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44
Lowest in the scale are fathers who "work pitches" outside
public houses for a living, organ grinders, and those who "go
busking" or singing to theatre queues. Those who are attached
to public house "pitches" act as messengers, porters, cartminders,
or hold horses' heads. They earn from 1s. to 2s. a day,
but are often remunerated by having ale given to them instead of
money. The takings of organ grinders are said to have materially
lessened during the last 5 years. It would appear that 10s. to 15s.
is now a fair average weekly amount.
Some of the fathers were stated to have given their wives no
money since they were married; others kept their families on
"starvation money," and were reputed to have "done no regular
work for many years," and lav in bed "most days of the week."
Some fathers just paid the rent, gave their wives an occasional
shilling and took their food out, lest, otherwise, their appetites
might render the generosity of their petty gratuities null and void.
One mother complained that the bread bill for the family came to
6d. more than the father earned during the week. In another
home a father did not think his wife was careful in her housekeeping.
He had therefore acted as housekeeper for a short time,
spent more than his wife, and found he could not pay his way on
the money he had been giving to his wife. Consequently he gave
his wife more and paid the rent in addition. These are some of
the minor side issues, the delicate problems in housecraft which
are referred to the health visitors from time to time for their
advice and adjustment.
Some of the fathers were consumptive and careless; they spat
into kitchen utensils, on the floor and on the fender, and apparently
took no precautions to prevent the spread of tuberculosis to
the other members of their families.
In contrast to the slum fathers who neglected their families,
were found others who were most considerate and sympathetic.
Thus, a mother was weak after her recent confinement. She was
an office-cleaner, but unable to do her work. She used to wait
until all the staff had left the office. Her husband then came,
scrubbed the floors, and did all the heavy work while she
rested.