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was； of course； a report and a dismissal。〃
Robert Blatchford compares the workhouse pauper's daily diet with the
soldier's； which； when he was a soldier； was not considered liberal enough；
and yet is twice as liberal as the pauper's。
PAUPER DIET SOLDIER 3。25 oz。 Meat
12 oz。 15。5 oz。 Bread 24 oz。 6 oz。 Vegetables 8 oz。
The adult male pauper gets meat （outside of soup） but once a week；
and the paupers 〃have nearly all that pallid； pasty complexion which is the
sure mark of starvation。〃
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Here is a table； comparing the workhouse officer's weekly allowance：…
OFFICER DIET PAUPER 7 lb。 Bread
6。75 lb。 5 lb。 Meat 1 lb。 2 oz。 12 oz。 Bacon
2。5 oz。 8 oz。 Cheese 2 oz。 7 lb。 Potatoes 1。5
lb。 6 lb。 Vegetables none。 1 lb。 Flour none。 2
oz。 Lard none。 12 oz。 Butter 7 oz。 none。
Rice Pudding 1 lb。
And as the same writer remarks： 〃The officer's diet is still more
liberal than the pauper's； but evidently it is not considered liberal enough；
for a footnote is added to the officer's table saying that 'a cash payment of
two shillings and sixpence a week is also made to each resident officer and
servant。' If the pauper has ample food； why does the officer have more？
And if the officer has not too much； can the pauper be properly fed on less
than half the amount？〃
But it is not alone the Ghetto…dweller； the prisoner； and the pauper that
starve。 Hodge； of the country； does not know what it is always to have a
full belly。 In truth； it is his empty belly which has driven him to the city
in such great numbers。 Let us investigate the way of living of a labourer
from a parish in the Bradfield Poor Law Union； Berks。 Supposing him to
have two children； steady work； a rent…free cottage； and an average weekly
wage of thirteen shillings； which is equivalent to 3。25； then here is his
weekly budget：…
s。 d。 Bread （5
quarterns） 1 10 Flour （0。5 gallon）
0 4 Tea （0。25 lb。） 0 6 Butter （1 lb。）
1 3 Lard （1 lb。） 0 6 Sugar （6 lb。）
1 0 Bacon or other meat （about 0。25 lb。） 2 8 Cheese （1 lb。）
0 8 Milk （half…tin condensed） 0 3。25 Coal
1 6 Beer none Tobacco
none Insurance （〃Prudential〃） 0 3 Labourers' Union
0 1 Wood； tools； dispensary； &c。 0 6 Insurance
（〃Foresters〃） and margin 1 1。75 for clothes Total
13 0
The guardians of the workhouse in the above Union pride themselves
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on their rigid economy。 It costs per pauper per week：…
s。 d。 Men 6 1。5 Women
5 6。5 Children 5 1。25
If the labourer whose budget has been described should quit his toil
and go into the workhouse； he would cost the guardians for
s。 d。 Himself 6 1。5 Wife
5 6。5 Two children 10 2。5 Total 21 10。5 Or
roughly； 5。46
It would require more than a guinea for the workhouse to care for
him and his family； which he； somehow； manages to do on thirteen
shillings。 And in addition； it is an understood fact that it is cheaper to
cater for a large number of peoplebuying； cooking； and serving
wholesalethan it is to cater for a small number of people； say a family。
Nevertheless； at the time this budget was compiled； there was in that
parish another family； not of four； but eleven persons； who had to live on
an income； not of thirteen shillings； but of twelve shillings per week
（eleven shillings in winter）； and which had； not a rent…free cottage； but a
cottage for which it paid three shillings per week。
This must be understood； and understood clearly： WHATEVER IS
TRUE OF LONDON IN THE WAY OF POVERTY AND
DEGRADATION； IS TRUE OF ALL ENGLAND。 While Paris is not by
any means France； the city of London is England。 The frightful
conditions which mark London an inferno likewise mark the United
Kingdom an inferno。 The argument that the decentralisation of London
would ameliorate conditions is a vain thing and false。 If the 6；000；000
people of London were separated into one hundred cities each with a
population of 60；000； misery would be decentralised but not diminished。
The sum of it would remain as large。
In this instance； Mr。 B。 S。 Rowntree； by an exhaustive analysis； has
proved for the country town what Mr。 Charles Booth has proved for the
metropolis； that fully one…fourth of the dwellers are condemned to a
poverty which destroys them physically and spiritually； that fully one…
fourth of the dwellers do not have enough to eat； are inadequately clothed；
sheltered； and warmed in a rigorous climate； and are doomed to a moral
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degeneracy which puts them lower than the savage in cleanliness and
decency。
After listening to the wail of an old Irish peasant in Kerry； Robert
Blatchford asked him what he wanted。 〃The old man leaned upon his
spade and looked out across the black peat fields at the lowering skies。
'What is it that I'm wantun？' he said； then in a deep plaintive tone he
continued； more to himself than to me； 'All our brave bhoys and dear
gurrls is away an' over the says； an' the