The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-09-30
THE SLUMS OF LONDON
Dreadful Picture OF the Condition
OF Human Beings in the Latter
End of the 10th Century,

England, and editor Of the London
Clarion, has been visiting the east
END OF London, with special reference
to the water famine which has pre-
vailed there for some time. We give
an extract from his report to the
| Clarion:
have never been in the cast end
before, and, having been, am neith-
er able or willing to describe what 1
saw. nor the impression made upon
me by the seeing. The east end of
London is unpaintable, inexpressiblc.
A man returns from his first sit to
that dolorous. dreadful country be-
wlldered. shaken. depressed, a
though newly awakened from pros
Ionged nightmare or an opium de-
bauch.
Nothing have seen has left upon
me SO deep or painful an impression:
not the chain works; the cotton lock-
out: the coal strike; nor the helpless
greeners making shoes in the sweat
ers' shops. Not even the funkeyism
and vulgar display Of royal ball at
Buckingham palace. II hell is any
worse than London am going to seek
salvation-though it is hard to hope
for mercy from God who could suffer
hell or London to exist.
London! Is this the Dragging,
patroniz!ng, staggering London Of
John Burns and the Daily Chronicle:
This sickening, vile and filthy ag-
glomeration OF snObbery, misery,
| shame, incontinence, incompetence,
and pride? This vast, reeking, welter-
ing, sinking chaos OF palaces, the
! aires, shops, churches, g n-palaccs,
brothels, factories, wharyes, work
houses, police offices. gambling bells
and slums?
The regions l went through-dis-
trctS with population OF million
souls-what did see? Slums, slums.
Sums. Poverty, poverty, poverty!
Work, work, work! Drink, drink,
Ugliness. misery, filth and shame!
Tenement houses on the flat system,
back to-back cottages, courts, alleys,
and lanes; a vast mass of people
crammed and packed in indecent and
unwholesome density into lodgings
that are for the most part unfit for
human habitation; men drinking vii
famous poisons in dirty dram-shops.
women telling In narrow and gloomy
rooms, children playing behind iron
bars like wild animals in cages. Such
labor, such ignorance, such dirt, such
drunkenness, such degrade ton! And
yet under it all the visible signs, like
sunshine struggling with fog and
cloud, the manifestation of innate
good-humor, patience, honesty and
kindness or heart, which keeps these
masses human and render it safe 10
plumber to Cypress, and bctray them.
If the people Of the east end we're less
ignorant. they might assert them
selves; il they were less kindly. they
might be dangerous. AS it is, the
slums pay royal rentage, and it is i'm
possible for the water company to full
til their contract.
Indeed, the local government board
can see no remedy, and they arc hon
orable men; and the water company
can do no more. and they are honor
able men; so that no one being to
blame. and no man being able to help
them, there is nothing for the poor
folks Of East London to DO but to go
into their churches and repeat the
special authorized prayer for rain.
The water famine affords an object
lesson to individualists. Companies
who farm the public service for the
sake of profit can never be depended
upt to perfom the work faithfully or
we'll. II city wants an abundant
supply OF pure and cheap water. it
must insist upon replacing greedy
dividend hunting monopolists by
municipal service. II the whole Of
the water supply were left in the
hands of the London county council,
there would never be another water
famine. Under present conditions
the state of affairs in London is dis
graceful, and would reflect discrcdit
upon village of Calmuck cattle
! thieves. One Of the first essentials to
human life in large towns is an
abundant and cheap supply OF pure
water. There is no reason why Lon
don should not have such boon, ex-
! ccpt that every fool in this great city
and every knave has superstituous
horror OF anything that savOurs Of So
cialiSm.
Well, have been in the east end
and | don't know where l am. If the
water famine were the only thing to
| avert!
| dangers and disadvantages arising
from the chaotic mismanagem me nt-Or
no management Of this vast city.
What is to be done with this great,
misera BILE, helpless B.bylon? What is
to become of these millions of hard
working, ll-paid, unserved, unloved
human creatures:
What failure it all is; what puz.
zle it all is; and, oh! what a pity it all
is-and how sorry our dear Mr..
Chaplin (of the local government
board) does feel that there is nothing
to be done-except the people.