Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXI. Report to the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress on an inquiry in certain unions into cases of refusal of out=relief / By Miss G. Harlock.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress.
Date:
1910
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXI. Report to the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress on an inquiry in certain unions into cases of refusal of out=relief / By Miss G. Harlock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    Genervl Remarks. December, 1907.—Mrs. I. has been in the workhous3 several times and has had relief many times. She applied for help to the Charity Organisation Society in 1894. Her husband was then alive, but was ill with consumption. He was a baker by trade, and the family seem to have bsen respectable at this period. After her husband's death,, she was provided with a mangle by the Charity Organisation Society, and a note is made on the Case-Paper to the- effect that she was a deserving case, but since that date she seems to have steadily deteriorated. She told me that some friends had given her a mangle when she was left a widow, but she was sorry to say she had sold it. la 1903, the Charity Organisation Society was again applied to ; this time it was a surgical boot for Charles which was required. It was provided on the understanding that small regular pajonents were to be made for it. These were- paid under much pressure up to September, 1904, when they ceased. In April, 1905, a new surgical boot was asked, for at the Metropolitan Hospital, and the almoner in connection with this institution reported the matter to the Charity Organisation Society. Charles (14), who is a barber's boy, has paralysed toes, and for this reason, he requires a speciai boot. The paralysis was caused by an accident which he met with while playing in the street. Fred G., who is in- dustrious, will not lire in the same house any longer with Henry, so the latter was turned out this week, and is no-w- in the workhouse. Emily (17), has a wretched physique, and looks both under-fed and under-clothed. She has tried being in service, but is ill, and always has to return home before her first month is up. This is a most unsatis- factory family. February, 1908.—Circumstances unchanged, with the exception that two sons William (34), and Henry (33)^ (see Case-paper No. 23), are now in the workhouse. Mrs. I. has again applied for out-relief, which has been refused. She is living in the Islington Union, but has no settlement there. ; HACKNEY UNION. \' CASE-PAPER No. 17. S. P. (Widower). Age.—7 Eaenings.— Tooth-brush worker. Health—Infirm and bronchial. Chabacter.—Steady and respectable. Children.—Samuel (46), bone brush worker, married, with one child, works at home, and S. P. assists him, makes tooth-brush handles, and is paid 4s. a gross, earned 12s. last week. Esther Marshall, married, with four children. Sarah Durvin, married, with twelve children. Henry (46), married, with six children, carman. HoTTSiNG.—Lives in one room, first floor front. Good street of newly-built houses. Weekly rent, 3s. 6d. One inmate. General Conditions.—Outside appearance of house very respectable. Inside the passage and stairs were very dirty^ and the room was dirty, but comfortably furnished. Poor Law Relief Granted.—2s. 6d. per week, with tea. sugar and rice for two and a half years, from 1903 to October, 1906. Order for the workhouse, November, 1907. Adm'tted to workhouse, January, 1908. Other Help.—None. Relations (other than children) legally liable or able to help.—None. Cause of Application for Relief.—Old age and unfit to work. General Remarks. • December, 1907.—S. P. was in receipt of out-relief for some two and a-half years. In October, 1906, he applied for an admission order to the workhouse, because his son was out of work, but he never used it. On this application being made the out-relief was discontinued. When a new application was made for out-relief in November, 1907, the relieving officer went carefully into'the case, and came to the conclusion that S. P. earned enough by his work to support himself, and that under any circumstances his son was in a position to provide for him, so an order for the workhouse was given. S. P. seemed a decent old man and was wearing a good suit of clothes. He is very deaf, and for this reason 1 was unable to obtain any particulars from him reg irding his previous life and work. He said that he was very badly off, and that he could not now earn enough to keep himself, as his breathing was so bad. His son cannot afford to keep him either, as work is short and he eaTcis so little. He cried quietly as he talked to me and seemed greatly concerned as to how he was to exist. The room I saw contained a large bed, with plenty of bed clothes, and was comfortably furnished. A small lathe was fixed close to one of the windows, and a quantity of tooth-brush handles in an imfinished state were lying in a bowl of water on a small table. S. P. stated that he paid the rent for this room. I should, how- ever (judging from appearances), think that it was used by the whole family. A good fire was burning in the grate and the tone of the place gave one the idea of comfort. There was certainly no outward sign of poverty. The furniture was modern and fairly new, and seemed more like the property of a recently married couple than that which would belong to an old man. The son rents a small room at ihe h\tk of the house. As I passed the door, which stood ajar, I noticed that he was working at his trade and his wife wa* helping. February, 1908.—S. P. applied for an admission order to the workhouse on January 21st, and is now an inmate. : ] ' f HACKNEY UNION. CASE-PAPER, No. 18. J. H. (Widower). Age.—66. Earnings.—Actual, 53. Jobbing gardener. Owes three weeks rent. Health.—States he is epileptic. CiiARACTER.—Quarrelsome man, children will not live with him. CxiiLDREN.—Herbert (32), single, labourer, out of work. Percy (24), single, works at coffee-stall, earns 14s. Gsorge (36), married, with four children. Frederick (26), single, works at fur factory. Alfred (30), single, labsurer, address not known. James (30), widower, in Canada. Frank (18), single, barber's assistant. Gertrude (28), married, dressmaker, address not kn(?wn. H >t:siNG.—Lives in three tooms, Tenement dwelling, third floor. Fair neighbourhood. Weekly rent, 7s. 6d. Three inmates. G-DNERAL Conditions.—Rooms tidy and fairly clean. Good furniture. Steps leading to dwelling dirty. Poor Law Relief Granted.—Order for the workhouse, November 26th, 1907. Bread, tea, sugar and rice, value 8d. January 4 th, 25th, February 1st, 1908. Other Help.—None. Relations (other than children) legally liable or able to help.—None. Cattse of Application for Relief.—Sons refuse to help, and cannot support himself.