UNIVERSITY OF CAL1FORN Ill * k WEST HAM A STUDY IN SOCIAL &? INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS OUTER LONDON INQUIRY COMMITTEE Chairman : The Rev. CANON BARNETT. Treasurer : Mr. FRANCIS W. BUXTON, J. P. General Committee : Mr. Ernest Aves. Mr. J. A. Hobson. Mr. A. L. Bowi.ey. Mr. E. G. Howarth. Mr. W. H. Beveridge. Miss B. L. Hutchins. Sir E. W. Brabrook, C. B. Mrs. R. Hutchison. The Rt. Hon. J. Bryce, M.P. Mr. J. McKillop. Miss Cheetham. Mr. C. F. G. Masterman, M.P. Sir W. J. Collins, M.P. Mr. J. H. Morgan. Rev. H. Cubbon. Mr. Vaughan Nash. Sir Walter Foster, M.P. Mr. C. P. Sanger. Mr. G. P. Gooch. Mr. E. J. Urwick. Mr. Ernest Gray. Mrs. Sidney Webb. Mr. L. T. Hobhouse. Mr. J. Martin White, J. P. Mr. G. E. Arkell, Secretary. ML WEST HAM A STUDY IN SOCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS BEING THE REPORT OF THE OUTER LONDON INQUIRY COMMITTEE COMPILED BY EDWARD G. HOWARTH, M.A. AND MONA WILSON 1907 J. M. DENT s? COMPANY 29 BEDFORD STREET, LONDON 29 twin* All rights reserved Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. At the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh HK 3 S # PREFACE The Outer London Inquiry was initiated by a small group of gentlemen who enlisted the sympathies of Canon Barnett and others, and the Outer London Inquiry Committee was formed. The object of the committee was to issue a report, or series of reports, on Outer London, which should trace the development and exhibit the present industrial conditions of an extra-metropolitan area. West Ham, about which much ^ had been written based on insufficient or partial evidence, S suggested itself as the district which should be first investi- w gated. Mr. G. E. Arkell, who had taken part in the Right $ account of his other engagements. ^ The scheme drafted by the sub-committee was approved V by the committee on December 18, 1905, and the sub-com- mittee was authorised to proceed with the inquiry and to arrange for the preparation of the report. «> ^ VI PREFACE The report has been compiled by Mr. E. G. Howarth, Head of the House for Residents in connection with Trinity College, Oxford, at Stratford, and by Miss Mona Wilson, appointed as investigator by the sub-committee. Mr. C. P. Sanger, Assistant Professor of Economics at University College, London, has been responsible for the statistical methods employed. The object of the sub-committee has been to single out for investigation those conditions which were most likely to exhibit features peculiar either to West Ham or to extra- metropolitan areas generally. Other questions, however im- portant in their bearing on the lives of the industrial classes, have been considered to fall outside the scope of this report. No study, for example, has been made of household budgets, as this subject has been already dealt with by Mr. Rowntree, Dr. Noel Paton, and others, and the results of such an inquiry in West Ham would be unlikely to differ materially from those in other districts with a population of the same grade. The infant mortality rate, again, although high in several wards of West Ham, is not very remarkable, and it is obvious, without special investigation, that the causes are the same as in other poor areas where the conditions are similar, and that schemes already adopted in other parts of England and in France for the reduction of infant mortality could be usefully adopted in West Ham. The points which were held to require special investigation were : — (a) Housing. There does not exist, so far as the sub-committee is aware, any account of the rapid development of a suburban manufacturing district, and it was felt that a detailed account of the growth of the district, of the present housing conditions, and of the rise and fall of rents, would throw light, not only on the state of West Ham, but also on that of other similar suburbs which are growing up round the large manufacturing towns. It mav be too late to avoid the mistakes which are PREFACE vii accountable for the present defective housing of West Ham, but new areas can be developed with the advantage of experience and planned with a view to the needs of the population. Much labour has been expended in the preparation of the statistics relating to the rise and fall of rents and of arrears. The results are valuable, and in some respects unexpected. No such inquiry into the movement of rents, based on first- hand statistical evidence, has, as far as the committee are aware, been compiled before. (b) Industries. The causes of the growth of West Ham as a manufactur- ing centre, the class of labour employed, the rates of wages, and the conditions of employment, seemed to be the main points for investigation. West Ham has for some years been known as a large working-class district which suffers to a considerable extent from fluctuations in employment. The main industrial pro- blem was obviously that of casual labour, and the chief sources of casual labour, the Victoria and Albert Docks, therefore called for special investigation. The different methods of employment and other charac- teristics of dock work have been described in detail, in the hope that greater knowledge of the conditions may lead to the reduction, if not to the abolition, of casual labour. The matter does not concern West Ham only, but should influence the consideration of any bills affecting London Docks which may be introduced in the House of Commons. It seemed of importance to endeavour to determine whether, and to what extent, there is any direct connection between the casual labour of men and the home work of women and children in such neighbourhoods as West Ham, and detailed investigation was therefore undertaken of the conditions under which home work is carried on. The in- formation concerning wages will be of special interest in view of the recent inquiry into sweated industries by a departmental committee. Vlll PREFACE (c) Local Government. Of late years so much criticism has been directed against the public bodies in West Ham that it would have been im- possible to ignore the question of local government. That has been discussed under the heads of Poor Law, Relief of the Unemployed, Education, and Administration by the Town Council. (d) Public Institutions and other Features of the District : Religious and Philanthropic Agencies. This chapter deals with various questions which had no place in the preceding sections, but could not be altogether passed over. It is, therefore, necessarily somewhat mis- cellaneous in character. It has been obvious from the first to the writers of the report that the central problem of West Ham is that of casual labour, and it will be noted accordingly that the causes and effects of casual labour play an important part in all the sections. The Town Council of West Ham was good enough to lend offices to the sub-committee, free of any charge, from December 1905 till the close of the inquiry. The council further passed a resolution by which the in- vestigators were enabled to obtain information from the heads of departments, and the committee recognises gratefully that every possible assistance has been rendered by the borough officials. A resolution was also passed by the guardians allowing the committee to obtain information from the union officials, but the majority of the Poor Law figures have been obtained from the Local Government Board. The thanks of the sub-committee are due to Mr. A. L. Bowley, who prepared some of the diagrams printed in Book II., chap, ii., and gave frequent advice and assistance during the progress of the inquiry. Several pupils of Mr. Bowley's assisted in the preparation of statistics, notably Messrs. R. R. a Ababrelton, T. O'Donnell, H. W. Newbury, A. D. Webb, Mrs. Mare, and Miss Abbot. PREFACE ix The rest of the tables were prepared by a staff of clerks and tabulators, and the special thanks of the committee are due to Mrs. Lander, Miss E. E. Slocock, and Mr. Pollard. Book II., chap, iii., which deals with home work, is mainly based on the reports of three investigators, of whom two were qualified to hold sanitary inspectorships, and the third had a special knowledge of the district. Clergy, settle- ment workers, district visitors, and others also kindly collected some information about home workers. The debts to residents in West Ham and others with special knowledge of the district are too numerous to acknow- ledge. It would have been impossible to compile Books I. and II. without the assistance of a large number of house- agents, employers of labour, and trade unionists. Clergy and settlement workers have been constantly applied to for in- formation given in Book II., chap, iii., and other portions of the report. The sub-committee wishes to express thanks to members of the committee and others who read sections of the report in proof, especially to Mrs. Vaughan Nash, who read all proofs and assisted materially in certain chapters of the report, and to Mr. Arkell, who read the whole report in proof. CONTENTS HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION PAGE West Ham in Domesday Book — The Abbey of Stratford Langthorne — Depen- dence on London — A Market Garden and Residential District — Growth of Industries— Table of Population . . I BOOK I HOUSING CHAPTER I Development of the District — Speculative Builders— Building Societies — Types of Houses — Inspection under Borough Council — Royal Commission, 1885 — Houses not adapted to Needs of Population 7 CHAPTER II Increase of Persons per Inhabited House — Crowding — Open Spaces — Unoccu- pied Land — Price of Land — Tables 20 CHAPTER III Nature of District — Comparative Statistics for the Twelve Wards — Descrip- tion of the Twelve Wards 29 CHAPTER IV Method of Tabulation of Rent-books — Discussion of Tables and Diagrams- Diagrams and Tables ....... . . . 61 CHAPTER V Good Management Desirable — Derelict Houses — Importance of Showing Consideration to Tenants — Evils of Subletting — Corporation Housing Schemes — Private Attempt at Improving Housing Conditions . ■ "3 xii CONTENTS CHAPTER VI PAGE Defects of Housing — Difficulty of Obtaining Closing and Demolition Orders — Discussion of Suggested Administrative Reforms — Camberwell and Ken- sington Schemes . . . . . . . . . . -125 BOOK II EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES CHAPTER I Growth of Industry in Factories and Workshops — Effect of High Rates — Offensive Trades — Statistics of Employment — Wages in Various Trades . 137 CHAPTER II Description of Victoria and Albert Docks and of Dockwork— Employment by the Dock Company, Shipping Companies, and others — Dockwork Scheduled as a Dangerous Trade — Casual Labour the Result of Unorganised Demand — Discussion of the Dock Company's System — Royal Commission on the Port of London — Tables — Diagrams . .185 CHAPTER III Relation of Casual Labour to Home Work — Summary of Present Law Affecting Home Work — Irregularity of the Work — Disadvantages of the System for the Workers — Particulars of Work and Wages in Separate Trades , .255 BOOK III LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAPTER I Government of the Parish in 1801 — Turnpike Roads Trustees — Church and Abbey Land Rates — Committee on High Rates in 1819 — Local Board of Health — Rapid Growth of Population — Borough Council — Accountant's Report on Rates — The Socialist Regime and Muni- cipal Undertakings — Unification with London — Parties on the Borough Council — Table of Rates since 1 80 1 305 CONTENTS • xiii CHAPTER II PAGE Large Number of Children under 15— Comparison with other Towns— Report of Treasurer on Education Rate in 1896 — Scheme of Education in the Borough — Relief of School Children — Educational Institutions . . . 319 CHAPTER III West Ham Borough and the Poor Law Union — Increase of Pauperism and Large Rise in Expenditure — Difference of Personnel of Guardians during last Fifteen Years — Comparison of Pauperism with Employment in Chief Industries and at the Docks— Distress in 1904-5 and the Newspaper Funds — Labour Yard — Corruption among Guardians and Officials — Tables and Diagrams 337 CHAPTER IV Early Treatment of the Unemployed Problem — Unsatisfactory Nature of Doles of Work — Distress Committee — Method of Registering and Classifying Unemployed — Relief at Farm Colony and Local Works — High Cost of this Method of Treatment — Problem in West Ham, Chronic under- employment ......