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back。 She had one garment and her stockings on。 The body was quite
alive with vermin； and all the clothes in the room were absolutely grey
with insects。 Deceased was very badly nourished and was very
emaciated。 She had extensive sores on her legs； and her stockings were
adherent to those sores。 The sores were the result of vermin。〃
A man present at the inquest wrote： 〃I had the evil fortune to see the
body of the unfortunate woman as it lay in the mortuary； and even now the
memory of that gruesome sight makes me shudder。 There she lay in the
mortuary shell； so starved and emaciated that she was a mere bundle of
skin and bones。 Her hair； which was matted with filth； was simply a nest
of vermin。 Over her bony chest leaped and rolled hundreds； thousands；
myriads of vermin！〃
If it is not good for your mother and my mother so to die； then it is not
good for this woman； whosoever's mother she might be； so to die。
Bishop Wilkinson； who has lived in Zululand； recently said； 〃No
human of an African village would allow such a promiscuous mixing of
young men and women； boys and girls。〃 He had reference to the children
of the overcrowded folk； who at five have nothing to learn and much to
unlearn which they will never unlearn。
It is notorious that here in the Ghetto the houses of the poor are greater
profit earners than the mansions of the rich。 Not only does the poor
worker have to live like a beast； but he pays proportionately more for it
than does the rich man for his spacious comfort。 A class of house…
sweaters has been made possible by the competition of the poor for houses。
There are more people than there is room； and numbers are in the
workhouse because they cannot find shelter elsewhere。 Not only are
houses let； but they are sublet； and sub…sublet down to the very rooms。
〃A part of a room to let。〃 This notice was posted a short while ago in
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a window not five minutes' walk from St。 James's Hall。 The Rev。 Hugh
Price Hughes is authority for the statement that beds are let on the three…
relay systemthat is； three tenants to a bed； each occupying it eight hours；
so that it never grows cold； while the floor space underneath the bed is
likewise let on the three…relay system。 Health officers are not at all
unused to finding such cases as the following： in one room having a
cubic capacity of 1000 feet； three adult females in the bed； and two adult
females under the bed； and in one room of 1650 cubic feet； one adult male
and two children in the bed； and two adult females under the bed。
Here is a typical example of a room on the more respectable two… relay
system。 It is occupied in the daytime by a young woman employed all
night in a hotel。 At seven o'clock in the evening she vacates the room；
and a bricklayer's labourer comes in。 At seven in the morning he vacates；
and goes to his work； at which time she returns from hers。
The Rev。 W。 N。 Davies； rector of Spitalfields； took a census of some of
the alleys in his parish。 He says：…
In one alley there are ten housesfifty…one rooms； nearly all about 8
feet by 9 feetand 254 people。 In six instances only do 2 people occupy
one room； and in others the number varied from 3 to 9。 In another court
with six houses and twenty…two rooms were 84 people again 6； 7； 8； and
9 being the number living in one room； in several instances。 In one
house with eight rooms are 45 peopleone room containing 9 persons； one
8； two 7； and another 6。
This Ghetto crowding is not through inclination； but compulsion。
Nearly fifty per cent。 of the workers pay from one…fourth to one… half of
their earnings for rent。 The average rent in the larger part of the East End
is from four to six shillings per week for one room； while skilled
mechanics； earning thirty…five shillings per week； are forced to part with
fifteen shillings of it for two or three pokey little dens； in which they strive
desperately to obtain some semblance of home life。 And rents are going
up all the time。 In one street in Stepney the increase in only two years has
been from thirteen to eighteen shillings； in another street from eleven to
sixteen shillings； and in another street； from eleven to fifteen shillings；
while in Whitechapel； two…room houses that recently rented for ten
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shillings are now costing twenty…one shillings。 East； west； north； and south
the rents are going up。 When land is worth from 20；000 pounds to
30；000 pounds an acre； some one must pay the landlord。
Mr。 W。 C。 Steadman； in the House of Commons； in a speech
concerning his constituency in Stepney； related the following：…
This morning； not a hundred yards from where I am myself living； a
widow stopped me。 She has six children to support； and the rent of her
house was fourteen shillings per week。 She gets her living by letting the
house to lodgers and doing a day's washing or charring。 That woman； with
tears in her eyes； told me that the landlord had increased the rent from
fourteen shillings to eighteen shillings。 What could the woman do？
There is no accommodation in Stepney。 Every place is taken up and
overcrowded。
Class supremacy can rest only on class degradation； and when the
workers are segregated in the Ghetto； they cannot escape the consequent
degradation。 A short and stunted people is createda breed strikingly
differentiated from their masters' breed； a pavement folk； as it were
lacking stamina and strength。 The men become caricatures of what
physical men ought to be； and their women and children are pale and
anaemic； with eyes ringed darkly； who stoop and slouch； and are early
twisted out of all shapeliness and beauty。
To make matters worse； the men of the Ghetto are the men who are
lefta deteriorated stock； left to undergo still furt