Otago Witness Illustrations.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 43

Otago Witness Illustrations.

Photos, by Hugh Morris.)

GLASGOW'S INFERNO. ♦ Revelations of a sensational character, and affording a lurid picture of low life in Glasgow, have been made by the Rev. David Watson, St. Clement's Church. At the Glasgow Presbytery he submitted a motion to "seriously consider the grave

— Photo, by A. E. J. Gill,

social problem of the lodging-houses in the city, and the Church's duty in relation to the same." Mr Watson presented a scathing indictment of the " model " and other lodging-houses in the eifr" in which accommodation ie provided for 9000 men and 8000 women. He said he had visited them 1 all, both during the day and the night.

How he managed that, and in what garb he went, he was not going to reveal. Suffice it that when he completed his round he felt that he had been through an inferno. The degraded, savage, bestial faces, the lewd gestures, and the foul language were truly awful. The scenes he witnessed were unforgetable, lurid, and horrible. Such a

mass of ruined humanity, human derelicts, social wrecks, creatures who once were men, and, sadder still, creatures who were once women. In one lodging-house every woman seemed intoxicated. Little did the citizens of Glasgow dream of the existence of that ■vast under-world of wretchedness, degradation, vice, and crime. Referring to what he

i described as the lowest circle in the lodg-ing-houses — namely, the farmed-out houses, he said there was no use mincing matters. j The farmed-out house was a den. of vie© I pure and simple. Professor Reid seconded the motion, which was adopted, and a comj mittee was appointed to investigate the whole matter and report.