Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-28
Advantages of Travel Club.

Inc advantages or the Travel Club are
confined to Walworth workers Hundreds
OF outsiders would crowd into these trips:
nut then The Travel Club would thereby
lose one of It's unique features-that is
the taking OF aboriginal stun dwellers
into the heart OF foreign lands II is a
pity that some ''chronicler' is not en-
gagged on these excursions To make a
book cut of the quaint sayings and
strange comments which the visitors
must make on finding themselves sud-
denly Transported from the Stun to the
palace
A somewhat similar. though more do
mestic. feature of the Browning move
ment is their holiday camp for men and
women. Every year fifty or more men
and women make trips into the country.
spending sometimes several days on
farm. The men sleep on straw I'm one
barn. the women in another. The Gay
is spent in rambling over the hills and
having good time generally. Mrs. Stead
takes charge of the women. while Mr..
Stead locks after the men.
In order to counteract the influence or
the pubs or saloons-which infest the
neighborhood. the men of the settlement
have got together and subscribed suff-
Gent money to build their own tavern and
clubhouse. Here Billiard tables and
other forms of amusement are provided.
meals and temperance drinks are served
dIlu the froWnlnS Tavern mas proven IT.
self an excellent counter attraction to the
bars and drinking clubs OF the district.
One of the best features OF this institu-
ton is a library consisting almost wholly
of books on social problems of the day.
This departure is much appreciated ny
the members Of the club for there is an
almost unsuitable desire on the part OF
English workers to acquaint themselves
with economic problems.
The Poor Mans Lawyer.
Another striking element of the Brown
ing settlement is the poor mans law
yer" Several distinguished lawyers have
given their services free. and at certain
times each week they attend upon the
poor. giving legal advice and counsel. In
many cases they actually bring actions
on behalf Of poor people who have not
the funds TO fight their own cause. Money
for these lawsuits is found from penny
subscriptions. just as the people raise
money for their Christmas dinner.
While the men have their tavern and
the women their social gatherings. poor
children have their May day celebrations
and Christmas tree. On May day the
Walworth children meet at the Browning
Hall and choose their queen" while at
Christmas a huge tree assures every poor
child present.
The Browning Hall people have exerted
a direct influence on several important
government measures. They were among
the first to call public attention TO pro-
viding state pensions for the aged. Sew
eral huge demonstrations and Populations
to the prime minister were engineered
from Browning Hail. and this year the
prime minister has fulfilled promises he
made at Browning Hall when he opened
the settlement in 1895. There is no doubt
that Mr. Asquith has now promised to
provide S:SO,O0O Oe0-beGinning in January
next--in order to give half a million Brit
ish workers over seventy years of age
pension for life of 81 % per week.
Copyright by Curtis Brown)