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treated some places； especially where there is a bullying superintendent。 Has done 21 days for absolutely refusing to do the work on such low diet； when unfit。 Can't get justice； doctor always sides with superintendent。
J。 S。； odd jobber。 Is working at board carrying； when he can get it。 There's quite a rush for it at 1s。 2d。 a day。 Carried a couple of parcels yesterday； got 5d。 for them； also had a bit of bread and meat given him by a working man； so altogether had an excellent day。 Sometimes goes all day without food； and plenty more do the same。 Sleeps on Embankment； and now and then in Casual Ward。 Latter is clean and comfortable enough； but they keep you in all day； that means no chance of getting work。 Was a clerk once； but got out of a job； and couldn't get another； there are so many clerks。
〃A Tramp〃 says： 〃I've been in most Casual Wards in London； was in the one in Macklin Street； Drury Lane； last week。 They keep you two nights and a day； and more than that if they recognise you。 You have to break 10 cwt。 of stone； or pick four pounds of oakum。 Both are hard。 About thirty a night go to Macklin Street。 The food is 1 pint gruel and 6 oz。 bread for breakfast； 8 oz。 bread and 1 1/2 oz。 cheese for dinner； tea same as breakfast。 No supper。 It is not enough to do the work on。 Then you are obliged to bathe； of course； sometimes three will bathe in one water； and if you complain they turn nasty； and ask if you are come to a palace。 Mitcham Workhouse I've been in； grub is good； 1 1/2 pint gruel and 8 oz。 bread for breakfast； and same for supper。
F。K。 W。； baker。 Been board…carrying to…day； earned one shilling； Hours 9 till 5。 I've been on this kind of life six years。 Used to work in a bakery； but had congestion of the brain； and couldn't stand the heat。 I've been in about every Casual Ward in England。 They treat men too harshly。 Have to work very hard； too。 Has had to work whilst really unfit。 At Peckham （known as Camberwell） Union； was quite unable to do it through weakness； and appealed to the doctor； who； taking the part of the other officials； as usual； refused to allow him to forego the work。 Cheeked the doctor； telling him he didn't understand his work； result； got three days' imprisonment。 Before going to a Casual Ward at all； I spent seven consecutive nights on the Embankment； and at last went to the Ward。
The result of the deliberate policy of making the night refuge for the unemployed labourer as disagreeable as possible； and of placing as many obstacles as possible in the way of his finding work the following day； is； no doubt； to minimise the number of Casuals； and without question succeeds。 In the whole of London the number of Casuals in the wards at night is only 1；136。 That is to say； the conditions which are imposed are so severe； that the majority of the Out…of…Works prefer to sleep in the open air； taking their chance of the inclemency and mutability of our English weather； rather than go through the experience of the Casual Ward。
It seems to me that such a mode of coping with distress does not so much meet the difficulty as evade it。 It is obvious that an apparatus； which only provides for 1；136 persons per night； is utterly unable to deal with the numbers of the homeless Out…of…Works。 But if by some miracle we could use the Casual Wards as a means of providing for all those who are seeking work from day to day； without a place in which to lay their heads； save the kerbstone of the pavement or the back of a seat on the Embankment； they would utterly fail to have any appreciable effect upon the mass of human misery with which we have to deal。 For this reason； the administration of the Casual Wards is mechanical； perfunctory； and formal。 Each of the Casuals is to the Officer in Charge merely one Casual the more。 There is no attempt whatever to do more than provide for them merely the indispensable requisites of existence。 There has never been any attempt to treat them as human beings； to deal with them as individuals； to appeal to their hearts； to help them on their legs again。 They are simply units； no more thought of and cared for than if they were so many coffee beans passing through a coffee mill； and as the net result of all my experience and observation of men and things； I must assert unhesitatingly that anything which dehumanises the individual； anything which treats a man as if he were only a number of a series or a cog in a wheel； without any regard to the character； the aspirations； the temptations； and the idiosyncrasies of the man； must utterly fail as a remedial agency。 The Casual Ward； at the best； is merely a squalid resting place for the Casual in his downward career。 It anything is to be done for these men； it must be done by other agents than those which prevail in the administration of the Poor Laws。
The second method in which Society endeavours to do its duty to the lapsed masses is by the miscellaneous and heterogeneous efforts which are clubbed together under the generic head of Charity。 Far be it from me to say one word in disparagement of any effort that is prompted by a sincere desire to alleviate the misery of our fellow creatures； but the most charitable are those who most deplore the utter failure which has； up till now； attended all their efforts to do more than temporarily alleviate pain； or effect an occasional improvement in the condition of individuals。
There are many institutions； very excellent in their way； without which it is difficult to see how society could get on at all； but when they have done their best there still remains this great and appalling mass of human misery on our hands； a perfect quagmire of Human Sludge。 They may ladle out individuals here and there； but to drain the whole bog is an effort which seems to be beyond the imagination of most of those who spend their lives in philanthropic work。 It is no doubt better than nothing to take the individual and feed him from day to day； to bandage up his wounds and heal his diseases； but you may go on doing that for ever； if you do not do more than that； and the worst of it is that all authorities agree that if you only do that you will probably increase the evil with which you are attempting to deal； and that you had much better let the whole thing alone。
There is at present no attempt at Concerted Action。 Each one deals with the case immediately before him； and the result is what might be expected； there is a great expenditure； but the gains are； alas！ very small。 The fact； however； that so much is subscribed for the temporary relief and the mere alleviation of distress justifies my confidence that if a Practical Scheme of dealing with this misery in a permanent； comprehensive fashion be discovered； there will be no lack of the sinews of war。 It is well； no doubt； sometimes to administer an anaesthetic； but the Cure of the Patient is worth ever so much more； and the latter is the object which we must constantly set before us in approaching this problem。
The third method by which Society professes to attempt the reclamation of the lost is by the rough； rude surgery of the Gaol。 Upon this a whole treatise might be written； but when it was finished it would be nothing more than a demonstration that our Prison system has practically missed aiming at that which should be the first essential of every system of punishment。 It is not Reformatory； it is not worked as if it were intended to be Reformatory。 It is punitive； and only punitive。 The whole administration needs to be reformed from top to bottom in accordance with this fundamental principle； viz。； that while every prisoner should be subjected to that measure of punishment which shall mark a due sense of his crime both to himself and society； the main object should be to rouse in his mind the desire to lead an honest life； and to effect that change in his disposition and character which will send him forth to put that desire into practice。 At present； every Prison is more or less a Training School for Crime； an introduction to the society of criminals； the petrifaction of any lingering human feeling and a very Bastille of Despair。 The prison brand is stamped upon those who go in； and that so deeply； that it seems as if it clung to them for life。 To enter Prison once； means in many cases an almost certain return there at an early date。 All this has to be changed； and will be； when once the work of Prison Reform is taken in hand by men who understand the subject； who believe in the reformation of human nature in every form which its depravity can assume； and who are in full sympathy with the class for whose benefit they labour； and when those charged directly with the care of criminals seek to work out their regeneration in the same spirit。
The question of Prison Reform is all the more important because it is only by the agency of the Gaol that Society attempts to deal with its hopeless cases。 If a woman； driven mad with shame； flings herself into the river； and is fished out alive； we clap her into Prison on a charge of attempted suicide。 If a man； despairing of work and gaunt with hunger； helps himself to food； it is to the same reformatory agency that he is forthwith subjected。 The rough and ready