While in London there are 1,292,737 people who receive twenty-one
shillings or less a week per family, it must be remembered that we have
investigated a family of five living on a twenty-one shilling basis.
There are larger families, there are many families that live on less than
twenty-one shillings, and there is much irregular employment. The
question naturally arises, How do _they_ live? The answer is that they
do not live. They do not know what life is. They drag out a
subterbestial existence until mercifully released by death.
Before descending to the fouler depths, let the case of the telephone
girls be cited. Here are clean, fresh English maids, for whom a higher
standard of living than that of the beasts is absolutely necessary.
Otherwise they cannot remain clean, fresh English maids. On entering the
service, a telephone girl receives a weekly wage of eleven shillings. If
she be quick and clever, she may, at the end of five years, attain a
minimum wage of one pound. Recently a table of such a girl's weekly
expenditure was furnished to Lord Londonderry. Here it is:-
s. d.
Rent, fire, and light 7 6
Board at home 3 6
Board at the office 4 6
Street car fare 1 6
Laundry 1 0
Total 18 0
This leaves nothing for clothes, recreation, or sickness.
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