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he may be allowed to stay on for another week or so till he obtains his first wages. Admission to these
refuges begins about 5 p.m., and all persons have to leave by a given hour in the morning, the premises
remaining empty during the daytime for cleansing purposes. Food, free of charge, is provided upon
admission, and again in the morning before going out; this, in most cases, consists of bread and cocoa
or soup. In some cases the person on admission is required to take a bath and to wash his shirt, or
his clothes are fumigated.
Medland Hall and Br. Barnardo's shelters.—Medland Hall shelter for men and Dr. Barnardo's
shelter for women are similar to the free refuges in that no charge is made for lodging, but they differ
in that it does not appear to be the practice to investigate every case, although the names and occupations
of the applicants and the place where they last slept are entered into a book. In the case of Medland
Hall a ticket which is available for six nights, not necessarily consecutive nights, is given to each individual.
On the expiration of this ticket a renewal ticket is given if there is reason to believe that the
man has honestly endeavoured to get work but without success, and is in other respects deserving of help.
Men are also assisted in special instances in obtaining work by the London Congregational Union, by
whom this shelter is maintained. At Dr. Barnardo's shelters for women and children an applicant is
admitted for three nights in succession, after which she is not again admitted for an interval of seven
days; but in some cases where a desire has been expressed for aid in obtaining employment, the case
is further investigated, and lodging afforded during the time that work is being obtained. At these
shelters a free meal of bread and cocoa is given at night, but a charge of one penny is made for the
meal in the morning if the person wishes for it. At Medland Hall half-a-pound of bread is given to
each man on admittance, and on Sundays half-a-pound of bread and butter and a pint of coffee.
Medland Hall opens for admission at 9 p.m., and all the men have to leave by 5.45 a.m. At
Dr. Barnardo's shelters the women and children are admitted about 7.30 p.m., and the shelter is closed
in the morning at 9 o'clock. During the daytime the premises remain empty.
The Salvation Army shelters.—At these shelters charges varying from one penny to
sixpence per night are made for lodging, and, subject to the ability to pay these, it appears
that all comers are admitted (so long as they are not disorderly) without any inquiry. There is no
limit apparently as to the number of nights on which any one individual may frequent these shelters
so long as he or she possesses the power to pay the nightly charge. At one of the Salvation Army
shelters it was stated that a large proportion of the men frequenting it had been regular lodgers for
many months, and some for years, and there was evidence of this continued stay in the fact that in one
of the dormitories personal property of some lodgers was observed hanging on the wall immediately
over some of the bunks.
The premises belonging to the Salvation Army may be divided into three classes, namely—
(1.) The cheap or ordinary shelter at which a charge of twopence or threepence a night
for lodging is made according to the accommodation provided.
(2.) A better class of lodging, the metropoles, at which fourpence or sixpence a night is
charged. These resemble ordinary common lodging-houses ; and
(3.) The elevators or labour homes, at which no charge is made, board and lodging being
provided in exchange for and in proportion to the work done by the individual. The men
who are admitted to the labour homes are, in most instances, men who have previously
frequented Salvation Army shelters. They are not asked or bound in any way to stay for any
given period, but are quite free to leave at any time they wish.
In addition to these three classes there is, in connection with the shelter at Blackfriars-road, a
fourth form of accommodation, for which a charge of one penny is made. For this sum men are
admitted to the shelter and are allowed to remain during the night in the large hall (which serves as
the day room or mission room), after the others have retired to their bunks. Each of these men is
also provided with a large piece of bread and is allowed to make use of the lavatory.
The premises at which is provided the cheaper form of lodging mentioned above open for
admission about 5 p.m. in the winter months, and at 6 p.m. in the summer, and all lodgers have to
leave the premises by 8-9 o'clock in the morning. During the daytime they remain empty for
cleansing purposes. The lodging-houses or metropoles remain open to the lodgers during the daytime.
The elevators are also open all day, the men being engaged in the workshops between definite hours.
At all the Salvation Army shelters food can be obtained at cheap prices. It is not included in the
charge made for lodging, except in the case of the penny shelter where a piece of bread is given, and at
the fourpenny shelters where a man has the choice of a bunk for sleeping accommodation together with
food, or an ordinary bedstead without food. At the elevators meals are provided at fixed hours three times
daily. The men in return for their labour are given tickets, of which there are three classes, representing
the value of the work done, and these are exchanged for food and accommodation corresponding to the
class of ticket presented by each man.
The Shaftesbury Institute, Marylebone.—This is a shelter for women, at which charges of twopence
and sixpence a night are made for lodging according to the nature of the accommodation. In connection
with this shelter and in the same premises there is a small labour home, many of the women
in which have, in the first instance, made use of the shelter, and some of them are employed in
keeping the premises clean.
There is also a small night shelter for men at which a charge of twopence a night is made.
This consists of one room in premises used as a men's labour home in Bell-street, Marylebone, and
appears to have for its object the provision of cheap night accommodation for men temporarily
engaged in work in the neighbourhood, although not residing in it.
Both these shelters are closed during the daytime. The women are admitted from 7 p.m.,
and all must leave by 9 a.m. the following morning. The men are admitted from 8 p.m., and leave
by 8 a.m. At the women's shelter provision is made for supplying food at cheap prices, but at the
men's shelter no food can be obtained.