•••••• 3"7 BOOK IV MISCELLANE O US Number of Religious Institutions — Amount Spent in Charity — Endowed Charities of West Ham — Settlements and their Activities — Hospital Accommodation — Public-houses and Licensed Clubs — Tables . . . 387 Summary 399 Index 4 J 3 LIST OF DIAGRAMS DIAGRAM I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. PAGE Rents of houses in Twelve Wards together . . -72 ,, (selected) in Five Wards together 73 „ in Hudson's Ward 74 „ in Tidal Basin Ward 75 „ in Custom House Ward 76 „ in Canning Town Ward 77 „ in Plaistow Ward 78 „ in West Ham Ward 79 „ in Park Ward 80 „ (selected) in Park Ward 81 „ ,, in Custom House Ward ... 82 „ ,, in Hudson's Ward .... 83 „ „ in West Ham Ward .... 84 Age distribution of population in England and Wales, London, and West Ham 178 Average number of dockers and stevedores employed at Vic- toria and Albert Docks per diem for each year 1 896-1 906 . 228 Number of dockers and stevedores employed day by day in 1902 — a typical year 229 Average employment of dockers and stevedores in the eleven Januaries, eleven Februaries, &c, for the years 1 896-1 906 231 Number of paupers in West Ham Union, 1895-1907 to face 356 Pauperism in West Ham Union and the whole Metropolis, 1895-1907 359 Pauperism in West Ham and neighbouring Unions, 1 895-1 907 to face 360 Outdoor pauperism in Poplar Union and Canning Town district of West Ham Union 3^3 xvi LIST OF DIAGRAMS DIAGRAM PAGE XXII. Mean percentage unemployed in each year 1860-1905 : to show cyclical fluctuations of employment in United Kingdom . 365 XXIII. Mean percentage unemployed at end of each month of the year: to show seasonal fluctuations of employment . . 365 XXIV. Percentage unemployed of members of Trade Unions in London district, 1893-1907, in years 384 XXV. The same, in months 384 Map of the County Borough of West Ham . . to face 32 LIST OF PRINCIPAL TABLES I. Tenements of less than five rooms and number of occupants in West Ham, 1891 and 1901 II. Number of families living in such tenements and number of persons in families, 1891 and 1901 III. Rents of houses in Twelve Wards together, 1888- 1905 to face 27 IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. „ (selected) in Five Wards together, 1888- 1905 to face ,, in Hudson's Ward „ in Tidal Basin Ward „ in Custom House Ward ,, in Canning Town Ward „ in Plaistow Ward ,, in West Ham Ward „ in Park Ward . „ (selected) in Park Ward „ „ in Custom House Ward „ „ in Hudson's Ward . „ „ in West Ham Ward . XVI. Particulars of twenty typical houses . XVII. Particulars of total number of houses arranged according to rent 104-112 XVIII. Numbers of persons employed in factories, workshops, and laundries in West Ham, 1904 .... to face XIX. Males over 15 in six groups of trades in West Ham, 1901 XX. Age and sex distribution of the above XXI. Population of West Ham at three age groups .... XXII. Males at three ages as percentage of total number of males over 15 . XXIII. Age distribution in England and Wales, London, and West Ham ........... xvii h 85 86 87 88 89 90 9i 92 93 94 95 96-103 176 177 177 178 178 179 xviii LIST OF PRINCIPAL TABLES TABLE PAGE XXIV. Age distribution in London, West Ham, and Hampstead . 179 XXV. to XXVIII. Weekly earnings of employes of West Ham Council, March, June, September, and December 1905 180-183 XXIX. Some of the rates paid to Corporation workmen . . . 184 XXX. Average daily employment at Victoria and Albert Docks for each year, 1 896- 1 906 228 XXXI. Average number employed per day during each month in years 1 896-1 906 230 XXXII. Average daily employment in eleven Januaries, eleven Februaries, &c, 1896-1906 230 XXXIII. and XXXIV. Distribution of work in Victoria and Albert Docks in imports and exports to show overtime . 232, 233 XXXV. Average number of days' work per man of maximum num- ber required ......... 234 XXXVI. Possible distribution of work in Victoria and Albert Docks to face 234 XXXVII. Data for Table XXXVI 235 XXXVIII. Possible distribution of work in Liverpool and in Victoria and Albert Docks compared 236 XXXIX. to XLIX. Total dockers and stevedores employed in Vic- toria and Albert Docks day by day, 1896-1906 . 237-247 L. Wages earned by casual docker 248, 249 LI. Wages earned by coal-porter .... 250,251,252 LI I. Wages earned by a worker in timber-yards . . . 252,253 LI 1 1. Birth-places, heads of families, and other information about dockers living in West Ham, 1901 254 LIV. Particulars of dockers living in Tidal Basin Ward, 1 901 . 254 LV. Rates in West Ham, 1801-1887 .... to face 316 LVI. Rates in West Ham, 1888-1907 317 LVII. Increase in population, rateable value, and rates, 1837— 1907 318 LVIII. Amount produced by penny rate, 1 892-1906 . . . 318 LIX. Admissions, &c, to West Ham Truant School, 1905 . . 335 LX. Number and trades of students in continuation schools . 336 LXI. Number of paupers in West Ham Union, 1885-1907 . . 357 LXII. Pauperism in West Ham and whole Metropolis, 1885-1907 358 LXI 1 1. Pauperism in Poplar and neighbouring Unions . . . 360 LIST OF PRINCIPAL TABLES xix TABLE PAGE LXIV. Outdoor pauperism in Poplar Union and Canning Town district of West Ham 362 LXV. Number of persons in receipt of relief chargeable to Borough of West Ham, 1905-1907 364 LXVI. Occupations of male inmates of workhouse, May I, 1907 . 364 LXVII. Unemployment figures for London district in three groups of trades, 1895-1906 to face 364 LXVIII. Expenditure on out-relief, &c, in West Ham parish . . 366 LXIX. Cost of relief, indoor and outdoor, in West Ham Union, 1885-1907 to/ace 366 LXX. West Ham Distress Committee— Statement of Accounts, 1 905-1 907 3^2 LXXI. Percentage unemployed members of Trade Unions in London district, 1893-1907 3 8 3 LXXII. Church attendance : denominational totals . . ■ -395 LXXI 1 1. Number of licensed houses in West Ham, 1907 . . .396 LXXIV. Size of licensed houses • 397 LXXV. Summary of figures relating to licensed premises . . 398 WEST HAM HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION The modern industrial borough of West Ham has little to connect it with the manor that William the Conqueror pre- sented to one of his barons. In those days the forest of Epping bordered the Roman Causeway that led from London to Colchester, and the arable land between the streams of the Lea and the Roding formed a narrow strip dividing the forest from the marshes of the Thames. The origin of the name is doubtful. Some hold that Hame or Hamme means a settlement, and indicates the first habitation in a desolate place, while others state that Hamme is the space between the rivers. The compilers of the Domesday Survey mention it in the following terms : — " Hame which was held by Alestan, a freeman, as a manor and as 8 hides and 830 acres in King Edward's time is held by Robert in demesne. And this manor was given by King William to Ranulf Peverel and Robert Germon. " Then 5 ploughs to the demesne ; now 4. "Then 8 ploughs belonging to the men ; now 12. "Then 32 villeins ; now 48. " Then 16 borders ; now 79. " Then — as now — 3 serfs," &c. The early manor was not very large, but gradually the marsh lands to the south were reclaimed for pasturage. It is probable, too, that even in these early times food was supplied to London from the manor lands. The distinction between West and East Ham, which were both included in the manor mentioned in Domesday Book, seems to have been made before 1 1 3 5 . For in that year William A 2 WEST HAM de Montfichet, into whose hands the estates of the Germons had passed in the reign of Henry I., granted all his lordship of West Ham to Cistercian monks for the purposes of an abbey. The extent of the lands in the parish of West Ham was at that time one thousand five hundred acres. The abbey took its name from Stratford, or Ham Stratford, a village which was later called Stratford Langthorne in order to dis- tinguish it from the village on the western side of the street ford over the Lea, Stratford atte Bow. The causeway leading from the ford eastwards, which is now part of the Stratford High Street, formed the northern boundary of the abbey lands, which stretched for two miles along it. The monas- tery buildings were situated about a mile to the south at the hamlet of West Ham. West Ham Church was included within the abbey walls. Henry II. confirmed the grants made by the founders and by other benefactors, and successive kings gave grants of privileges. Henry III. and Henry IV. both visited the abbey, and under both Edward I. and Edward II. the abbot was summoned to Parliament. At least as early as 1250 the monastic house at Stratford was concerned in the export of wool to Italy, and the monks derived considerable profit from this industry and from the cultivation of the arable land, so that at one time it was con- sidered one of the richest and most important houses of the order in the country. There were corn mills on several branches of the Lea flowing through the abbey lands where the corn grown in West Ham and the neighbouring manor was ground. The hamlets of Stratford and of West Ham were favourably situated near the high road to London, and Stratford bakers were famous as early as the beginning of the fourteenth century. In " The Vision of Piers Plowman " an allusion is made to the time " whan no cart com to towne with breed fro' Stratforde." The road from Stratford to Bow, and the bridges over the Lea and its tributaries, were also a source of anxiety to the monastery. In 13 15 it was decided that the Abbot of Strat- ford was liable for the repair of the bridges and causeway between Stratford atte Bow and Ham Stratford, as he had HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 3 become owner of the lands granted by Maud, the wife of Henry I., to the Abbess of Barking, on condition that she should be responsible for necessary repairs. In the Valor Eccksiasticus, made in the early part of 1535, the net annual value of the abbey was given as .£51 1, 16s. 3fd., and it was classed as one of the larger monasteries. It was dissolved in 1537, and contained at that time fifteen monks. Successive owners of the lands, following the example of the abbots of Stratford, tried to avoid the upkeep of the roads and bridges. One owner claimed that when the monastery was dissolved the Crown became liable, but it was decided that the charges could not be separated from the land, and similar judgments were given in King's Bench in 1643 and in 1 69 1. These obligations influenced the price of land which in 1663 changed hands for £28 an acre. In 1742 the rents, which amounted to £1250 per annum, were owned by twenty persons, and their liabilities were estimated at £150. