THE HOUSING QUESTION

314

cannot as yet offer any suggestion as to the mode

by which the micrococcus obtains entrance into the

human body the whole history of science teaches us

to expect that the knowledge of causation will be the

first step towards the attainment of control. In many other

directions the abundant material of the hospital will no

doubt admit of being utilised for the benefit of mankind,and the appeal is one which will, we trust, meet with a

prompt and sufficient response. It was a saying of

FARADAY that new knowledge is frequently passingunrecognised before our eyes, and those who are eager

to be on the watch for its appearance and its applicationsare certainly entitled to have all unnecessary difficulties

removed from their path. Of these, so far as research

is concerned, one of the most important is its costliness. Wehave the men, we have the opportunities, and what we

chiefly want is to have "the money too."

Annotations.

THE HOUSING QUESTION.

II Ne quid nimis."

IN THE LANCET of Jan. 23rd, p. 248, attention was calledto the evidence given at an inquest as to the enormous rentcommanded by those who let rooms to the poor in the East-end of London. The difficulties which beset the question ofproviding the working classes and the poor in London withsufficient and sanitary living accommodation at a price whichthey can afford to pay are not diminished by the class oftenant which has to be provided for in many instances. The

following case, which recently occupied the attention of theLord Mayor and aldermen at the Mansion House police-court on two successive days, well illustrates this and atthe same time shows the high rental exacted by land-lords for the rooms in which they allow their tenantsto huddle themselves regardless of decency and health.The danger, both physical and moral, to children broughtup in such circumstances and the fact that cases of

apparently genuine distress are carefully investigated in

the City will also be observed. On the first day of inquirythe charge was against a woman named Nowell of exposingher two boys, aged nine years and five years, by causingthem to beg in the streets. When arrested she had nine

pennies upon her and she pitifully entreated the presidingalderman not to take her children from her and to send themto an industrial school, saying that they went to schoolregularly already. The police stated that as far as they hadthen been able to ascertain the husband was a hard-workingman who had been out of employment as a dock labourerand who during the past week had only been able to gethalf a day’s work. They added that he and his wife, adaughter aged 19 years, a son aged 17 years, and three

children, aged respectively nine years, five years, and two

years, lived in a single room in Spitalfields, where they slepton the bare boards and that for this shelter they paid 7s. aweek rent. With respect to the children, the alderman, whono doubt had experience of such cases, remained obdurate,but while they were remanded for further inquiries andfor a school to be found for them, the parents werenot forgotten and the Mansion House Unemployed Com-mittee was able to send a police constable at once to

the father with the address of a firm where employmentwould be given to him. On the following day evidence wasgiven that the constable intrusted with the matter called

several times at the address of the working man butfound no one there, and that the man took no notice of

a message left for him informing him of what would bedone on his behalf and recommending him to call at the

police station. Finally, the constable went to the room

in question between 10 and 11 at night when he

found the husband drunk and quarrelling with his wife.

He gave his message but the man refused to listen

to it or to take the address of the firm which wouldhave given him work. At the same time he was abusive,declared that he would drink every halfpenny he had got,and with regard to the proffered employment said that hedid not want ’’ any of your - twopenny-halfpenny jobs." Itwill easily be understood that while parents of this class canlive upon their children’s mendicancy, and while those whogive alms indiscriminately will assist them to do so, it is diffi-cult to prevent children from being brought up in the midstof disease, starvation, and crime. The housing question isalso rendered more complicated where people of this classexist in considerable numbers. They will not go into

quarters where decency and reasonably good behaviour withthe regular payment of rent are insisted upon and as longas they can find buildings of any kind where they will betolerated they are content to live there under conditions

dangerous to their own health, that of their children, andthat of the public. To enforce universal conditions of

sanitary life in the case of a huge population, leaving as theonly alternative prison or the streets, seems hardly possible.but short of such compulsion it is not easy to see how a.

healthy and decently behaved people can be obtained orhow matters can be prevented from going from bad toworse. Any measures not universally applied tend to

increase the congestion in the districts where cleanlinessand sanitation are already most needed.

THE POSITION OF WORKHOUSE MEDICALOFFICERS.

WHILE as the result of concerted action on the part ofmembers of the profession the status of medical men in

the navy, army, and Indian services has been improved,the apathy exhibited by Poor-law medical officers has

prevented any improvement in their circumstances andhas even in some cases been productive of changes for theworse. Triumphant democracy has reversed the old socialorder and the workhouse medical officer, who has probablysome claim to be regarded as a man of culture and education,holds his post at the will of persons with whom he wouldnot in a private capacity care to associate. In a similar

way the Local Government Board still insists on includingthe control of the medical officer among the functions of amaster and a matron who are often enough a promoted gateporter and his wife. Our attention has been called to a casein which the right of a medical officer to admit a visitor to award nominally in his charge is disputed by the master andmatron and however absurd such a condition of affairs mayseem it is clear from the orders of the Local GovernmentBoard that the right can only be exercised by permission ofthe officials mentioned. Thus it was laid down, in 1847 beit noted, that one of the duties of that dignified andpotent officer the porter is "to keep the gate and to

prevent any person not being an officer of the work-house or of the union, an assistant Poor-law commis-sioner or any person authorised by law or by thecommissioners or guardians from entering into or going outof the house without the leave of the master or matron."The attitude of the Local Government Board towards the

hierarchy of the casual ward is shown by a circular letterissued in January, 1895, which runs thus : " The improve-ment that is taking place in the character of workhousenursing from the employment of trained nurses ccasionally