Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-19

have Christmas trees III the hospitals,
where various useful presents arc given
away Thousands OF cripples arc pro-
vided free with crutches and iilstru-
iuents which they would be too poor tn
pay for. Most of the hospitals are
beautifully decorated, while evan tre
nurses and attendants arc mot forgot
ten.
BoRoUGHs4A ALSO BUSY.
IN addition "a the Guilahali banq,iets
ana funds for giving the London poor
feaSts, goods and money,iit must be
recalled that each London borough
has u mayor of its own, and most OF
these functionaries are not to be out
done by the central authority Each
mayor is supported by aldermen and
councillors. and most of these assist
their chief in providing the poor OF
their districts with free meals, coal,
blankets and other things. In fact. Il
species of emulati0nln showerlng bene-
fits upon the poor at Christmas takes
place among the various London
h0roughs. So extensive has this con-
ferrlng Of gifts become In london in
recent years that there Is always at g
Christmas time ~ mysterious increase
OF population in some Of tho poorer
sections of the city, which increase by
the way, cannot bc-accounted for sim
ply by the ordinary surplusage OF
country cousins who have come to
town for the holidays.
IfNSCRUPULoUS "REPEATIgRS.'
AS !, matter of fact. So man, Christ
mas dinners arc given away in Lon
don, and the poor come i'll fo, 50
many benefits that it almost pays
for the poor TO come to London from
other cities. in order to participate
in the shower of largesscs. Careful
watch has 10 be kept over .'repeaters.''
,i,al 1n chat
every prccaution, he managed to pro-
vide himself and family with seven
Christmas hampers aud obtained tick
cts 10 ] / different Christmas feasts,
These he distributed among his friends
with liberal generosity. While it may
be possible for "repeaters" TO work.
the societies in such a way that they
can obtain a number of tickets, there
is no doubt that the genuine poor at
Christmas received most OF the bene-
fits.
II is this play of unstinted sener-
osity which makes 1t so difficult to
make an impression on London when
it comes to nsttlling the sense ofecon-
omic wrong. The people are as it
were, pauperized by the upper classes.
who, not only ut Christmas, but dur
ing various political contests, manage
to distribute their favors so skilfully
that the gospel of discomfort" has
scant hearing,
If the weather ut Christmas time IN
England he al all cold, IT seems to
operate still better for the cause nf the
poor. Managers of tho various dinner
societies and Christmas coal and blan-
ket distributing agencies, reported re-
Gently to the writer that they needed I,
sharp cold spell to open the purses
Of the rich
HUNGER MARCH" HoRpEs.
Owing 10 the great unemployed
problem this year Christmas charity
will probably be drawn upon more ex-
than any year in the past.
with the exception, perhaps OF the
Irish famine year. II Is estimated
that upwards of 10000 unemployed.
hunger marchers'' and other destitute
people are ION the streets in England
Just now. and all these Will, of course.
receive their share OF Christmas din-
ners. One of the hunger march"
leaders recently, in discussing this
question with the writer, said:
Our men all expect turkey this
] understand that different
societies are arranging 10 look after us,
There are about 1000 regular hunger
is, people without any
fixed abode unless you call the
their home. Most Of these
people do not care TO go 10 the
but rather sleep out in
iAtt'l NNtAS Nt'iN'
benches on tine enlbanlSment.
During the recent investigation con-
Quoted by the London county council,
1t was found that upwards of o.000 peo-
pie were sleeping IN the shelters pro-
vided Tor them by such organizations
as the salvation Army, Church Army
ane similar bodies. All these peopla
Rill he Looked after on Christmas day,
though the additional strain on the
sharity of the community VIII be very
heavy. w. Is. NORTHROP.