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37
The husband was in casual employment. When out of work he
caught birds and sold them at street corners. The tenement contained
many chaffinches and linnets when the home was visited
shortly after the birth of the baby.
2. The parents and 5 children—8 years, 7 years, 5 years, 3
years and 9 months respectively—occupie 1 one small room whose
cubic content was 800 cubic feet.
The room was dirty, although it had recently been stripped and
cleansed. It was overcrowded.
The window was kept shut, the room smelt very offensively, the
floor was littered with household refuse and rags and grimed with
dirt. The children of 8 and 7 years were at school clad in rags.
The child 5 years of age was extremely badly clothed, and its face
was covered with sores. The child 3 years old was very dirty and
had sore eyes. The baby was unwashed at mid-day. The mother
did not know her husband's age or his wages ; she received 8s. 6d.
weekly from him. The father was seen and spoken to as to the
dirty and neglected condition of his children and the home. He
said, "The Distress Committee ought to find him work. They did
in 1910, but only for four months." His employer stated the man's
"wages were 10s. to 12s. per week and his food. He was not
worth more, but he was honest.''
3. A family consisted of the parents and 4 children all living.
The father was a music street artist and had been out of work for
2 years. The tenement contained one bed, one chair bed, but
no chairs or tables. The mother had a severe confinement and
was very ill. Her medicine was placed on an inverted tub near
the bed.
4. A family consisted of the parents, and 4 children, 8 years,
7 years, 4 years, and 7 months, all exceedingly dirty and neglected
and occupying a two-roomed tenement. The mother was out at
work. Access was obtained to the rooms after very great difficulty
and many visits. The father was then found in bed at mid-day
and stated he had been ill in bed for 8 weeks. The floor was