第41章 TO THE RESCUE!--THE CITY COLONY.(1)

The first section of my Scheme is the establishment of a Receiving House for the Destitute in every great centre of population.We start,let us remember,from the individual,the ragged,hungry,penniless man who confronts us with despairing demands for food,shelter,and work.

Now,I have had some two or three years'experience in dealing with this class.I believe,at the present moment,the Salvation Army supplies more food and shelter to the destitute than any other organisation in London,and it is the experience and encouragement which I have gained in the working of these Food and Shelter Depots which has largely encouraged me to propound this scheme.

SECTION 1.--FOOD AND SHELTER FOR EVERY MAN.

As I rode through Canada and the United States some three years ago,I was greatly impressed with the superabundance of food which I saw at every turn.Oh,how I longed that the poor starving people,and the hungry children of the East of London and of other centres of our destitute populations,should come into the midst of this abundance,but as it appeared impossible for me to take them to it,I secretly resolved that I would endeavour to bring some of it to them.

I am thankful to say that I have already been able to do so on a small scale,and hope to accomplish it ere long on a much vaster one.

With this view,the first Cheap Food Depot was opened in the East of London two and a half years ago.This has been followed by others,and we have now three establishments:others are being arranged for.

Since the commencement in 1888,we have supplied over three and a half million meals.Some idea can be formed of the extent to which these Food and Shelter Depots have already struck their roots into the strata of Society which it is proposed to benefit,by the following figures,which give the quantities of food sold during the year at our Food Depots.

FOOD SOLD IN DEPOTS AND SHELTERS DURING 1889.

Article Weight Measure Remarks Soup .116,400gallons Bread 192.5tons 106,9644-lb loaves Tea 2.5tons 46,980gallons Coffee 15cwt.13,949gallons Cocoa 6tons 29,229gallons Sugar 25tons .300bags Potatoes 140tons .2,800bags Flour 18tons .180sacks Peaflour 28.5tons .288sacks Oatmeal 3.5tons .36sacks Rice 12tons .120sacks Beans 12tons .240sacks Onions and parsnips 12tons .240sacks Jam 9tons .2,880jars Marmalade 6tons .1,920jars Meat 15tons .

Milk .14,300quarts This includes returns from three Food Depots and five Shelters.

I propose to multiply their number,to develop their usefulness,and to make them the threshold of the whole Scheme.Those who have already visited our Depots will understand exactly what th is means.

The majority,however,of the readers of these pages have not done so,and for them it is necessary to explain what they are.

At each of our Depots,which can be seen by anybody that cares to take the trouble to visit them,there are two departments,one dealing with food,the other with shelter.Of these both are worked together and minister to the same individuals.Many come for food who do not come for shelter,although most of those who come for shelter also come for food,which is sold on terms to cover,as nearly as possible,the cost price and working expenses of the establishment.In this our Food Depots differ from the ordinary soup kitchens.

There is no gratuitous distribution of victuals.The following is our Price List:--WHAT IS SOLD AT THE FOOD DEPOTS.

For a child Soup Per Basin 1/4d Soup With Bread 1/2d Coffee or Cocoa per cup 1/4d Coffee or Cocoa With Bread and Jam 1/2d For adults Soup .Per Basin 1/2d Soup .With Bread 1d Potatoes .1/2d Cabbage .1/2d Haricot Beans .1/2d Boiled Jam Pudding .1/2d Boiled Plum Pudding .Each 1d Rice .1/2d Baked Plum .1/2d Baked Jam Roll .1/2d Meat Pudding and Potatoes .3d Corned Beef .2d Corned Mutton .2d Coffee per cup 1/2d;per mug 1d Cocoa per cup 1/2d;per mug 1d Tea per cup 1/2d;per mug 1d Bread &Butter,Jam or Marmalade per slice 1/2d Soup in own Jugs,1d per Quart.Ready at 10a.m.

A certain discretionary power is vested in the Officers in charge of the Depot,and they can in very urgent cases give relief,but the rule is for the food to be paid for,and the financial results show that working expenses are just about covered.

These Cheap Food Depots I have no doubt have been and are or great service to numbers of hungry starving men,women,and children,at the prices just named,which must be within the reach of all,except the absolutely penniless;but it is the Shelter that I regard as the most useful feature in this part of our undertaking,for if anything is to be done to get hold of those who use the Depot,some more favourable opportunity must be afforded than is offered by the mere coming into the food store to get,perhaps,only a basin of soup.This part of the Scheme I propose to extend very considerably.

Suppose that you are a casual in the streets of London,homeless,friendless,weary with looking for work all day and finding none.

Night comes on.Where are you to go?You have perhaps only a few coppers,or it may be,a few shillings,left of the rapidly dwindling store of your little capital.You shrink from sleeping in the open air;you equally shrink from going to the fourpenny Dosshouse where,in the midst of strange and ribald company,you may be robbed of the remnant of the money still in your possession.While at a loss as to what to do,someone who sees you suggests that you should go to our Shelter.You cannot,of course,go to the Casual Ward of the Workhouse as long as you have any money in your possession.You come along to one of our Shelters.On entering you pay fourpence,and are free of the establishment for the night.You can come in early or late.

The company begins to assemble about five o'clock in the afternoon.

In the women's Shelter you find that many come much earlier and sit sewing,reading or chatting in the sparely furnished but well warmed room from the early hours of the afternoon until bedtime.