；
and two sons； aged ten and twelve years； occupied a smaller room。 In
Bethnal Green a man and his wife； with four sons； aged twenty…three；
twenty…one； nineteen； and sixteen； and two daughters； aged fourteen and
seven； were also found in one room。 He asked whether it was not the
duty of the various local authorities to prevent such serious overcrowding。
But with 900；000 people actually living under illegal conditions； the
authorities have their hands full。 When the overcrowded folk are ejected
they stray off into some other hole； and； as they move their belongings by
night； on hand…barrows （one hand…barrow accommodating the entire
household goods and the sleeping children）； it is next to impossible to
keep track of them。 If the Public Health Act of 1891 were suddenly and
completely enforced； 900；000 people would receive notice to clear out of
their houses and go on to the streets； and 500；000 rooms would have to be
built before they were all legally housed again。
The mean streets merely look mean from the outside； but inside the
walls are to be found squalor； misery； and tragedy。 While the following
tragedy may be revolting to read； it must not be forgotten that the
existence of it is far more revolting。
In Devonshire Place； Lisson Grove； a short while back died an old
119
… Page 120…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
woman of seventy…five years of age。 At the inquest the coroner's officer
stated that 〃all he found in the room was a lot of old rags covered with
vermin。 He had got himself smothered with the vermin。 The room was in
a shocking condition； and he had never seen anything like it。 Everything
was absolutely covered with vermin。〃
The doctor said： 〃He found deceased lying across the fender on her
back。 She had one garment and her stockings on。 The body was quite
alive with vermin； and all the clothes in the room were absolutely grey
with insects。 Deceased was very badly nourished and was very
emaciated。 She had extensive sores on her legs； and her stockings were
adherent to those sores。 The sores were the result of vermin。〃
A man present at the inquest wrote： 〃I had the evil fortune to see the
body of the unfortunate woman as it lay in the mortuary； and even now the
memory of that gruesome sight makes me shudder。 There she lay in the
mortuary shell； so starved and emaciated that she was a mere bundle of
skin and bones。 Her hair； which was matted with filth； was simply a nest
of vermin。 Over her bony chest leaped and rolled hundreds； thousands；
myriads of vermin！〃
If it is not good for your mother and my mother so to die； then it is not
good for this woman； whosoever's mother she might be； so to die。
Bishop Wilkinson； who has lived in Zululand； recently said； 〃No
human of an African village would allow such a promiscuous mixing of
young men and women； boys and girls。〃 He had reference to the children
of the overcrowded folk； who at five have nothing to learn and much to
unlearn which they will never unlearn。
It is notorious that here in the Ghetto the houses of the poor are greater
profit earners than the mansions of the rich。 Not only does the poor
worker have to live like a beast； but he pays proportionately more for it
than does the rich man for his spacious comfort。 A class of house…
sweaters has been made possible by the competition of the poor for houses。
There are more people than there is room； and numbers are in the
workhouse because they cannot find shelter elsewhere。 Not only are
houses let； but they are sublet； and sub…sublet down to the very rooms。
〃A part of a room to let。〃 This notice was posted a short while ago in
120
… Page 121…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
a window not five minutes' walk from St。 James's Hall。 The Rev。 Hugh
Price Hughes is authority for the statement that beds are let on the three…
relay systemthat is； three tenants to a bed； each occupying it eight hours；
so that it never grows cold； while the floor space underneath the bed is
likewise let on the three…relay system。 Health officers are not at all
unused to finding such cases as the following： in one room having a
cubic capacity of 1000 feet； three adult females in the bed； and two adult
females under the bed； and in one room of 1650 cubic feet； one adult male
and two children in the bed； and two adult fe