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the vil- lages of Stratford, West Ham, and Plaistow prospered with the growth of London. The business of milling corn in- creased with the development of arable land ; and the district attained considerable importance in the wool trade of Essex. Not only sheep-farming but wool-spinning became a source of employment. The whole district depended mainly upon London for the disposal of its goods, but Colchester became an additional market for wool. In the eighteenth century market-gardening was a further source of profit. It is stated in White's " Eastern England " that the earliest market gar dens were established on the rich alluvial soil of the Thames to the south and west of London, and that, as these lands became built upon, the gardens were pushed farther afield, and many were established in West Ham, Stratford, Plaistow, and even as far out as Ilford. A doggerel rhyme of about 1760 which runs — " Potatoes now are Plaistow's pride, Whole markets are from thence supplied," marks the time when the industry was extensive. Lysons states in 1796 that about 420 acres in West Ham were used 4 WEST HAM for the cultivation of potatoes, and that a further 200 acres were set with turnips. At the end of the century a historian relates that " At Maryland Point, in the hamlet of Stratford Langthorne, is Stratford House, noted for its extensive gardens. The village is straggling, but there are several houses, and considerable gardens attached to them. Stratford has recently increased in houses and inhabitants with the addition of two new-built hamlets on the forest side of the town, namely, Maryland Point and the Gravel Pits. It is also nearly joined to Bow, in spite of rivers, canals, marshy grounds, &c. " The land in the neighbourhood of Stratford and Mary- land Point has been much improved by the cultivation of potatoes, so much as that some hundreds are annually planted there." The district was also becoming a favourite resort of merchants in the City, and West Ham, Plaistow, and Upton had grown considerably ; the increase was " mostly handsome houses, chiefly the habitation of rich citizens able to keep a country as well as town houses, or of such as have left off trade altogether." But Stratford was not only a district of market gardens and country houses. In 1744 "a merchant of Stratford le Bow and a painter of West Ham took out the first English patent for the manufacture of china. They employed some 300 persons in their works, which were at Stratford Lang- thorne, in the High Street, about halfway between Bow Bridge and Stratford. The product of the works went by the name of Bow china, but its manufacture did not last long, and in 1776 the works came to an end." The streams of the river Lea, formerly attractive to corn millers, also induced manufacturers to set up their works in West Ham. Calico printing became known in West Ham as early as 1789. In 1796 Lysons writes: "There are 2 calico printers in this parish who employ about 260 hands"; another " has lately taken some premises near Angel Lane for the same manufacture." In 181 1 "there were 3 con- siderable calico grounds in this parish who collectively employ about 360 hands." HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 5 The purity of the water in the streams and the meadows between them made the neighbourhood particularly suitable for calico printing and drying. In 1797 works for the manu- facture of chemicals used in pharmacy were established in Plaistow. The business became so large that in 1805 it was transferred to new premises on the Lea. In 1823 two more chemical works were erected, and the industries of calico printing, silk throwing, and the manufacture of chemicals went on side by side. In the same year a factory was established for the manufacture of soap, which had formerly been home made. The southern part of the district began to feel the effect of the development of Millwall and Poplar. In 1819 a Com- mittee of the Vestries, which inquired into the administration of the Poor Law, " are aware that the nearer approach to the parish of commercial institutions in which labouring men are employed (such as are the new docks and the variety of occu- pations contingent upon the wants of shipping which are by them brought nearer), is a great cause of the influx of the poorer classes to reside in the parish of West Ham, because they have now the means of reaching the place of their labour, which they could not do from West Ham while the docks and quays and shipping were at a great distance." The district south of Stratford High Street soon began to be developed as a factory area, and during the forties the frontage of the Thames began to play an important part in the growth of West Ham. The formation of the Eastern Counties Railway, and its extension to the factory districts, made their growth more rapid, and corn mills and calico grounds disappeared with the increase of factories. 1 The villages expanded rapidly, new districts were built on the marshes once frequented by sheepstealers and smugglers, and these have all gradually been merged in the county borough of West Ham. 1 A more detailed account of the factories is given in the chapter on Industries. 6 WEST HAM WEST HAM (Entire Parish). AREA, HOUSES AND POPULATION. Showing Increase in each Decade. Compiled from Census Reports. Area Year. in Acres. 1801 5.390 1811 5.390 1821 5.39o 1831 5.390 1841 5.390 1851 5.39o 1861 5.390 1 1871 4,6671 1881 4,667 1891 4, 706 2 1901 4,683 Houses. Population. In- Unin- I Build- habited. I habited. | ing. Males. 1,081 1.344 1,722 1,984 2,291 3>3° 6 6,191 10,199 19,167 32,066 41,368 24 83 58 106 105 187 S05 1,468 1.933 1,658 1.587 59 96 132 270 760 334 492 2,941 3.703 4.472 5.43 6 6,087 9.253 19.404 31.384 65.410 102,341 133.498 Females. 3-544 4.433 5.281 6,144 6,651 9.564 18,927 3L535 63.543 102,562 133,860 Total. 6,485 8,136 9.753 11,580 12,738 18,817 38.331 62,919 128,953 204,903 267,358 Increase in Successive Decades. Number. 1,651 1,617 1,827 1,158 6,079 I9,5i4 24,588 66,034 75.950 62,455 Per Cent. In Decade 27.0 1801-11 19.9 1811-21 18.8 j 1821-31 10.0 i 1831-41 47.7 1 1841-51 103.7 1851-61 64.1 104.9 58.9 30. S 3 1861-71 1871-81 1881-91 1891-1901 1 Difference in area here due to exclusion in later returns of a part of : Wanstead (723 acres), which in 1861 had no houses or population. 2 Includes a formerly detached part of Wanstead. 3 Increase of population for England and Wales during the decade 1891-1901 was only 12. 17. BOOK I HOUSING CHAPTER I Development of the District — Speculative Builders — Building Societies- Types of Houses — Inspection under Borough Council — Royal Commis- sion, 1885 — Houses not adapted to Needs of Population. Inquiry into the history of the building "development" of the borough shows that old residents, who possessed large estates, in most cases sold the land instead of themselves build- ing houses to meet the growth of population. In one instance the owner of a considerable property originally bought the land with the intention of keeping it in his own hands and developing it as a model estate. He built between 400 and 500 houses, but afterwards sold some of them leasehold, still meaning to control the property as ground landlord. Later, however, he abandoned this plan also and sold the rest of the estate freehold. Another owner developed his land entirely with a view to selling, and parted with it as soon as possible. In a third case, the freehold of a considerable estate was sold to several purchasers, and by them sold or leased to the present owners, who have created properties of 50 to 500 houses on it. Where, as in this case, the land remains in the hands of owners who retain control over a large extent of houses, the results may be very satisfactory ; but in West Ham, as elsewhere, landed proprietors have usually sold their land freehold or leasehold without retaining any control over its future. In the north of the borough certain land companies have bought ground freehold either in bulk or in plots, and sold it on the instalment system to builders and others. It is possible that such companies would have had a larger field there and elsewhere in the borough if private vendors had not also adopted the instalment system. Many owners sold their land, either freehold or leasehold, io WEST HAM to persons anxious to invest money in property, to land speculators, and to speculative builders. During the five years preceding 1897, demand was sufficiently met by the existing supply of houses, and the building trade was almost at a standstill. This period was followed by a time (1897-9) of active demand and rising rents. In the working-class districts it became difficult to get accommodation, and we have been told of cases where a family sufficiently well-to-do to occupy a whole house was obliged to take two or three rooms because a house was not to be had. When the increase of population was most rapid, until about ten years ago, the purchasers of the freehold commonly leased land to builders in portions of varying extent, from a few plots to a large area. Sometimes freeholders would offer a builder a present of money, in addition to a lease of the land, in return for an undertaking to build. For example, suppose a builder were prepared to put up a house worth ^150, the free- holder would advance £140, and give him a present of ^ic- on the completion of the building, whether he had paid up the whole of the advance or not. The reason for a money present is that a builder in a small way of business — and it is only with such builders that these arrangements are made — prefers a small sum of ready money to a loan on easier terms. The builder would be required to pay off the loan in, for example, three months, and in the event of his doing so, and becoming the owner of the house, the freeholder would receive from him a ground rent of, say, .£3. By selling the ground rent at twenty years' purchase, the freeholder would pocket a sum of .£60. If he were making a business of land development, the sale of ground rents would provide capital for further operations, while the cash payment would serve the same purpose with the builder. Where he was financed by the freeholder, the builder would look to paying off the advance by finding a purchaser for the house. If he did not succeed in paying off the advance the freeholder would come into possession of the house. The builder who required financial assistance was often a small jobbing builder, or even some enterprising carpenter HOUSING ii or bricklayer who possessed initiative but no experience of building proper, and, moreover, had little or nothing to lose by failure. Builders of this class usually had no premises, but obtained the necessary scaffold poles, and contracted for slating, plumbing, and other operations which they were not able to carry out themselves. The houses were badly built, because the builders whose operations have been described were both ignorant of good materials and unable to obtain them on credit. It was not important to them to put up a well-built house, because tenants could readily be found, and ready money was the builder's object as well as the free- holder's. The cheapness of such building suits the demand, for in the districts where this practice prevails houses of a better class are beyond the means of the inhabitants. Advances are usually paid at specified stages in the building, but their payment is not made contingent on the soundness of the work, and the desire to obtain the advance leads to hurried and unsatisfactory work, which becomes easier, because in the case of cheap cottage property of the class in question it is not usual to employ an architect or a surveyor. The system is sufficiently widespread for printed forms to be in use, showing the instalments to be paid at particular stages. The small builder already described uses his own capital to open an account with builders' merchants, and begins building. The advance from the landowner goes to pay his wages bill, and he continues to get materials on credit. The first of a series of houses is completed by means of the advances on the second, and so on. A breakdown may come in various ways. Sometimes the builder goes bankrupt before the work is finished. He may fail to complete a particular stage of the building in the specified time, and so lose the instalment of the advance and be unable to pay his men. He must then either borrow money at interest or give up the job. If the financier is a man whose object is to foreclose, there are various ways in which he can turn the system to his advantage. Supposing that it is the condition of an advance that the house shall be roof-high by the end of 12 WEST HAM the week, such a man will arrange to go round late on Friday, and if the house is not roof-high he will refuse the instalment. The builder who counted on being allowed to complete the stage on Saturday morning cannot pay his men, and the unfinished house falls to the financier, who gets nearly a whole week's work for nothing. Or the collapse may be caused by the pressure of the merchants to whom the builder is in debt for materials. They are liable to bear the losses of the transaction, for the financier has a prior claim to subsequent mortgagees, builders' merchants, &c. But it is most common for the landowner to lend enough money to finish the work, and then foreclose if the builder fail to pay back the advances within a prescribed time, during which he will do his best to sell the house. By " hawking an agreement " a builder will sometimes try to make money without building at all. He enters into a contract to put up a house of a certain value for which he is to receive a present of ^10. Having no money to open an account, and being therefore unable to get materials, he hands on the agreement to another builder who gives him .