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90
These people lived on the poverty line and often below it.
Whenever they earned a little extra money, it was spent in drink.
The family went hopping in the autumn.
The mother said she got up at 7 a.m., prepared the breakfast,
sent the children to school, "wiped up" the floor, but scrubbed
it only when she had suds over from washing the clothes. She
"did not know what she did with herself in the afternoon."
The children belonged to a boot club held in school. Their
clothes were second-hand ones bought in a street market.
At a special visit paid on a Saturday, the whole family were
found to be just getting up at 10.15 a.m.
2. Poverty, Family Infection, Difficulties of Isolation.—
The family consisted of the mother, four children, 10 years, 7
years, 5 years, 3 years, and an adult female lodger. They
occupied one room let at 4s. 6d. weekly rent. The mother had
obtained a separation order from her husband, who was to pay
her 15s. weekly. As a rule, however, he allowed the payments
to accumulate in arrear, and went to prison to wipe out his debt.
The mother was an office cleaner for 10s. weekly ; she got up at
5.30 a.m., left home at 6.40 a.m., and returned at 9.30 a.m.
She left again in the evening at 5.40 p.m., and came back at
9.20 p.m. The room was clean and orderly. The windows were
kept open. The adult lodger took in sewing, looked after the
four children while the mother was at work, and gave the mother
"what she could" for her food and accommodation, usually from
1s. to 1s. 6d. or more weekly. The father, mother and child of
7 years had phthisis. The mother and child had presumably been
infected by the father, who was notified in 1909. The child, 10
years, had free dinners at school.
Her daily expenditure was as follows:—
Saturday: Stale bread, 3d.; beef, 3½ lb., 8d.; suet, 1d.; tea,
¼ lb., 4d.; sugar, 1 lb., 2d.; milk, 7d.; coal, 4½d.; paraffin, 2d.;
potatoes, l½d.; cabbage, 1d.; jam, 3¾d.; margarine, 3d.; flour,
3d.; onions and carrots, ½d.; borrowed money repaid, 5s