The San Francisco call., 1905-01-22
POOR OF london ARE READY
TO BATTLE FOR BREAD.
Starving Thousands CIanor-
ing for Food in Big City.
Influence Of Labor Leaders
Prevents a Revolution.

OF the people from the land and the
sacrifice of agricultural to manufacture
ing interests Since 1850 the number OF
people employed in cultiyating the land
has decreased by 1.2s4,000, while the
population has in the same period vast
ly increased. They lie huddled together
In gross Jumps, with hardly room tt
turn round. Every year thousands OF
acres pass out of cultivation and an in
creasing stream of people swarm to the
overcrowded cities. England-the land
Of England-is owned by an infinitesi-
NAL residue OF the population which is
crammed within it's borders. It has
passed from the people. A few thou
sand individuals hold it all.
What has been the result? According
to a report made by a Parliamentary
committee in 1902 there. are 81, 00O, ,OOC
acres Of land lying waste in Great Brit
ain. Over 2,250,000 people are in sore
straits to keep hunger at bay, and land
in abundance, on which they might
themselves-or many of them, at least
produce the food they need now yields
nothing. The cry that now resounds
throughout London-throughout Eng
land-is for food-money to buy food
for the worl<less.
Every unemployed man, be he
Duke or docker," said Sir John Gorst,
should be set to work producing
food" But. say the advocates of this
method of making the unemployed
self-supporting. land necessary for the
establishment of such a system can
only be acquired by Government aid
and Government machinery. Private
philanthropy is unequal to the task.
What Harold Begbie characterizes as
thinking ineptitude" turns a deaf ear
to such appeals. Last year England's S
butter, bacon. cheese and egg bill, paid
to foreign producers, amounted to
S244,00O.000. 1t is confidently as
serted that under proper management
England herself could supply the
greater part of such foods. Anyhow.
1t us urged, it would be far better to
set unemployed applicants for relief at
such work instead of restricting them
to picking oakum, breaking stones or
chopping kindling wood.
SCHEME OF RELIEF.
Another scheme which has been put
forward for relieving the strain on an
overstocked labor market and provid-
ihS profitable national investment is
the afforestation of waste lands. It
finds many able supporters, who point
to the example of Germany, where the
forest industries are under state con-
troll, and yield a profit to the Govern
fiieIll OF $SU,UUU,UUU annually, besides
supporting 100000 workmen and their
families. England imported last year
100000 worth of timber, of
which s105, 200, 900 went for firewood.
The latter. at least, 1t is stated by
competent authorities, could all be
raised on land now lying waste.
In 1886 a Parliamentary committee
reported in favor of such. a scheme.
but nothing came of it, as usual And
nothing is likely to come of it now un-
less the leash gives way. But the cry
of the idle lands for the idle hands
will have to be needed some day.
Some means will have to be found for
checking the depopulation of the land
and frepopulating it and making it
productive.
OF the scenes of misery and suffer-
ing in London pages might be written
and still they would convey only a
faint idea of the reality. In one dis
trict alone, West Ham, the authori-
ties report $4,000 are in the direst
want. Many of the houses are bafe.
not merely of furniture. but food, and
in such circumstances as these starv-
ing women, lying upon the boards of
an empty room, have brought infants
into a world unwilling to receive them.
Shoeless and in rags, hundreds of chill
dren go hungry to morning school.