£5 down in view of receiving the present of ^10 when the house is finished. Another way in which the builder may avoid responsi- bility is by entering into what is virtually a secret partnership with the landowner, and, when his partner forecloses, sharing in the profits of his own bankruptcy at the expense of the tradespeople who have supplied the materials. But builders of this kind can usually succeed only as birds of passage. Hundreds of these small men have taken part in the development of the borough, chiefly in its southern districts, but only a comparatively small number have attained a sound financial position. In such cases success may have been due to a special lack of accommodation in the neighbourhood or to the choice of a type of building which was in request, such as self-contained flats. The great demand in South West Ham has been for houses at rents of less than £20, and where this is the case it is not worth the builder's while to put up houses of a better class. For instance, about HOUSING 13 fifteen years ago, two houses were built in the Custom House district at about ^330 each, including the cost of the ground. They were sold freehold five years ago at ^108 each, and the reason given for the fall in value was that the houses in the other part of the street were smaller and of a different class. Another reason against putting up better class property is that in the poorer districts a freeholder does not expect to sell his ground rents at more than twenty years' purchase. The number of years' purchase is determined by the relation between the ground rent and the annual rental of the house. Surveyors consider that a ground rent is not worth twenty-five years' purchase unless it is more than seven times secured ; that is, unless the rent is more than seven times the ground rent. In the case of the cheaper cottage property the ground rent would not be seven times secured ; it would often be as much as .£4 on a cottage let at £iS, though £■$ would, in this case, be satisfactory. The same process of development occurs where builders are employed by a leaseholder, except that the leaseholder has only ninety-nine years' interest in the land. He pays ground rent to the freeholder ; and exacts a second or improved ground rent from the builder, while the builder, if unable to dispose of his house at a large enough profit, may in his turn induce the purchaser to pay him a small annual ground rent, which he then sells for a lump sum. In the case of better- class houses in the north of the borough this third ground rent is sometimes the builder's remuneration, and in order to get it he may sell the house under cost price. Probably the commonest form of improved ground rent has been a charge not much in excess of solicitors' fees. For instance, if the ground rent were .£3, 10s., the builder would put on an additional 15s., and sell the rent at eighteen or twenty years' purchase to the freeholder. There would often be a profit to the builder on the transaction, but it would not be considerable. Old freehold houses are sometimes bought by speculators who put on a ground rent and sell the lease. For instance, a speculator may buy a house for ^150 ; he puts on .£4 i 4 WEST HAM ground rent, which at twenty years' purchase amounts to ^80 ; he then sells leasehold for ^ioo, and makes .£30 on the transaction. Freehold property of the lowest class is the most liable to be disposed of in this way. Houses built by private individuals for their own occupa- tion are not very common, but they are to be found all along the Romford Road from Stratford to Forest Gate, and on one or two estates north of the Romford Road. The instalment system, which seems to have first come into use in 1874, served to stimulate sales when the land market was dull. One estate north of the Romford Road, for example, was laid out in 1871, but only a few plots were sold. In 1874 it was offered on eighteen half-yearly pay- ments, and was disposed of at a single auction. This is the universal practice of land companies, and after this date it seems to have been employed by private owners in all parts of the borough. Speaking generally, it may be said that the land has been sold freehold except where landed proprietors were anxious to keep ground rents. Even in this case they have some- times found that the development proceeded too slowly, and sold portions of their estates freehold. But land has also been sold leasehold, particularly where it was in the hands of trustees. In some cases, mainly in the better districts, builders were given the option of buying the freehold when the owner of the land saw that their houses were substantial and within sight of completion. At the present time it is asserted that builders prefer the freehold system, and will only take land under a lease when houses are in great demand. It is difficult to estimate the part played by building societies in the development of the district as it has been impossible to obtain details of their operations. There are six local building societies — the Stratford Co-operative, Stratford Rock, West Ham Benefit Society, Plaistow Mutual Benefit Society, Forest Gate Equitable, and Forest Lane Mutual Benefit Society. In addition to these, several of the general societies have operated in the district. HOUSING 15 The speculative building which has been described is not peculiar to West Ham, but there is no doubt that it has played an important part in determining the conditions of housing in the borough, and that its results are to be traced in houses built without foresight and ill adapted to the needs of the population. The types of the houses let at weekly rents vary with the date of building. The oldest houses are now seldom or never inhabited by the class for whom they were built. Each of them was meant for a single family, but they now hold two, three, or more families, and in many cases little or no attempt has been made to adapt them for more than one household. Many, too, though originally well built, have been allowed to fall into disrepair, and owing to this doubly defective condition, they are now inhabited by the very poorest. A number of houses of a rather later date are built on inconvenient plans, with features forbidden in new houses by the present bye-laws. In one type, for example, the window of the ground-floor bedroom opens into the wash-house, which keeps out light and air. Some of these houses are kept in much better condition by the landlords than others. Some, again, have been occupied for twenty years or more by people in regular work ; and in such cases it is not un- common to find that the tenant has made some structural improvement. For example, in a house where the kitchen had originally been meant to serve as wash-house also, the tenant had built on a small glass wash-house. But these houses do not usually attract new tenants of the artisan class, who prefer a house of more modern type in one of the newer districts. Thus it happens that many of them contain two or more families. When the house is let to two families some conveniences are usually added, e.g. water and a kitchen range, and in some instances a sink, but not often a copper. Even houses with so many as six rooms seem to have been constructed for one family until some seven or eight years ago ; but a large number of these have been adapted for sub-letting by the addition of water, 1 6 WEST HAM sink, and range. Many of the more recent six-roomed houses have been built to be let in halves. In houses built within the last ten years more attempt is made to provide conveniences for two households. A certain number of these can be taken either as whole houses or half-houses, but if a tenant takes the whole house and the risk of sub-letting, his rent is often rather lower. When the landlord takes the responsibility for letting in halves, the upstairs tenant is generally better off, for more conveniences are provided. Experience has shown landlords the advan- tage of collecting rents directly from both families, and one excellent result of this system is that it has recently led to the building of houses designed for letting in separate halves. In addition to these half-houses there are recently built self-contained flats, in two-storied buildings, each flat having a separate front door and a separate yard, with an outside stair or covered passage from the top floor to the yard. Occasionally there is indoor sanitary accommodation in the upper flat ; otherwise flats have separate water-closets in the yards. In the classes of houses previously described the water-closet is always in the yard, and in many houses not designed for two families the only entrance to the yard is through the ground-floor kitchen. So far as the writers are aware, all the houses in West Ham are supplied with water-closets, which in the case of cottage property are usually in the yards. A large number of houses of four, five, and six or more rooms, for one family, have lately been built and are still being built, though there are a great many empty houses in the district. Some of these have internal sanitary accommodation and a bath, and a number of them are intended for the servant- keeping class, in which the tenant does not use the kitchen as a living room. These new houses vie with one another in attracting tenants from the older houses by added con- veniences, such as cupboards and cellars, florid ornaments outside and in, patterned tiles and marbled painting of wood- work. The newest show the most perverted taste — mantel- HOUSING i7 pieces painted in several colours, two sets of patterned tiles, and large-patterned wall-papers. There is an entire lack of unity in colours and patterns, but this doubtless gives an additional emphasis to the tenant's rank and wealth. Building in the borough is regulated by bye-laws, and there are at the present time four building inspectors under the borough council. The drains are inspected by the sanitary inspectors, of whom there are now fourteen. It would not be possible in the course of a private inquiry, such as the Outer London Inquiry, to obtain adequate evidence as to the enforcement of these bye-laws at the present time, but the following evidence about building in extra-metropolitan districts, taken by the Royal Commission on the Housing of the Working Classes, 1885, shows the state of affairs at that date. Evidence of Mr. Andrew Young, Surveyor upon the Staff of the London School Board. Asked whether he considered the character of the buildings at Edmonton and Stratford still bad : — In the metropolitan area it has been improved since the Act of 1869 was passed, which gave the district surveyors great powers with regard to the laying of foundations on concrete and so on, but beyond the metropolitan area I find no improvement. The houses are built in a very rotten fashion, are they not, in this case ? — They are built in a very rotten fashion, altogether unfit for the people to live in, if the people are a little rough in their way. If the people who live in them are careful they will last a good many years. Evidence has been given of a row of houses, in one of which an Irishman leant back in his chair and pushed the wall down ; do you refer to such things as that ? — That would be an exceptional case, no doubt. That sort of thing has not disappeared in the outer dis- tricts, has it ? — Not in the outer districts. Can you see any remedy for such a state of things, except B 1 8 WEST HAM to place them under the central authority ? — It is rather a difficult question for me to give an opinion about, but still I think it is the general impression that it is a matter of very great difficulty to get fairness towards all parties upon these local boards. Let me ask you a question about the suburban districts. Is it in all cases the fault of the administrators, or in some cases the want of proper bye-laws ? — Where there are bye- laws it is the want of administration ; but I do not think that any places where any extent of building is going on are without bye-laws. And the bye-laws, you think, are proper bye-laws ? — In my opinion they are too stringent, and that is one reason why they are not enforced ; they are too strict, and then there is a little looseness allowed in one thing, and the con- sequence is that there is looseness all round. In what particular do you think they are too stringent ? — The question as to stability is one thing and then as to the drainage, rather if there is no drainage in the district, restrictions as to cesspools and things of that kind. Is the fact of these bye-laws being too strict the fault of the local authorities themselves in the first instance ? — The Local Government Board will not allow them to have any- thing