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91
Monday: She borrowed 6s. and spent it as follows:—Rent
4s. 6d.; insurance, 11d.; stale bread, 3d.; potatoes, 1d.
Tuesday: Coal, 2¼d.; paraffin, 2d.; bread, 3d.; meat "pieces,"
3d.; suet, 1d.; carrots and onions, ½d.
Wednesday: Bread, 3d.; meat "pieces," 3d.; suet, 1d.;
carrots and onions, ½d.
Thursday: Bread, 3d.; meat "pieces," 3d.; suet, 1d.;
potatoes, 1d.; margarine, l½d.; soda, ½d.; matches, ½d.; salt,
½d.
Friday: Mackerel, 2½d.; potatoes, 1½d.; soap, soda and blue,
l¾d.; paraffin, 2d.; coal, 2¼d.
The total for food for 2 adults and 4 children for one week
came to 7s. 6½d.
The family obtained firewood by going to Smithfield Market
and begging for wooden boxes
3. Poverty, Difficulties of Isolation, Possible Family
Infection.—The family consisted of the mother (a widow) and
two girls, 12 years and 7 years. They occupied a small oneroomed
tenement, of 80 square feet superficial area, rented at
3s. weekly. The mother has phthisis and is an office cleaner at
14s. per week, less 2d. insurance money. She gets up daily at
6 a.m. and gives her children breakfast. She goes to work at
6.40 a.m., and comes home at 10 a.m., cleans up her room and
goes out shopping. She rests in the afternoon, and leaves for
work at 5.40 p.m., to return at 10.20 p.m. The room was very
small, and contained one bed. The furniture was scanty. The
washing basin was put on a chair, and when not in use was kept
under the bed.
Her weekly expenditure was as follows:—Rent, 3s.; clothing
club, 1s. 6d.; funeral insurance, 3d.; coal, 1s l½d.; coke, 3¾d.;
wood, 2d.; paraffin, 8¾d.; tea, 6d.; sugar, 2¾d.; condensed
milk, 2d.; butter, 6d.; jam, 4d.; bread, 1s. 7¼d.; meat, 2s. 4d.;
vegetables, 6d.; fish and chips, 4d.; soap, soda and matches,
2½d.