The London Poor and Their "Shopping."

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 52, 31 May 1884, Page 5

The London Poor and Their "Shopping."

The following letter has appeared in the columns of an English paper: - "As the pubject of the poor and their mode of living has of late been brought prominently before the public, it may interest your numerous readers to know something of their mode of ' shopping.' I inclose, therefore, a few items, as given me by one whose Bhop, until within the last few weeks, was one of the largest in this parish of 7,500 souls, and stood in a leading thoroughfare. Here are the quotations : • Halfpennyworth of tea, halfpennyworth of sugar, halfpennyworth pickled cabbage.' 'Pennyworth of cheese and loaf of bread. ' ' Penny rasher of bacon, halfpennyworth of onions, and loaf of bread. ' ' Pennyworth of bacon bones and half pint of peas ; mother is going to make some soup.' 'Pennyworth of bits of cheese. 5 'Have you got any scraps of fat bacon to boil with some greens? — the children like it.' ' Penny worth of butter scrapings. Oh, that is nice and clean. I'll have ; if washed, it will be beautiful.' *2oz. butter, treacle.' l 2oz. corned beef.' 'Pennyworth of tinned meat, halfpennyworth dripping, £lb. pigs' fry. ' ' Farthing's worth of needles, one 6 and one 7, a farthing's worth of pins, halfpennyworth of tape, farthing half of Naish's cotton, white.' ' Halfpennyworth of elastic' 'Halfpennyworth of greens, halfpennyworth of carrots and parsnips.' Ha'porth of all sorts for broth' (served with one carrot, one parsnip, one onion, and a bit of parsley) ' Ha'porth of oatmeal, 'cos brother's got a cold.' 'Ha'porth of tea and a ha'porth of sugar ' (usually called for by the same person four times a day). '£oz tea and Jib sugar.' 'Jib bacon in the piece, 'cos 'tis to boil. ' ' 2oz. butter and half a loaf of bread. ' • Ha'porth coffee, penn'orth cheese, penny rasher bacon.' ' Halfpenny worth of soap, farthing's worth of soda, and farthing knob of blue.' ' Farthing's worth of pepper and farthing's worth of mustard.' 'Farthing's worth of vinegar.' • Farthing's worth of salt.' 'Pennyworth of coal.' 'Halfpenny candle and farthing box of matches— don't like the large ones.' ' Jib 3d soap (mottled) returned— mother says this is blue; and she wants the grey.' ' £lb of flour and $\h currants.' 'Halfpenny warth of mixed spice, for pickling.' Under such circumstances you readers will readily imagine how great a boon is a soup-kitchen. During a parochial experience of some six and thirty years I have never found anything so efficient or so to satisfy the hungry multitude ; but, in order to secure this satisfaction upon the part of the recipients, the soup must be good. That which we issue fr«m the establishment which has been in operation in this parish forfoui'teen years undergoes a process of steam boiling for nearly six hours ; and being 1 made of the best material, a single complaint has never been made by the tens of thousands who have partaken of it. The cost price is 2d per quart ; the poor are supplied at Id, or tickets issued gratuitously. Six-and-thirty poor men out of work were recently supplied with a couple of basins and two slices of bread. As a rule we open the kitchen twice a week in the winter season ; if very cold, more frequently. The average distribution is about 700 quarts, the time occupied seldom exceeds the halfhour." The writer of the above is the Rev. D. A. Doudney, D.D., of Bedminster.