short of their model bye-laws ; if you submit anything different, they always return them for alterations. In your opinion are the model bye-laws of the Local Government Board too strict ? — Certainly they are. To give an example or two : the cesspool is to be 60 feet from the house, and the well is to be 60 feet from the cesspool. That last item I do not so much object to ; but I think the cesspool being 60 feet from the house is perhaps a little strict. There are many points of that kind which are not enforced, and the consequence is that there is a little looseness all round. You mean that in these districts it is an understood thing among the builders that though there are these bye-laws they will not be enforced, and that the builders know it ? — Yes. The builders take the land with the full confidence that the bye-laws will not be enforced ? — That is so. HOUSING 19 Are there any cases in your knowledge where when they have dug out the foundations they have allowed the space to be filled up with refuse ? — There is no question about that being done to a certain extent. Is that practice going on still ? — In the outer districts you find something of the kind going on, sometimes, but not much. Agitation of late years has done much towards stopping it. In the poorer parts of West Ham the types and plans of houses show that the needs of the people were little considered and not understood. The new six-roomed houses are the most difficult to justify. Formerly there was no doubt a demand for six-roomed houses, because the rents were lower than they were two years ago, and in certain classes of work the people were earning more, e.g. at the Docks, and the Thames Iron Works. But when rents rose, when population rapidly increased, and the standard of house-room went down, landlords were slow to make their six-roomed houses into well-equipped half-houses, and builders seem to have ignored the desire for small self- contained flats. In the poorer districts, agents and landlords allowed subletting with little or no regulation ; this was their way of meeting the new demand. It is true that during the last seven or eight years the wants of tenants have received more consideration. Good houses in better neigh- bourhoods may be had at a rental but little higher than bad houses in undesirable streets. But even the new houses only rival those of last year, drawing away the best tenants from older streets, which are filled up by a lower class. It is difficult to say to what extent the degeneration of such streets is due to the influx of people driven out by improvements in London, but evidence leads to the conclusion that it is at any rate partly to be accounted for in this way. CHAPTER II Increase of Persons per Inhabited House — Crowding — Open Spaces — Unoccupied Land — Price of Land — Tables. The demand for accommodation, which is at present directed chiefly to self-contained flats, is likely to increase, for there is evidence that people are living under more crowded con- ditions than a few years ago. 1 The census figures of 1901 are the only statistics which are available for the whole borough. The population of West Ham at that time was 267,358 persons, housed in 41,368 inhabited houses, yield- ing 6.46 persons per inhabited house, to be compared with 6.39 in 1 89 1. The figures for the whole of England and Wales are 5.21 for 1901, and 5.32 for 1891. It will be seen, therefore, that while for England and Wales the number of persons per inhabited house decreased the number in West Ham has increased. The borough is one of the eight places in England and Wales where the number of persons per inhabited house has increased during the decade ; and, taking the Registrar-General's estimate of the population in 1906, the increase has continued. Number of Persons per Inhabited House. 1801 . .6.0 Number of Persons per House. 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1906 6.05 5-66 5.83 5.56 5.68 6.19 6.16 6.72 6-39 6.46 6.86 1801 1811 1821 1831 1S41 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1906 5.86 5.70 5-47 5-54 5-3i 5.38 5-72 5-39 6. 1 1 6.07 6.22 6-33 The above tables show the number of persons per 1 See p. 27. HOUSING 21 inhabited house, and per house for each decennial period up to 1 90 1. In the second table all houses, whether in- habited or not, are taken into account. The average number of inhabitants per house in a large borough of varied character cannot of course throw light on the condition of any class of inhabitants except the inter- mediate. To find out how the professional and business families of the borough are provided with house-room, certain districts of Upton Park and Forest Gate might be examined ; and for the housing and population statistics of the casual labourer, parts of Custom House, Silvertown, and Canning Town, and special streets, and even parts of streets in other districts of the borough. An investigation by locality is, however, unnecessary, as the following statistics relating to tenements clearly show the condition as to crowding of the West Ham families living in one, two, three, and four rooms. The tables show considerable " overcrowding of the popula- tion," in the sense denned by the Registrar-General, and also considerable "excessive overcrowding." Tenements contain- ing more than two occupants to a room are officially described as " overcrowded," while those which contain more than four persons to a room are usually described as " excessively overcrowded." Table I., p. 27, shows the distribution of the population in tenements of less than five rooms. Almost one-half of the population (48.7 per cent.) was living under these con- ditions at the time of the last census in 1901, an increase of 1.4 per cent, over the number at the previous census. The extent of overcrowding may be seen by adding together (1) all numbers between the black lines, the total of which will give the number of overcrowded tenements, and (2) all numbers to the right of the upper black line, the total of which will give the number of excessively overcrowded tenements. In Table II. the facts are rearranged to show the number of families living in tenements of one, two, three, and four rooms, and the number of persons in those families. In this case the numbers suffering from excessive 22 WEST HAM overcrowding may be seen by adding together the figures below the lower black line. In all, 9.27 per cent, of the population of West Ham was living in an overcrowded condition in 1901, this percentage amounting to 3658 families, which consisted of 24,790 persons. A slight improvement had taken place during the decade 189 1 -1 90 1, the decrease of overcrowding in West Ham as a whole being .06 per cent., though there was an increase of overcrowding in two- and three-roomed tenements. The de- crease is not very remarkable if it is remembered that during the same period, overcrowding in England and Wales decreased by 3.03 per cent., every class of tenement being included in the figures. House-agents and other persons well acquainted with the district assert that the overcrowding in certain areas has considerably increased since 1901. No register is kept of empty houses in the borough year by year. The canvassers' books for parliamentary and borough franchise, carried out under the Superintendent Registrar, have been examined for 1905 and 1906. The registration in West Ham takes about six weeks, so that the returns given do not apply to a single day. The register is made in June and July. In 1905 there were 47,797 houses in the borough, of which 818 half-houses and 2964 whole houses were empty. In 1906 the number of houses was 49,049, of which 789 half-houses and 3468 whole houses were empty. It will be seen from a comparison of the two returns that in 1906 about 1250 new houses were built, and that the increase in empty houses was about 500, but the empty half-houses decreased by about 20. The chief open space is West Ham Park (73 acres), be- longing to the Corporation of the City of London. It can be approached from the southern part of the Park Ward, from the Upton Ward, and from West Ham Ward. The only other considerable open space in the borough is the Beckton Road Recreation Ground (22J acres), which supplies the needs of the south-eastern part of Hudson's Ward, the northern part HOUSING 23 of the Custom House Ward, and the eastern part of the Tidal Basin Ward. Bordering on the north-east of the borough are Wanstead Flats, about 380 acres in extent and within easy reach of the part of the Forest Gate Ward east of the West Ham Cemetery. Of the smaller open spaces, the West Ham Lane Recrea- tion Ground (7! acres) is accessible from the southern half of the Broadway Ward and from that part of the High Street Ward which lies to the east of Stratford Market Station. At Balaam Street, Plaistow, there is a small recreation ground of seven acres, which is nearest the westerly part of the Plaistow Ward and the northern part of Hudson's Ward ; and on the upper road, Plaistow, a small triangular piece of ground of 1 100 square yards, paved with asphalte, with seats and trees. It is the property of the Council, and is accessible from the north-west corner of the Plaistow Ward. Another small plot of three-quarters of an acre is situated in St. Mary's Road, and is accessible from the middle of the Plaistow Ward. The Hermit Road Recreation Ground (94 acres) is accessible from the part of the Hudson's Ward north of the Barking Road, and from the eastern part of the Canning Town Ward. The Silvertown Recreation Ground (4 acres) is accessible from Silvertown only, and is rather a long distance for walking from either end of the district. The northern outfall sewer 1 runs across the borough from the north-west of the High Street Ward to the north-east of the Hudson's Ward. Part of the top has a pathway and seats, and can be used for a promenade ; it is, however, unattractive, and very little use is made of it. The word " accessible " has been used to mean within about ten minutes' walk. This exhausts the list of public recreation grounds. There are, however, several vacant unenclosed spaces which are used for football and other games. Roads are laid out through some ; others are quite open. At the north-west of the New Town Ward is a small field used for football. A large tract in the northern part of the Canning Town Ward, North of Hilda Road, reaches, with breaks, up to the 1 See p. 29, note. 2 4 WEST HAM West Ham station on the London, Tilbury, and Southend line. There is a space between Russell Road and Beckton Road, where roads have been laid out, but games are still played ; and there are other open spaces to the east of several unfinished roads between Freemason's Road and Prince Regent's Lane. East of Baxter Road, Custom House, is a large piece of ground used for football ; and on the eastern boundary, off Boundary Road, there is again a large tract of open land. The Education Committee owns seven sites of about one and a half acres in area. One situated in Hudson's Ward and one in Plaistow Ward are let for cultivation on condition that the fences are kept in repair ; one in Park Ward and one in the Plaistow Ward are used as school recreation grounds ; one in Canning Town Ward is vacant and unenclosed ; one is in Forest Gate Ward, and only a part is let ; one in the Upton Ward is used by the Town Council as a store yard, and its sale is authorised. Tidal Basin Ward, the southern part of Canning Town Ward, south of the Beckton Road, and the western part of Hudson's Ward are farthest away from a recreation ground, and have no open vacant land within easy reach. Canning Town and Tidal Basin are two of the poorest neighbourhoods in the borough, and in both of them the death rate is high. The part of the Broadway Ward between the Broadway and the Great Eastern Railway to Ilford and the similar part of the High Street Ward, the larger part of the New Town Ward and the western part of the Forest Gate Ward, are also unprovided for. The standard set up in model towns like Bourneville, where no house is more than five minutes' walk from an open space, may be unattainable in towns which have grown up in ordinary fashion, but that no open spaces should be accessible to a considerable proportion of the population is conducive neither to health nor to morals. It is not surprising, under such conditions, to hear of bands of young hooligans whose energies are expended in petty larceny in the streets. In a district of Canning Town a band of this nature is known locally as the Forty Thieves. HOUSING 25 In 1896 an estimate was made by the Borough Engineer that the total amount of unoccupied land available for build- ing was about 900 acres, and of this about 204 acres had been covered before April 1907. It has not been possible to obtain present prices for the various plots of unoccupied land, as in a large number of instances a price could not be stated. Some instances are given of present value, but they cannot be compared with each other owing to difference of frontage, situation, and other circumstances. Land in the Plaistow Ward is for sale at ^1200 per acre, in the New Town Ward at ^2100 per acre, in Hudson's Ward at £1000 per acre, in Custom House Ward at ^900 per acre. The prices are also given of various plots bought by the School Board for school sites, mainly in the years between 1893 and 1896. Two pieces of land were sold in Plaistow Ward in 1894 for ^1400 and ^1500 per acre. In the same ward in 1896 some land was sold for .