in darkest england and the way out-第6章
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These are the two points of the Cab Horse's Charter。 When he is down he is helped up； and while he lives he has food； shelter and work。 That； although a humble standard； is at present absolutely unattainable by millionsliterally by millionsof our fellow…men and women in this country。 Can the Cab Horse Charter be gained for human beings？ I answer； yes。 The Cab Horse standard can be attained on the Cab Horse terms。 If you get your fallen fellow on his feet again； Docility and Discipline will enable you to reach the Cab Horse ideal； otherwise it will remain unattainable。 But Docility seldom fails where Discipline is intelligently maintained。 Intelligence is more frequently lacking to direct than obedience to follow direction。 At any rate it is not for those who possess the intelligence to despair of obedience； until they have done their part。 Some； no doubt； like the bucking horse that will never be broken in； will always refuse to submit to any guidance but their own lawless will。 They will remain either the Ishmaels or the Sloths of Society。 But man is naturally neither an Ishmael nor a Sloth。
The first question； then； which confronts us is； what are the dimensions of the Evil？ How many of our fellow…men dwell in this Darkest England？ How can we take the census of those who have fallen below the Cab Horse standard to which it is our aim to elevate the most wretched of our countrymen？
The moment you attempt to answer this question； you are confronted by the fact that the Social Problem has scarcely been studied at all scientifically。 Go to Mudie's and ask for all the books that have been written on the subject； and you will be surprised to find how few there are。 There are probably more scientific books treating of diabetes or of gout than there are dealing with the great social malady which eats out the vitals of such numbers of our people。 Of late there has been a change for the better。 The Report of the Royal Commission on the Housing of the Poor； and the Report of the Committee of the House of Lords on Sweating； represent an attempt at least to ascertain the facts which bear upon the Condition of the People question。 But； after all； more minute； patient； intelligent observation has been devoted to the study of Earthworms； than to the evolution； or rather the degradation； of the Sunken Section of our people。 Here and there in the immense field individual workers make notes； and occasionally emit a wail of despair； but where is there any attempt even so much as to take the first preliminary step of counting those who have gone under？ One book there is； and so far as I know at present； only one； which even attempts to enumerate the destitute。 In his 〃Life and Labour in the East of London；〃 Mr。 Charles Booth attempts to form some kind of an idea as to the numbers of those with whom we have to deal。 With a large staff of assistants； and provided with all the facts in possession of the School Board Visitors； Mr。 Booth took an industrial census of East London。 This district； which comprises Tower Hamlets； Shoreditch； Bethnal Green and Hackney； contains a population of 908；000； that is to say； less than one…fourth of the population of London。 How do his statistics work out？ If we estimate the number of the poorest class in the rest of London as being twice as numerous as those in the Eastern District； instead of being thrice as numerous； as they would be if they were calculated according to the population in the same proportion； the following is the result：
PAUPERS Inmates of Workhouses； Asylums； and Hospitals 。。 。。 。。 17；000 34；000 51；000
HOMELESS Loafers； Casuals； and some Criminals 。。 。。 11；000 22；000 33；000
STARVING Casual earnings between 18s。 per week and chronic want 100；000 200；000 300；000
THE VERY POOR。 Intermittent earnings 18s。 to 21s。 per week 。。 。。 74；000 148；000 222；000
Small regular earnings 18s。to 21s。 per week 。。 。。 129；000 258；000 387；000 … … … 331；000 662；000 993；000
Regular wages； artizans； etc。； 22s。 to 30s。 per week 。。 。。 337；000
Higher class labour； 30s。 to 50s。 per week 。。 。。 121；000
Lower middle class； shopkeepers； clerks； etc。 。。 34；000
Upper middle class （servant keepers） 。。 。。 。。 45；000 … 908；000 It may be admitted that East London affords an exceptionally bad district from which to generalise for the rest of the country。 Wages are higher in London than elsewhere； but so is rent； and the number of the homeless and starving is greater in the human warren at the East End。 There are 31 millions of people in Great Britain； exclusive of Ireland。 If destitution existed everywhere in East London proportions； there would be 31 times as many homeless and starving people as there are in the district round Bethnal Green。
But let us suppose that the East London rate is double the average for the rest of the country。 That would bring out the following figures：
HOUSELESS East London。 United Kingdom。
Loafers； Casuals； and some Criminals 11；000 165；500
STARVING Casual earnings or chronic want 。。 100；000 1；550；000
Total Houseless and Starving 。。 111；000 1；715；500
In Workhouses； Asylums； &c。 。。 17；000 190；000 128；000 1；905；500
Of those returned as homeless and starving； 870；000 were in receipt of outdoor relief。 To these must be added the inmates of our prisons。 In 1889 174；779 persons were received in the prisons； but the average number in prison at any one time did not exceed 60；000。 The figures； as given in the Prison Returns； are as follows：
In Convict Prisons 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 11；600 In Local Prisons。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 20；883 In Reformatories。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 1；270 In Industrial Schools 。。 。。 。。 。。 21；413 Criminal Lunatics 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 910 … 56；136
Add to this the number of indoor paupers and lunatics （excluding criminals） 78；966and we have an army of nearly two million： belonging to the submerged classes。 To this there must be added at the very least； another million； representing those dependent upon the criminal； lunatic and other classes； not enumerated here； and the more or less helpless of the class immediately above the houseless and starving。 This brings my total to three millions； or； to put it roughly to one…tenth of the population。 According to Lord Brabazon and Mr。 Samuel Smith； 〃between two and three millions of our population are always pauperised and degraded。〃 Mr。 Chamberlain says there is a 〃population equal to that of the metropolis；that is； between four and five millions〃which has remained constantly in a state of abject destitution and misery。〃 Mr。 Giffen is more moderate。 The submerged class； according to him； comprises one in five of manual labourers； six in 100 of the population。 Mr。 Giffen does not add the third million which is living on the border line。 Between Mr Chamberlain's four millions and a half； and Mr。 Giffen's 1；800；000 I am content to take three millions as representing the total strength of the destitute army。
Darkest England； then； may be said to have a population about equal to that of Scotland。 Three million men； women； and children a vast despairing multitude in a condition nominally free； but really enslaved；these it is whom we have to save。
It is a large order。 England emancipated her negroes sixty years ago； at a cost of #40；000；000； and has never ceased boasting about it since。 But at our own doors； from 〃Plymouth to Peterhead；〃 stretches this waste Continent of humanitythree million human beings who are enslavedsome of them to taskmasters as merciless as any West Indian overseer； all of them to destitution and despair？
Is anything to be done with them？ Can anything be done for them？ Or is this milli
