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be strictly comparable. The following table shows briefly the results obtained in
the several years:—

Note.—The area covered in 1904 was less than in later years—to be comparable
with other years the figures in the " Homeless " column should be 2,000.
Special circumstances in the earlier years of the record have a considerable
bearing upon the results shown. In 1905 the Salvation Army was, at two shelters,
feeding homeless persons at night. In 1907, the distribution of food on a large
scale was continued on the Embankment. In 1909, the Salvation Army provided
food and shelter in four institutions between the hours of 12.30 and 3.30 a.m. Sleeping
accommodation was not provided. In the same year, moreover, the Church Army
had leased a building where men were allowed to sit antecedent to performing their
allotted task of wood-chopping in the King's Tents. In return for this labour they
received food and a ticket for a bed in a common lodging house on the succeeding
night. In the several years 1909-1914 a separate record was kept of the persons
accommodated in shelters in this way, and if they are not included, the numbers
of homeless persons given in the table for those successive years, will be reduced to
759 ; 969 ; 1,026 ; 983 ; 491; and 434.
In addition to the philanthropic effort just described it was the practice for
charitable associations to provide tickets for beds in common lodging houses free
of charge, although it was never possible to obtain precise information of the extent
of this alms-giving. It was commonly reported at the time that there was considerable
traffic in these bed tickets, even in those obtained from the Church Army
in return for labour. Thus, by fulfilling his task of wood-chopping valued at about
2½d., a man would receive two meals and a ticket for a bed. The ticket was worth
at least 4d., being a reduction of 2d. on the usual charge of 6d. and, after disposing
of it, the recipient could take his chance of a meal from the Salvation Army with
three hours rest in a shelter, in this way providing himself with food, shelter and
pocket money.
It will be observed that the rapid reduction in the numbers of homeless persons
in the years from 1910 to 1913 coincided with the restriction of the scope of charitable
effort. It must not be too hastily assumed, however, that there was a causal