£2600 an acre. In Upton Ward in 1893 a site brought in ^3050 per acre. In the Park Ward in 1894 land was sold at .£2240 per acre, and in the Forest Gate Ward in the same year at -£2000 an acre. In 1893 some land in Canning Town Ward realised ^1690 per acre, in 1895 land in Custom House Ward was sold for .£1600 per acre, and in 1901 in Hudson's Ward for ^976 per acre. Before the growth of South West Ham the land was mainly used for agriculture or pasture. The change in its value within a few years owing to the demand for building land may be seen from the selling value at different periods. No general scale of rise in prices could be constructed without a large number of typical instances, but the following examples have been obtained at first hand from those who have dealt with the estates and plots in question. (a) In the Plaistow Ward land with a frontage on a main thoroughfare was sold in 1875 for ^925 an acre, and the present selling price is at the rate of ^5550 per acre — in other words, the value has increased sixfold in thirty-two years. (b) In Hudson's Ward houses were built in 1885 on plots of land leased at a ground rent of £2 per plot. In 1905 26 WEST HAM houses were built on plots of the same size adjoining the houses built in 1885, and the ground rent was fixed at £3 3s. per plot. The average number of plots to the acre is twenty-five, therefore the annual ground rent per acre has risen in twenty years from .£50 per acre to .£78 15s. The freehold in this district is valued at twenty-five years' purchase of the ground rent, and it will be seen that the value of the land has risen from .£1250 per acre to .£1968 15s. (c) Land in the Plaistow Ward was let at £3 per acre for market garden purposes until 1900. At thirty years' purchase the freehold was worth ^90 per acre as agricultural land. It was sold in 1900 for ^800 per acre in bulk. Roads were made, and in 1902 the selling price was .£1250 per acre. The present selling price of the portion not yet built upon averages .£2540 per acre. (d) In the Custom House Ward an estate of six acres was sold in 1875 for ^600, i.e. ^100 an acre. In 1895 it changed hands for .£5400, and roads costing .£1000 were laid down in order that it might be taken up in building plots. The present price is ^8500. (e) In the Plaistow Ward an estate of four acres was let until 1890 to a market gardener at a rental of .£18 per annum. The price asked for it as agricultural land was ^540. In 1890 it was sold at .£1800 for development as building land ; ^550 was spent on roads and it was sold in plots between the years 1893 and 1896. The total amount realised was -£6810. (/) In the Plaistow Ward an estate of fourteen acres was let until 1 89 1 to a market gardener at a rental of .£42 per annum. At thirty years' purchase the freehold would be worth .£1260, or .£90 per acre. It was sold in 1891 for development at ^450 per acre, and an average of ^150 per acre was spent on roads. The present selling price is ^1000 per acre. In some cases land has recently depreciated in value. For instance, the price of land in the Canning Town Ward in 1901 was .£1760 per acre, and adjacent pieces are now valued at .£1200 per acre. V h o m E c ** o . M ih M VO CO^O "© M-) M T3 s« rt p- : n «s ro CO tN ►h c/i C « m ovoo m O * >-, o ^ en : : ; m co m co VO 1) Ph u> e co ^o coo o 0\V3 o o ■ • • O tJ-o CO >o **» ^ >H H D Ph en c N oo 00 fnlO-tN u-. N 0\8 c h „ m co 00 _, M ^f co u~, ^~ (D ^ P- T3 tfl JJ C h "iN pi inoo M ro Ov 'PL, n co i^ r^ m r~~ n r>- 00 u> 1-1 : roNoo^O o CI u Ph o If) o O00*O r) VO o r>. "^i m ui *o Nn* r^ M 1 1) Ph _ H r<) M ^t-CO en f^-.OOoo "*• i\ 1^ r^ f-» u~,vO *g >0 "^O^ n hq h i^-, * « H O^O "lOO 1 " (-rjOO CD « H tl H U-, CO Ph en c M M -t r-~ N O N o o t^ r^, O <~0*0 ir, in rO CO >J-,VO [^ HI Tt-co-rt-o lt, r~»o <** -i"iQ _ M N KH M M VC ^T Ph en C O r^ m ix. t^ i-. r*- o {>■ C-l en oo f** r^ CO co m lo O -f-E: 1) „ H N H „ H VO * Ph a o co COO\>-hoo O -t hi CT\ * oo o n r^x p tj- n h o Tfton N h h "+2 CD ►h M H H H H H H M H — HI . Ih CA CD £6 VO N ^fc ►H C d t/5 c o 3" Ph co r^ w5 C O o\>8 co r->- Ph c 4= C vo in io o t^ co V 0) CD Ph 2" a o O ^ in C CI rf VO CO O in V. On ^f 0) Ph i-h M c H M rt O 0\ o,oo > IH HI _ o — o P-< c o bfl *n > c a; s -« co cTiHrTdvcf\Co^~in«~inc£^^"ch^w'v?crM % t; 2} ^i" ri ■*■ ° *"» *o ^to^oi^m^o^N owo =c ^t- <^ m "+ O * ^t N h f. ^-Or>»>^cY5 O m CM fsoomc r-.co VO r, ~' CO 0_ I>» "^ t>» "0 | NO\"^^l-MM cT m VO ^ vO~ ^ >'" CO *+ CO ^ CM cT M~ i-T Ph c " H p ir o ■S o • J * S3 s »>5 .5 o .art 1—5 ro T H W^O *0 t^ 00 00 O O c) \o "^vo 'too tN O 10""0^0 -< m . co~vo~\o~ in jn i-i vo co o o °° m CM M VO O "+ O 3" t-t "+oo r > o\ t> t^ "+co ^>vo ovqo °o m ■"T CM O f-» ""'VO C H NlO •+VO O N.N N -i m io o q co o_ in o^goo ■** m « o coo r, °incj\o\0\o ^o^n M CM q_ w WH. « m o^ cm n ov CI M CM M cf l-T i-i M M o ov^o o f> m 3 o " ov Mvo Kg O co^co 1 " 1 Ov "^ ov ov cm ■+ o ^o tj-- " co cT cvf m h O ts» C) u^ ro xr) rr, fO « OV ~+vo Ix fx MD mO t|- " ix in "~' cvi i- 1 m .a o h-1 CM ON, M *t >Cj- CM M n yQ cj_t^ T t ■3- , o i^ONin "T CO "J IX <-0 M OiVO c"> cvf ^f co co cvf ON M . tx i>. m m Osvo "tCONCO TO C3NVO O O N 00 ^O vO ^vo 'x m -tvO OO I^SC u- "tvo °o nk m vq q ^ o^ vo >^- ► n ti h m" "+ N "^CO M 00 ^CVI r ° o "~' r-» o\vo n co "-i ^-M H bfio S o S Ph 00 coo r^ M O "i H M OMN M g c Efl Oh B c^ o ^o in r^ CVI r > ih ^-00 i^vo^O ^> TtO" H i-i ec) -coz-^-r o o ^o o k* ; oo g (vi - O "CM lO*» H SOvgoviiOvgOv --OvOovgOvCovOovOOvOov OncO O\0O 0,00 O\00 OsOO O\00 ON00 OnoO OnOO O\00 O\00 CHAPTER III Nature of District — Comparative Statistics for the Twelve Wards — Description of the Different Wards. The County Borough of West Ham consists of twelve wards of varying size and character. In the Northern area the ground is higher and well drained, with the exception of the neighbourhood of the Lea and its tributary streams, while in the South much of the town is built on what was formerly low-lying marsh land, parts of which are even below the high- water level of the Thames, though some of it has since been made up to the level. 1 About one-third of the borough, i.e. from the New Town to the south-east end of the Outfall Sewer, is on gravel, the rest on marshy land over loam. The houses in parts of the borough are built on dust shoots. The present practice is to render the rubbish innocuous or remove it, but when the borough was growing rapidly the staff of inspectors was not large enough to ensure that this was always done. In the north-east and east of the borough are the 1 Large areas in the west and south of the borough, amounting to about two-fifths of its entire extent, are below the river level. There used to be a large system of water courses and ditches, estimated in 1821 as including 400 acres of water. The trans- formation of the district into town from country and the enhanced value of land converted this space into building sites, and consequently the whole of the rainfall had to be discharged into the sewers. As there were no longer any free outfalls, occasional floods took place. In 1888 there was a disastrous flood, demonstrating, according to the report of the borough engineer, the inadequacy of the arrangements in various respects, viz. : (1) The insufficient capacity of existing main sewers. (2) The necessity for new lines of arterial intercepting sewers. (3) The insufficiency of pumping power. As the result of this report powers have now been obtained to enter the London County Council Northern Outfall Sewer, new intercepting sewers have been made, and new pumping machinery has been installed. Serious floods are not likely to occur again. The London County Council Northern Outfall Sewer crosses the High Street and West Ham Wards, and divides Plaistow from Hudson's Ward. It was made in 1863 in order that the sewage of North London might be carried into the Thames at a distance from the metropolis, and was enlarged in 1906. 1 29 3 o WEST HAM residential areas. The districts called Stratford, Forest Gate, and Upton correspond roughly to the northern part ; West Ham, Plaistow, and Canning Town to the middle ; and Tidal Basin, Custom House, and Silvertown to the south of the borough. The number of persons per acre is highest in the Tidal Basin Ward (123.1), and lowest in the High Street Ward (37-5)- These figures are not, however, completely com- parable, as neither district is fully built over, and in the High Street Ward are many factories with considerable tracts of ground belonging to them. The table of Ward Mortality Statistics on p. 60, which is referred to in the following paragraphs, cannot be regarded as quite accurate, since it is based on the estimated population of the various wards. It should also be noted that a ward is composed of districts of varying character, and the average death rate of the ward is no indication of the death rate in the best or the worst streets. Tidal Basin is a typical dock district, and in the Canning Town Ward live very many of the casual labour class, as well as some of the most regular dock workers, factory labourers, and artisans. These two wards, with Hudson's, are also noticeable for the highest death rate, which was- 17.6 per 1000 in Canning Town and Hudson's Wards and 18.4 in Tidal Basin Ward. But the highest rate of infantile mortality is to be found in Custom House Ward, which is also mainly a dock district. It has been observed that Tidal Basin Ward and the southern part of Canning Town Ward are farthest away from a recreation ground, and have no open vacant land within easy reach. 1 It will be seen from the table on p. 60 that in 1906, the last year for which returns are available, seven out of the twelve wards had a birth rate of over 30 per 1000 of the population. In the Tidal Basin and Canning Town Wards the numbers were 37.3 and 33.4 respectively. The mothers of infants are visited in certain districts of the borough by the Women Sanitary Inspectors, who ascertain 1 See p. 55. HOUSING 3i whether the child is breast-fed and give advice on questions of hygiene. The results of their visits during 1906 are given in the Medical Officer of Health's Report, p. 22. It has not been thought worth while to reprint them, as neither the age of the baby when visited, nor the fact whether it lived to the age of a year, is recorded. Similar work has been recently undertaken in a small district by ladies in connection with Mansfield House, but it is too soon to judge the effect of their efforts. The rateable values of the wards are compared in the two tables which follow : — Rateable Value per Acre } New Town Forest Gate High Street Broadway Park Upton West Ham Plaistow . Hudson's . Canning Town Tidal Basin Custom House In the High Stree areas, but there is a £ s. d. 213 4 3 257 1 2 271 5 4 491 16 7 258 1 318 9 2 347 12 4 241 8 2 159 10 1 149 2 8 287 17 395 3 2 Ward lie two of the main factory so much vacant land. The New Town Ward contains the Great Eastern Railway Works, and the area of open land is about the same as that covered with buildings. In the Broadway Ward there is a small recreation ground, but, on the other hand, this ward contains the public offices, many large shops, banks and other buildings. West Ham Park lies mainly within the Park Ward. In the Canning Town and Hudson's Wards are few factories and much unoccupied land. In the Tidal Basin Ward are the Thames Iron Works, and in the West Ham Ward are the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway Works. Though the Custom House and Silvertown Ward contains the factory 1 In comparing the wards by the rateable value per acre, it should be remembered that they vary in size, that in some there are large vacant spaces, parks, cemeteries, or recreation grounds, and that in many the rateable value is increased by factories. 