New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-14
DIRE DISTRESS IN LONDON.
MRS. BEsANTs FIRST LECTURE HERE.
NARROWING TALES OF POVERTY AND NEGLECT
AMONG THE ENGLISH POOR.

NARROWING TALES OF POVERTY AND NEGLECT
AMONG THE ENGLISH POOR.
Mrs. Anrde pesant, the well known English speaker
ana writer upon social and theoophca subjects, gave
her rst lecture In this country last evening in scottish
Rite Hall, Twenty .ninttst. and Madson-ave' her
subject was London; It's Wealth and It's Poverty
An audience that nearly filed the hall was presen.
Mira Besant was introduced by William O. judge gen
esal secretary Of the Theosophca Society. She tooH
her hearers on an imaginary "Trip with her through
some Of the most poverty stricken districts OF Lohooh
aComes she said, "snd with me how our men
and women live, miserably paid, IN the socth anu
east Of London The tinbox industry is one OF inc
foremost south Of the Thames. Mrs. Besant desc1oeu
q visit she made there in answer TO ietter sne
had received, inviting her to meet number OF men
ana women in that particular industry. Their suifer
ings she said were becoming too terrible to be borne
They met in waste spot, where by the grace OF tho
police meetings sometimes permitted 10 DO heiu
she noticed outside OF the general poverty ana ouoe
the stunning of form from the lack OF ioou anu
decent sanitation, many boys and girls with MANNED
hands she learned that this caused by the fact
that proper machinery In the tin-box manufacturers
was not used on account Of the extra cost she ashea
where the inspectos were, TO enforce such laws as
they have in England, and found that the inspectors
were ladies and gentlemen who did not understand
the conditions Of the industry.
injured by initiation that could not be cured En-
poyers say that boys and girls are careless OF course
trey arel Was there ever boy worth his SAT- VINO
was mott You have right to put boy where care
lessncss means bodily mutilation. In England wnsre
we can spend 81 800 sterling on flowers for an even
tngs entertainment where prince is to be present we
cannot serd TO inspectors In factories WHERE OO'
and girls lives are so cheap.
Mrs Besant next described some Of the conditions ID
the furpullng industry. 1t is delicate work, but the
neichborhood Is not pleasant one, on account OF tle
smell from decaying skins, and IL Is huhy with mars
floating in the atmosphere. You VIII ma preaVif
iugn said she "sctting moro and more diihcut; You
conrh and rub your eyes, and see your clothes getting
covered with soft fine hairs which cover the women
engaged In the work, and you hear coughs ana SEQ
paId faces looking old before their time 10 90 Vno
work cheaply for 1t would cost much 10 Nenll"0
property you learn that asthma and lung diseases e
the necessary results. For THIS labor that means
ruined health and spoiled lives the workers earn
or pence an hour, and consider themselves "oA P"lN
st that when Others are walking the streets.
$50 YOU may 20 from place to place ana you seo
the same hopeless helpless poverty. III you 'hii
eastward you find different aspect You musV ee'
ND early or stay up late, in order TO see inc s"ss
here You must be at the dock gates by OF .
O'Clock in the morning. There arc 10000 to 2o,ooo
men gathered around the gates for th2 earliest there
get the first chance. man appears and calls ou'
for so many. Then begins literal nght lor iho'
Arms and ribs have been broken In the struggle
For WHAT For work that until a few months ago
paid or l-2 pence per hour Surgeons say ula'
more than 60 per cent of these men are injured by
accidents. The work needs strength, and many arc
faint from hunger They often fall into the water on
account Of imperfect appliances, and are struck py
tho swinging bales. Onethird are always turheo away
without employment TO so back to hungry wives ana
children crying for lack of food.
@The needlewomen who strive TO win bread making
h,-&fo 4
thread II they work fast. can make eleven an hour'
or eleven-twelfths of penny. Our death rate Is
heavy there. They die OF starvation, OF low iever VI
bronchitis, OF all diseases that feed on undercloteo
and underfed bodies. Women work thirteen, 1our-
teen fifteen hours, with nothing to make them strong
or warm but the hot water she calls tea, and thin
shawl that has seen many winters The cold STRIKES
home and they say at the hospital bronchitis IL
is not II is SLOW starvation. We kill women by
the thousand while their sisters go diamond decked
That is London in its wealth and its poverty"
What right have some to waste while Others stafve
II there were no wealth, luxury, no aforementioned
brothers In the churches, would say nothing, but we
have no right permit this terrible contradiction
Mrs Besant then described the inequitaoe condluOhs
Of the London leases Land was let on building leases
which covered the value of the land when leased SHOPS
and houses were then built, and when the leases eX
pired in sixty seventy eighty years. property had
risen In value and with 1t the letting value OF land
When the lease out the land fell in,' carrying
with il all that had been built upon 1t. All the land
lord had to do was to sit at home and play, while
others make his land increase in value The speaker
eove one instance where dressmaker in Paddington
was obliged by the conditions Of renewal to spend 5000
ON the house, to buy renewal at @oOo anu
take a new lease at eight times the rent she had
preyIously paid. In another carpenter had to
t.hs a twenty five years lease $500 premium spend
c5oo in improvement and pay eight times his previous
rent. He could not do 1t, and the whole reward Of
wears of industry swept away, while my Lord
poYtman took in from that district Ct 100000 from
fines and found his income multiplied by eight with
ont ono thing contributed by his brains for what he had
,ohhed his tenants Of You can't make theft right
by making 1t legal.
eThere is growing up feeling Of bitterness in our
society that looks law MS an enemy and turns men
into savages Women and children are taking the
nlaees OF men, as machinery is more improved, and
greater profits are yielded to the employer. Married
women arc paid less than because they will work
for less because they think of the children at home
Another terrible side OF is that they have resource
that is not open TO men. Our great employers build
homes for fallen women while they are manufacturing
them in their factories"
In closing Mrs. BeSsnt declared that these terrible
extremes of society could be remedled till we
have moulded men and women worthy Of the name
I'm we have got rid OF the classes who struggle witl
each other. The question will be solved when eaci
contributes his services instead this island o.
human life with the eternity that stretches be
fore the cradle and beyond the grave You must Learn
10 resign not to enjoy. The deepest instincts OF
nature tell US that suffering is n0ber than pleasure
and till the last OF our brothers are redeemed there
ought TO be pleasure no Joy, no happiness for you
for me- (Applause.)
1t was ANNOUNCED that the next lecture by Mrs
Besant would be in the same hall tomorrow evening
NOTES FROM THE BR0OKLY THEATRES.