The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists [197]
Causes and Its Cure. The author was a well-known physician who devoted his whole attention to the study of that disease. Amongst other things, the book gave rules for the feeding of delicate children, and there were also several different dietaries recommended for adult persons suffering from the disease. One of these dietaries amused him very much, because as far as the majority of those who suffer from consumption are concerned, the good doctor might just as well have prescribed a trip to the moon:
`Immediately on waking in the morning, half a pint of milk - this should be hot, if possible - with a small slice of bread and butter.
`At breakfast: half a pint of milk, with coffee, chocolate, or oatmeal: eggs and bacon, bread and butter, or dry toast.
`At eleven o'clock: half a pint of milk with an egg beaten up in it or some beef tea and bread and butter.
`At one o'clock: half a pint of warm milk with a biscuit or sandwich.
`At two o'clock: fish and roast mutton, or a mutton chop, with as much fat as possible: poultry, game, etc., may be taken with vegetables, and milk pudding.
`At five o'clock: hot milk with coffee or chocolate, bread and butter, watercress, etc.
`At eight o'clock: a pint of milk, with oatmeal or chocolate, and gluten bread, or two lightly boiled eggs with bread and butter.
`Before retiring to rest: a glass of warm milk.
`During the night: a glass of milk with a biscuit or bread and butter should be placed by the bedside and be eaten if the patient awakes.'
Whilst Owen was reading this book, Crass, Harlow, Philpot and Easton were talking together on the other side of the street, and presently Crass caught sight of him. They had been discussing the Secretary's letter re the halfpenny rate, and as Owen was one of the members of the Trades Council, Crass suggested that they should go across and tackle him about it.
`How much is your house assessed at?' asked Owen after listening for about a quarter of an hour to Crass's objection.
`Fourteen pound,' replied Crass.
`That means that you would have to pay sevenpence per year if we had a halfpenny rate. Wouldn't it be worth sevenpence a year to you to know that there were no starving children in the town?'
`Why should I 'ave to 'elp to keep the children of a man who's too lazy to work, or spends all 'is money on drink?' shouted Crass. `'Ow are yer goin' to make out about the likes o' them?'
`If his children are starving we should feed them first, and punish him afterwards.'
`The rates is quite high enough as it is,' grumbled Harlow, who had four children himself.
`That's quite true, but you must remember that the rates the working classes at present pay are spent mostly for the benefit of other people. Good roads are maintained for people who ride in motor cars and carriages; the Park and the Town Band for those who have leisure to enjoy them; the Police force to protect the property of those who have something to lose, and so on. But if we pay this rate we shall get something for our money.'
`We gets the benefit of the good roads when we 'as to push a 'andcart with a load o' paint and ladders,' said Easton.
`Of course,' said Crass, `and besides, the workin' class gets the benefit of all the other things too, because it all makes work.'
`Well, for my part,' said Philpot, `I wouldn't mind payin' my share towards a 'appeny rate, although I ain't got no kids o' me own.'
The hostility of most of.the working men to the proposed rate was almost as bitter as that of the `better' classes - the noble-minded philanthropists who were always gushing out their sympathy for the `dear little ones', the loathsome hypocrites who pretended that there was no need to levy a rate because they were willing to give sufficient money in the form of charity to meet the case: but the children continued to go hungry all the same.
`Loathsome hypocrites' may seem a hard saying, but it was a matter of common knowledge that the majority of the children attending the local elementary schools were insufficiently fed. It
`Immediately on waking in the morning, half a pint of milk - this should be hot, if possible - with a small slice of bread and butter.
`At breakfast: half a pint of milk, with coffee, chocolate, or oatmeal: eggs and bacon, bread and butter, or dry toast.
`At eleven o'clock: half a pint of milk with an egg beaten up in it or some beef tea and bread and butter.
`At one o'clock: half a pint of warm milk with a biscuit or sandwich.
`At two o'clock: fish and roast mutton, or a mutton chop, with as much fat as possible: poultry, game, etc., may be taken with vegetables, and milk pudding.
`At five o'clock: hot milk with coffee or chocolate, bread and butter, watercress, etc.
`At eight o'clock: a pint of milk, with oatmeal or chocolate, and gluten bread, or two lightly boiled eggs with bread and butter.
`Before retiring to rest: a glass of warm milk.
`During the night: a glass of milk with a biscuit or bread and butter should be placed by the bedside and be eaten if the patient awakes.'
Whilst Owen was reading this book, Crass, Harlow, Philpot and Easton were talking together on the other side of the street, and presently Crass caught sight of him. They had been discussing the Secretary's letter re the halfpenny rate, and as Owen was one of the members of the Trades Council, Crass suggested that they should go across and tackle him about it.
`How much is your house assessed at?' asked Owen after listening for about a quarter of an hour to Crass's objection.
`Fourteen pound,' replied Crass.
`That means that you would have to pay sevenpence per year if we had a halfpenny rate. Wouldn't it be worth sevenpence a year to you to know that there were no starving children in the town?'
`Why should I 'ave to 'elp to keep the children of a man who's too lazy to work, or spends all 'is money on drink?' shouted Crass. `'Ow are yer goin' to make out about the likes o' them?'
`If his children are starving we should feed them first, and punish him afterwards.'
`The rates is quite high enough as it is,' grumbled Harlow, who had four children himself.
`That's quite true, but you must remember that the rates the working classes at present pay are spent mostly for the benefit of other people. Good roads are maintained for people who ride in motor cars and carriages; the Park and the Town Band for those who have leisure to enjoy them; the Police force to protect the property of those who have something to lose, and so on. But if we pay this rate we shall get something for our money.'
`We gets the benefit of the good roads when we 'as to push a 'andcart with a load o' paint and ladders,' said Easton.
`Of course,' said Crass, `and besides, the workin' class gets the benefit of all the other things too, because it all makes work.'
`Well, for my part,' said Philpot, `I wouldn't mind payin' my share towards a 'appeny rate, although I ain't got no kids o' me own.'
The hostility of most of.the working men to the proposed rate was almost as bitter as that of the `better' classes - the noble-minded philanthropists who were always gushing out their sympathy for the `dear little ones', the loathsome hypocrites who pretended that there was no need to levy a rate because they were willing to give sufficient money in the form of charity to meet the case: but the children continued to go hungry all the same.
`Loathsome hypocrites' may seem a hard saying, but it was a matter of common knowledge that the majority of the children attending the local elementary schools were insufficiently fed. It