3 2 WEST HAM area which ranks third in size, the amount of vacant land is very large. Rateable Value per Head. 1 £ J. rf. 4 8 i 3 I 1 1 7 4 4 4 19 7 4 i 6 4 i 2 of 2 18 "i 2 12 H 2 9 ioJ 2 ii °1 2 6 9i 9 3 ii New Town Forest Gate High Street Broadway Park . Upton . West Ham Plaistow Hudson's Canning Town Tidal Basin . Custom House The means of communication in the borough are, on the whole, good. The tramway system is described on p. 311. Motor omnibuses run from Canning Town, Upton Park, and Bow Bridge to the city ; the last start from the West Ham tram- way terminus. A considerable number of workmen's trains are running, but, in spite of the increased accommodation pro- vided during recent years by the railway companies concerned, complaints are still made of overcrowding. Since 1899 workmen's trains have been put on to the City up to 8 a.m. It is alleged that the overcrowding would best be relieved by additional workmen's trains between 8 A.M. and 9 A.M., be- cause numbers of clerks, home workers for City factories, and others now travel by the early trains for the sake of the reduced fares, but do not require to be in the City till nine o'clock or later. High Street Ward. The High Street Ward is situated at the north-west of the borough, and is bounded on the north and east by parts of the Great Eastern Railway system. The ward is intersected by the four branches of the river Lea, which meet at its south-western corner. It is in the main a ward of factories, for many works are situated on the 1 The population of the wards differs considerably. Of the three chief factory areas, two are in the High Street Ward, and the third lies in the Custom House and Silver- town Ward, which also contains the docks. l£\a& D O C HOUSING 33 various streams and their branches. The ward is cut in two by the High Street, which runs north-east from Bow Bridge, with houses and shops on each side. At the end near Bow Bridge the houses are old and the roadway narrow. North of the High Street, the only houses are contained in fourteen roads bounded on two sides by the Great Eastern Railway, and on the fourth by one of the streams. These houses are all let in halves, some by the landlord and some by the tenant. They are mainly inhabited by people de- pendent on the factories, among whom were formerly many workers at Ritchie's jute mills. It must not be supposed that these people are of the better artisan class. They are mainly unskilled workers, some of whom are irregularly employed, especially since Ritchie's Jute Works, the Lea Valley Distillery, and two or three other factories have been closed. Seven years ago an empty house was a rare sight in this district. The Carpenters' Company, the owners of the estate, leased it to builders, who put up houses near the factories about thirty- five years ago. Many of these houses now belong to the Land and House Property Investment Society. The Car- penters' Company built and maintained a swimming bath, a technical institute, and secondary school on their estate, but the school and institute were given up in consequence of the Education Act of 1902. The Carpenters' Road elementary school is now considered one of the poorest in North West Ham. The bath has been rented and maintained since 1905 by the Corporation. The Great Eastern Railway to Liverpool Street passes through this part of the ward, and there is a considerable number of factories on either side of it. On the south side of the High Street are several roads, of which Abbey Lane is the longest. They also are inhabited by very poor people, many of whom make matchboxes and sacks at home. In this district, which was formerly a part of the lands belonging to the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, are the West Ham Gasworks, the London County Council pumping station, the West Ham pumping station, and many factories. In the angle made by the High Street and the Channelsea C 34 WEST HAM River are a few old and small houses, chiefly inhabited by costers and unskilled workers of a low grade. The Channelsea School, one of the oldest and smallest in the borough, contains, like the Carpenters' Road School, some of the poorest children in the north of the borough. The remainder of the High Street Ward is composed of the Rokeby estate, which is said to have been developed before any other estate in Stratford. The houses are mostly rather old four-roomed houses, and have fair-sized yards at the back. They are rented at 8s. or 8s. 6d. a week. Some contain six rooms, and have back additions, while the upper floor is supplied with a kitchen range but not with water. The rent of these is 9s. 6d., and one floor is usually sublet by the tenant. In this ward is Stratford Market, opened in 1879, which lies to the south of Stratford Market Station and the Great Eastern Railway printing works. Broadway Ward. The Great Eastern Railway from Maryland Point Station to Stratford Station forms the northern boundary of this ward. The four main thoroughfares, which meet at Stratford Church, are Stratford Broadway, the Grove, Romford Road, and West Ham Lane. The Broadway is a continuation of the High Street and of the main road which leaves the City at Aldgate. It divides at Stratford Church and runs northward into the Grove, leading past Maryland Point Station into the Leytonstone Road, and north-east into the Romford Road. The section north-west of the Broadway line of road and bounded by it and the Great Eastern Railway, which skirts the ward on this side, contains some of the worst streets in North West Ham. Three streets are, however, to be excepted, as many of their inhabitants are regular labourers at the Great Eastern Railway works. A fourth street, Martin Street, which leads to Stratford main station, is also of a better type ; it has shops adjoining the Broadway, and the houses are occupied by Great Eastern Railway men. The rest of the HOUSING 35 streets in this district are occupied by casual labourers, carmen, a few dock labourers, stablemen, and people casually connected with the building trade. Here and there may be found a few employes of the Great Eastern Railway. Two of the streets are chiefly inhabited by irregular workers of the class which habitually owes rent. When the arrears of rent have become too heavy in one street, they move to the other ; when the same happens there, they migrate to one of the worst streets in the New Town Ward ; then they come back to Broadway Ward, and the cycle begins afresh. In one of these streets, out of twenty-two houses nineteen were let to single tenants in 1894, all except three were let in halves in 1900, and in 1905 they were all let in halves. The register of the Salway Place School is an index to the migratory character of the population. Through this district runs Angel Lane, a narrow street chiefly of small shops and stalls, though one or two larger shops in connection with businesses in the Broadway have been built lately. In the evenings and on Saturdays it is the haunt of costers, cheap-jacks, and hawkers, and resembles Petticoat Lane in Whitechapel. Some of the best shops in West Ham are in the Broadway and the Grove. Here too are the Town Hall and public offices connected with it, the Fire Brigade Station, &c. In the rear of the public offices are the Stratford Vicarage, the West Ham and East London Hospital, and the Conference Hall. The land at the back of the Town Hall was leased to a builder who built five streets, which are inhabited in the main by artisans. The rents vary from 7s. 6d. to 8s. 6d. for four rooms and a wash-house. Subletting is discouraged, but many of the tenants take in lodgers. In the south-east part of the ward, between West Ham Lane and the Romford Road, lies the Shirley House estate, which was laid out by the lessees, in this case also a firm of builders. The houses are mostly let at 8s. 6d. or 9s., and the bulk of the tenants are clerks or artisans. Vicarage Lane, the boundary of the ward on this side, consists partly of small houses, some of which are very old, and of small shops. The 36 WEST HAM part of the Romford Road which falls in this ward has shops and large houses on one side, and on the other large houses, with one row of small houses, built about fourteen years ago, when the growth of the population was rapid. In this district are a recreation ground of 7I acres belonging to the Cor- poration, and the large municipal secondary school, opened in 1906. The northern part of the ward between the Broadway and the Grove and Water Lane contains some streets inhabited by clerks and others of the same class, and a large elementary school with land belonging to the Education Authority. The difference between this district and that on the other side of the Grove may be measured by the occupations of the parents of school children in the two neighbourhoods, which are served by the Water Lane and the Salway Place schools respectively. Trade or Occupation of Parent. Salway Place. Water Lane. Builders ..... 2 5 Artisans . 70 206 Dock labourers 7 General labourers 39 8*5 Miscellaneous . 47 120 Gasworkers 4 Carmen . 14 Clerks 2 52 Mariners . 1 Charwomen 2 5 Out of work _ 40 New Town Ward. The ward is divided in two by the Great Eastern Railway line to Leyton, and by Stratford Station, with its sidings and works ; and the line to Ilford forms its southern boundary. To the west of the railway is a large tract of open fields, through which the Channelsea River runs. These were formerly used for calico grounds, and there were some water- cress beds, now closed by order of the Medical Officer of HOUSING 37 Health. In this part are also one or two brickfields, an artificial manure factory, and numerous hen-runs, pig-styes, blacksmiths' shops, and skin-driers' sheds. The land cost -£30 per acre freehold in 1875, but ten acres are now let at .£33 1 6s. per annum to a tenant, who sublets small plots to some twenty persons for the various purposes mentioned. A builder put up about fifty six-roomed houses, which have long gardens, and are let at 7s. per week ; and several acres were bought by the Corporation for housing the working classes. 1 They have built no houses, however, nor is it likely that a demand will soon arise in so inaccessible a part of the borough. So little attempt has been made to develop this area that no roads are yet made. It is, however, near the Great Eastern Railway works, and the company owns several acres of allotments and a large lodging-house built by them for guards and others. To the east of the station are the Great Eastern Railway works, round which Stratford New Town has arisen in con- sequence of the influx of men employed by the railway company. The railway men living there increased from 72 in 1845 to 6800 in 1900. In 1848 a great many houses had already been built. The district was at first called Hudson's Town, from Hudson the " Railway King." The development of the Henniker estate began in 1853. This property reached from the railway to Leytonstone Road, which, it would appear, divided it from the Gurney estate, and from another, farther north-east, reaching to Forest Gate, called the Cann Hall estate. The New Town is inhabited mainly by people connected with the Great Eastern Railway. There are, however, a few old streets where workers of a rough type live. Some of the houses in these were built before 1850, and the same class seems always to have inhabited this small area. Chobham, Henniker, and Chandos Roads are the most prosperous roads in this part of the borough. The houses are let at rents varying from £26 per year, exclusive of rates and taxes, to 8s. 6d. per week inclusive. In ten successive houses in 1 See p. 120. 