Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-29
POVERTY IN LONDON
SQUALOR IN THE EAST END OF
BRITISH METROPOLIS.
Efforts to Ameliorate Condition of I'm
fortunate People-Rents Increase
-Wretched Lodgings.

| From the London Telegraph
| Sensationalism Is much deprecated by
| those who are In the best position to know
| whether the reports OF exceptional distress
| are warranted. Undue publicity directed
| to the needs of particular district is often
resented by its Inhabitants. and when men
| ton II made OF particular cases it is in
variably noticed that, at this season, when
| the touch of winter Is upon us. money is
| diverted to individuals when 1t should be
devoted to a cause. Hence. inquiry into the
present condition of the poor Of London Is
hedged about with limitations and difficult
ties-and not the least Of these Is the ac-
knoWledged reluctance on the part of the
conductors OF institutions well known to
the world to receive or distribute money
which infallibly follows the recital Of the
| snnerings OF the poor. The time has not
come Tor the opening OF any general dis
tress fund; the existing agencies have ma
ch1nery adequate to cope with the work at
their doors, but what is sadly wanted by
these permanent parish relief committees
Is the means to meet the exceptional de-
mands which they are called upon to face.
For there appears to be no doubt whatever
but that the metropolis Is, in the ranks of
unskilled labor, having very bad time
1t Is due to a general want of employment,
not to the depression of a particular trad
| or trades, with the one exception Of ship
ping. For this reason the official informa-
ton supplied by the correspondents Of the
board of trade in its labor department af
fords very little indication Of the actual
state Of things. the class most affected hay
ing small connection with the unions re-
porting upon the leading trades. although,
as laborers. carmen and unsxilled hands.
they do feel the effects of the falling off Of
employment which has been remarked in
engineering. shipbuilding. SAN making
-frrr anI. l,,s1d
ing. One main factor, concerning East
London very closely. Is the scarcity o;
work at the docks. There was certain
Improvement in October. but even then the
was. on a total of $4,000. LOO less than
were engaged twelve months ago.
House Rent High.
More and more money Is going in rent
Houses which formerly were let at los. ant
lis. q week are now bringing to the land
lords las. or 15s.. and the terrible pressure
Of the key system, which has change
| neighboring districts into foreign quarters
is gradually making itself felt In Southwest
Bethnal Green. The result Of high hous,
rent is that laborers earning 20s. or
rooms. for which they pay Is. or IS.
week. More often than not the famil,
lives in a one-room home. and overcrowd'
ing is inevitable, with all its dangers to
public health. There Is still lower grad
of accommodation than the one ROOM with
out descending to the common lodgin.
house life, which f1ourishes In Spitalfelds-
1t is that which is to be found in furnished
lodgings. Whole streets OF them are to be
found In Bethnal Green. The rooms to be
let are small, the "furniture frequently
furniture In name only and the rent IS.
week each room. There is no saving; 1t l.!
only when the laborer has fallen upon evil
days and pawned his "home" bit by bit
that he has recourse to furnished lodgings
- Oh, TO- nod cO1I
are only discoverable by visitation-at al
events at this stage, although in some quar-
tiers there is ominous talk Of bread riots II
famine ensues. In every parish the relief
committee In normal times does what Ii
can Rooms that are here and there to bt
found in the houses have the continuous
windows to the top floor to catch the light
Song birds and silk were for long In the
hands Of the Huguenot families, but they
have passed to others. and nowadays the
Huguenots appear to have few descendants
in Bethnal Green (Which borders upon Spit
alfields). and these are invariably known
| by their gentleness and courtesy. This dis
tinguishing trait was brought Into contrast
| by the singular Partially which Bethnal
Green has had for boxing competitions
held. as a rule, in saloons behind PUBLIC
houses, but these displays of science"
have been reduced largely.
Applicants for Charity.
You may look over the almsgiving ac-
counts and note how that nourtshment Of
the sick. the defraying Of travelling ex-
penses to a convalescent home. and even
the grant Of small pensions are made pos
sible by donations to a special fund. It is
at once seen that the applicants are stead
lily rising in number, and yet no aid can
be given, because the means are lacking,
! to really deserving and "helpable' fami-
lies 1t is this class that Will feel the pinch
this winter. from causes which are wholly
| Independent of frost or snow. but are, 1t IS
in connected with
| the depression which peace has produced
and the losses Of the coronation year
There indeed appears to be reaction in
prosperity. and the first sufferers are the
| thoughtless young people who. when the
reservists~ went to the front, found really
employment and entered into early mar
| riages. The tendency to rush into the Ie-
sponsibilities of matrimony Is. however
| the clergy remark. not so noticeable In
these days. Weddings between lads and
girls take place much less frequently. WIS
dom is being learned. and morality dos
| not suffer.
Unhappy Home Life.
In the home life, the laborer's wife va
ries; she is often a slattern. but she Is fire.
quently clean. She has been. II a young
woman, educated in the board school, and
Is fortunate If she has picked up the rudi-
ments of cookery. AZ rule the wife. liv-
Ing In q single room, has no great conven-
fence for preparing a meal. and the making
OF q nutr1tlVe soup Ii d mystery u ueT.
Bread, tea and 'two-eyed steaks" (her-
rings), such is the family fare. when at
most los. week is left after paying the
rent One does not light upon many butch
ers shops in Central Bethnal Green Off the
main thoroughfare. and on week days the
street stalls in Brick Lane for the sale Of
block trimmings are mostly barren boards.
There Is a busy Sunday market, but it's
patrons come from afar. or from the better
parts Of the borough, for approaching Vic
toria Park a welcome change comes over
the scene. In this division the present con-
ditions are happier at present than those
prevailing in the mean little streets lying
to the southwest. It Is an unknown land,
which stretches Immediately to the north
OF the Great Eeastern railway, but It has
its jewellers who have never lived anywhere
else. and their pride Ii great. They will
suffer much in secret before making their
distresses known. and the bnly way to
reach them is through the clergy or the
ministers, who number among them Some
Of the most active. self-denytng and tym-
pathetic workers Of today. Though It seems
that the East End has lost much Of its at
tractiveness to jealous enthusiasts. who
formerly delighted In Summing"
Music ON Ice.