The New York herald., 1922-01-29

It's distress tell WITH one voice tnal
never has money with which to carry on
their work been so difficult 10 obtain as
now.
Hospital Beds Closed.
London Hospita,-the general hospital
for all East London--stands upon the
the largest OF the visible signs of the
distress that to-day prevails in every
corner down East. 1t has 200 beds
closed for want OF funds and is put TO
the greatest straits to carry on at all.
But that. unhappily. is the experience
Of every hospital for the sick. 1t is
not that readiness TO help is now for
the first time found wanting. but the
plain fact is that the burden of taxation
to-day being so great. those who have
been foremost In charity are no longer
able to give on the same generous
scale as hitherto. 1t Is that which Is
hindering and curtailing benevolent
work that rarely has been so greatly
needed.
The rate payers have assumed bur-
dens such as never before have been
heaped upon them. The State, too Is
handing out money by thousands ster-
ling. Those two agencies together have
mitigated the worst effects of winter
distress. without them the conditions
In East London would be dangerous.
Still, those who go daily into the homes
of families where the father vainly
seeks work report a great body of dis
tress which neither the poor law nor the
State reaches, and suffering that comes
only TO the knowledge OF the mission
workers and the clergy. The East has
n large residential population of street
sellers who in the daytime spread over
London. to return at night. They have
been hard put to find the small capital
necessary to stock the little trays.
Poverty 10 Historic.
Many agencies for relief which went
out of use in the prosperity that East
London enjoyed in the war years are
being revived. Far back in King
George Ills reign. In the year 1873. the
old Spitalfields Soup Society founded
soup kitchen In Brick lane--it is quite a
mistake to assume that East End poverty
IS only thing Of our own knowledge.
1t closed down for the first time in its
long history in the winter of 1914, there
being no longer need for Il, and while
war lasted It's operations remained sus.
pended. Last winter II had to be re-
vived. and there Is a deficiency In the
funds with which the present years
work begins. A body founded seventy
seven years ago. and now known as the
King Edward Institution. has headquar-
ters in Albert street f.. and It's work ex-
tends over the frontier into Bethnal
Green. Its soup kitchen, closed from
1914 to 1919 inclusive, has also had to
be reopened, and throughout December
there has been increasing demand for
meals. 1t Is symptomatic OF existing
conditions that the King Edward Insti-
tuition, whose voluntary band OF twenty
five musicians plays a part In its social
work and entertainment OF denizens OF
poor. dark streets. now finds that eleven
OF its bandsmen are themselves out Of
employment. and has had TO organise a
concert to relieve their wants.
The Jews OF East London are great
traders. industrious and thrifty. living
lives Of toll with little relief. and ac-
customed TO work for long hours that
would horrify most trade unionists.
Therein lies ono problem OF the indus
trial East. Vast numbers Of them are
engaged in tailoring and kindred call
ings, ana In cigar and cigarette making,
hlfing the floors OF the big, ovtrgrown
factories F; but. when all is said. they are
primary traders Many old residents OF
the East End recall when they spread
little beyond whitechapei To-day they
spread far. They seek out for occupa-
ton the principal streets frst for In
these wares exposed for sale best come
under notice OF purchasers but pressure
Of population has driven them into side
streets and back ways In quite unex-
pected places often the wanderer comes
upon busy shop consisting OF no more
than the iron ratings before some
decayed villa-residence, upon which
clothing and mats are flung and pots
and Fans hang suspended, while the
woman owner parades In front. always
ready TO trade with the passerby. The
upheaval In Europe has brought large
additional numbers OF aliens 20 Bast
London. stili further mixing the races.
They push In where there is no room,
certainly none decentiy sufncient for
those already there.
Housing Problem Grows.
Slowly ana inperceptibly there Is
growing one more trouble 10 add TO East
London's many ugly problems. Enough
IL heard IN Londons more favored quar-
ters of the housing diff1culty, but few
stop to think Of that dificul.y as II lies
beyond the Aldgate barrier. Not brick
for . dwelling has been laid these many