The Washington herald., 1909-02-28
HOMELESS In LONDON
More Than Two Thousand
Are Without Shelter.
COMMITTEE TAKES CENSUS
Those Chased Among Homeless
Lacked Beds Even I'm Free LodE-
ing HOuses-IfaIian Villages Make
Appeal for Aid-Many Earthquake
Survivors in Pitiabie Condition.
FrUn the CHE; European COresDoasent Of the
Lafan News BuEeaa.

From the Ctief European Correspondent q TIE
Lsfan News Bureau.
London. Feb G--In January. 1904. the
London County Council began taking a
census Of the homeless people IN London.
and each year since then it has done the
same thing. The fourth census figures
have Just been given. and the comparison
OF these with former years IS interesting.
Il painful. reading.
On the night Of Friday. January 15.
last there were in London 2,osS homeless
persons. OF whom 10 were women and 2
children On the night when the census
was taken the Salvation Army and the
Church Army provided shelter for I1S4
homeless persons, other institutions do
ing tns same for Is persons. The num-
Der OF persons actually found IN the
streets. on staircases. CT under arches
was 80
1T must be remembered. however" the
committee adds. that several institutions
IN London provide beds free OF charge,
and the inmates could without doubt be
classed as homeless, but the 2.oSs persons
here referred 70 had no bed OF the night
IN question. ard were dependent upon
charity for food and shelter"
Lodging House Census.
A census was also taken Of the common
lodging house population on the night IN
question. and zI.sS4 persons slept il such
houses. the available accommodation be
ing for 2SS1 persons
The evidence obtained as the result OF
the several inquiries" says the public
health committee. goes 10 show tha;
there has been IN recent years some dImi-
mutton In the total figures giving the num-
bers Of homeless persons ard persons OF
the common lodging-hOuse class. that
there IS vacant clean accommodation
available for all homeless persons at a
triiing cost. and that for a limited num-
Der free accommodation and food IS pro-
curable. In this connection Il may be
mentioned that on Friday, January Is.
1909. there was IN the casual wards va
cant accommodation for 20 men and g.:
women and children
Italian Villages suffer.
Rome. Feb. z.-Repeatsd appeals for
aid are being addressed by the munich
pal authorities OF towns and villages II
Calabria 70 the foreign relief commit
tees IN Rome Such an appeal was sen;
10 Ambassador Griseom from the mayors
Of the province or Palnli. and the Ameri-
can relief COMMITTEES which had decided
to stop providing direct relief in the
earthquake area and 70 hand over con-
trlbutions received to the italian author
ifies for distribution TO the earthquake
sufferers. sent two Of its members 70
Calahria. This is what they have done,
according 70 the reports sent 70 the chair
nan. Ambassador Griscom.
At Palrui they found that many earth
quake survivors were still without any
shelter. as both the lumber and the roof
ing for sheds was lacking: hence they
bought all the wood available on the
spot-the local authorities had refused 20
buy Il owing 10 the high price asked Tor
lt-and Immediately used Il for building
sheds. In addition 10.000 square meters Of
roofing was reQuistiOned from Rome. as
well as q considerable quantity urgently
needed by the survivors As Palrni lacked
q hospital, they made arrangements 10
provide one.
Built Shelters.
They visited FIVE villages. several OF
which had not received help OF any kind.
and besides distributing money and cloth
ing IN each. provided for the immediate
building OF sheds.
II seems strange that month and a
half after the earthquake there should be
so much need Of help. despite the facts
that the Bank OF Italy has SA000,000 at
the disposal Of the earthquake sufferers
contributed by practically every civilized
England, France, Germany, Russia Amer
Tea, and Greece landed unlimited sup
plies Of food and clothing; that special
laws have been made TO help the earth
nuaka victims. and that relief on The spot