OUTCAST LONDON. Terrible Suffering.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 196, 26 March 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

OUTCAST LONDON. Terrible Suffering.

Tme extreme misery that now exists in Outcast London, ac the eastern part of the city ia termed, is exciting reat sympathy, but it ia now recognised that private contributions are totally insufficient to cope with the ever increasing distress, and that Government measures must be resorted to in order to prevent the outbreak of a famine fever in the midst of the richest city of the world. In order to give some idea of the present distressful situation it may ,be stated that there are close upon 100,000 paupera in London who are receiving either in door or out-door relief, and there are as many more who live, from day to day, on the sums gained by doing a few odd jobs. At Christmas the clergymen made au appeal to the charitable, which met with a generous response, and through their aid many a wretched family was provided wifch the first bounteous meal that had been received for weeks past. The minister of Bow Chapel thus gives his experience in regard to the distribution of Christmas gifts among 1,000 families, consisting of 633 men, 756 women and 2,995 children, in all 4,614 persons, Ihe total weekly income from all sources of this company (taken a little before Christmas so as not to be affected by the holidays, which bring terribly hard times to many who live from hand to mouth), amounted to £340 14s 6d, about 6s 6.f d for each family per week ; or, as nearly as possible, 2£d per day for each person ; his forming the " income " to supply house rent, clothing, firing, food and in some oases club money. In these 1,000 families there were 356 widows, or women deserted by their husbands, or whose husbands were in hospitals and apylums, and of the 1,000 families there were no less than 155 having no income at all and subsisting by pawning all their effects. In view of this misery the radical journals are outspoken in condemning the Government *or spending millions in useless armament? and for not voting a shilling for the relief of the starving poor.

" You have locpl option in your country, I believe," said a native to a stranger. " Yes," was the reply. "How does it work?" "Works first rate. You have tho. option of getting your drinks at a drug store or gping dry."