38 WEST HAM Chobham Road there were living recently : (a) a schoolmaster ; (Z>) a fitter in the Great Eastern Railway ; (c) a clerk in a chemical factory ; (d) an accountant and house-agent ; (e) a clerk in a stockbroker's firm ; (/) two elementary school- mistresses, one employe of the Great Eastern Railway, and a city clerk, who were brothers and sisters ; (g) a publican's widow ; (h) a foreman in the Great Eastern Railway works ; (i) three young men two of whom were Great Eastern Railway workers, and one a brassfinisher ; (k) one young man employed in the Co-operative Stores. The wages of the artisans in these roads may be taken as ranging from 38s. to 50s. per week. The families generally comprise more than one wage-earner, whereas fifteen to twenty years ago the householder alone was usually earning. When the houses were new, they more often attracted people of a higher social grade, such as well-to-do clerks in the City, who would now live at Ilford or Romford. Another group of streets lies east of the main road to Leytonstone, which has shops on both sides and runs through the ward from south to north. The name Stratford New Town is not strictly applied to the districts east of the Ley- tonstone Road, but they form part of the New Town ward. The inhabitants of this part are people employed in the Co-operative Society or in Savill's brewery — foremen, artisans, and labourers. The houses are mostly sublet by the tenant, but nearly always to members of his own family. The northern streets are the best, and the character of the neigh- bourhood degenerates a little towards the south as far as Forest Lane, where there are some large old houses, of the same type as those in the Romford Road and off Plaistow Broadway. All over the New Town there is a growing tendency to change house rents from .£26 per annum, exclusive of rates and taxes, to 14s. per week inclusive. This means a gain of about 6d. a week to the landlord, taking the rates at 10s. in the pound in both cases, but he is less sure of his rent when the tenants are weekly instead of quarterly, and he has the trouble of paying rates. HOUSING 39 Forest Gate Ward. This ward lies to the north of the Great Eastern Railway to Ilford. The eastern part is divided from the western by the Woodford Road, a main thoroughfare connecting the southern part of the borough with Wanstead Flats, which adjoin the northern boundary. The two parts are different in character. In the eastern the houses are larger, and many of them are owned by the occupiers, or let at an annual or quarterly rental. Chestnut Avenue and Avenue Road, which lead from Forest Gate Station to Wanstead Flats, were built about 1875. The houses are detached or semi-detached, and are let by the year or by the quarter at rentals varying from £28 to .£50 per annum. The tenants are chiefly business people and clerks, whose work lies in the City. A change has come over the Avenue Road property during the last five years. The houses are difficult to let, and although the tenants are of the same class as formerly, they belong to a rather lower grade. On the other hand, some of the Chest- nut Avenue property has largely increased in value. The reason of this is that several of the houses have very long gardens, and there is a demand in this district for houses with gardens. The lease of one of these, with four rooms and a wash-house, was recently sold for ^230, whereas it fetched ^175 twelve years ago. In Godwin Road and its neighbourhood the houses con- tain five, six, or eight rooms, and are inhabited by clerks, warehousemen, shop assistants, school teachers, and a few retired tradesmen. Some of the largest houses are the property of these last. Land east of the Woodford Road was acquired by the British Land Company and sold by them to the Manor Park Cemetery Company, who developed this district, except the part between Woodford Road and Chestnut Avenue. A great part of the western section of the ward, that between the Woodford Road and the Tower Hamlets Road, belonged to the Dames estate. In 1855 it was sold in plots 4 o WEST HAM of 75 to 80 feet by 100 to no feet, but was developed very slowly, a few houses being put up at a time. In about 1866 it was bought by a land company, and the development became more rapid. Londoners, such as Curtain Road cabinetmakers and inhabitants of Whitechapel, often bought plots for gardens. They used to put up huts and spend the week-end in them, and many built houses at a later time. A large number of the plots were bought by the Conservative Land Society and United Land Company, who cut them up into smaller plots and resold them for sites. Building ceased about 1880. In Dames Road, which for the most part runs northward from Woodford Road, are some new flats with separate front doors. The accommodation consists of four rooms and a wash-house downstairs, and three rooms and a wash-house upstairs. They were built in 1903, and are inhabited mostly by newly married City clerks. These flats are very strictly kept, as they are in great demand. The rest of Dames Road, which was built in 1878, is chiefly inhabited by clerks and business men in the City, and has shops on one side of the southern end. The rents vary from 8s. 6d. per week to .£40 per year. The houses have maintained their level up to the present time, but the shops are difficult to let. Vansittart Road, which is mainly inhabited by carmen and casual labourers, runs from Dames Road to the cemetery. It was built mainly about 1878, and consists of six-roomed houses, which are now let in halves, though originally meant for a single middle-class family. The type is a common one in many parts of the borough. Downstairs there are two rooms with folding doors, a kitchen, and a wash-house ; and upstairs two rooms and a kitchen, supplied with a range and a sink. The rent of the lower flat is 6s. 6d. ; that of the upper 6s. In some of the shorter roads off Dames Road the houses are mostly four-roomed, and are let at 9s ; but there are also some six-roomed houses at ns., which are occupied by two families. The tenants are builders, joiners, stone-masons, and other artisans, with a few clerks. HOUSING 4 1 The Forest Gate and Tottenham Railway, which is raised above the ground level, crosses all these roads. It was built in 1 89 1, and is said to have caused a depreciation of pro- perty, 15s. house rents having fallen to us. It has only been within the last eight or ten years that houses in this part of Forest Gate have been let to two families. The inhabitants of Field Road and Odessa Road, which dates from 1854, are less well-to-do, being mostly artisans earning a low wage, carmen and labourers. The houses generally contain five rooms at a rent of 9s., and the tenants usually sublet. From St. James Road to the western boundary of the ward the houses are of a better class. They are occupied by men employed at the Great Eastern Railway works, and the better paid artisans. Private speculators purchased land in this part, and estates in the neighbourhood east of the Leytonstone Road were bought by the National Freehold Land Society. Forest Lane, which is the southern boundary of the ward, faces the Great Eastern Railway. It contains several large houses, but latterly some shops have been built at the Forest Gate end, because the present inhabitants of the district, less prosperous than their predecessors, demand shops within easy reach of their homes. Part of the West Ham Cemetery and an industrial school belonging to Poplar occupy a considerable space in the ward. Park Ward. The southern part of the ward is occupied by West Ham Park, a space of 73 acres, which belongs to the Corporation of London. In the Romford Road, which runs east and west through the ward, are large houses in which doctors, clergy, and prosperous business people live. Many of these houses are of the type built at the beginning of the last century, and till twenty years ago had long gardens with orchards. Gardens of the size of a tennis-court still remain. The sites vary from 42 WEST HAM 150 feet to upward of 300 feet in depth, and there are back entrances in many cases. Such houses were numerous in Stratford twenty-five years ago, but most of them have dis- appeared to make way for smaller property. To the north of the Romford Road, near the Forest Gate Station, are five roads, which till ten years ago were the best part of the borough, and were inhabited by middle-class people, such as lived on the Woodgrange estate in the Upton ward until a few years ago, when a great many people of this class moved to Ilford or farther east. Westwards, towards Stratford, the houses are rather smaller, and the tenants are artisans and small tradespeople. This part of the ward contains the Central Free Library, which is a large building, and the Technical Institute. The houses between Maryland Point Station and the Technical Institute are let at rents varying from 12s. to 14s. a week, and are inhabited by clerks, foremen, shop assistants, and people of small means. In the Green are some old houses like those in the Romford Road, with rents ranging from .£60 to .£80 a year. In the roads just to the east of this part the rents run from .£30 to ^50, and the tenants are clerks, salesmen, managers of works, and retired business men ; while towards Forest Gate some of the houses are more expensive, varying from .£30 to .£70 or £80. The streets between the Park and Romford Road vary in character. Vicarage Lane, which forms part of the west boundary, contains several small shops at the northern end, and at the southern houses let at 8s. 6d. to ns. per week. The roads between it and the Park contain houses at about 12s. per week for six rooms and a wash-house, the majority being let by the agent in halves at 6s. or 6s. 6d. They have been divided within the last eight years, and are inhabited mainly by artisans and small tradespeople, with a certain number of clerks. A group of three streets in the north-west of this area con- tains houses rented at 9s. for four rooms and a wash-house. These are inhabited by mechanics, regular labourers, dealers and others, who often take in a lodger because they prefer a HOUSING 43 respectable neighbourhood, notwithstanding a rent which is high in proportion to their means. Houses in the Matthews Park estate, which includes five roads north of the Park, are let at 14s. a week, and have six rooms, a wash-house, and in many cases a bathroom. The roads between this estate and the eastern boundary of the ward contain houses of the same type let at 13s. a week, and in most cases adapted for two families by the addition of a kitchener and water upstairs. Two streets on the eastern boundary are occupied by business and professional men, and are of a better class. The houses are mostly let by the year and rents vary from .£26 to ^40. In the road which faces the north side of the Park, the houses are let by the year at rents varying from .£30 to ^36, exclusive of rates and taxes. One or two of these, near the Upton Lane, are rented at £60. They are occupied by professional and business people, and contain seven rooms, a bathroom, and a wash-house. A few have seven, eight, or nine rooms. Upton Ward. The two main roads in the Upton Ward are the Romford Road, running from west to east, and Upton Lane, from north to south. In the Romford Road are large houses with gardens, many of them old, similar to those mentioned in the Broadway and Park Wards. Many old houses with gardens, fields, and orchards, were formerly to be found in Upton Lane, and one or two still remain, though much of the land round them has been used for building. Their place has been taken by houses let at .£25 to £50 a year. The southern part of this road faces West Ham Park, and at the northern end are good class shops similar to those in Woodgrange Road, which lies to the north of the ward across the Romford Road. Most of the roads are broad and straight, and in addition to the part of West Ham Park which lies within the ward there is a football ground at the Spotted Dog Inn, and a large open space round a convent in St. George's Road. 44 WEST HAM Practically the whole population of the ward belongs to the middle class, and a large proportion has some unearned income. The few artisans and labourers are for the most part in constant work, and live chiefly in four-, five-, or six- roomed houses, the rents of which range from 7s. 6d. to 10s. 6d. a week. Such houses are to be found in various parts, and chiefly in Neville, Upton Park, Belton, Stukeley, and Wolseley Roads, which, however, also contain some business men and a considerable percentage of clerks. Cheshunt Road contains self-contained flats with separate doors, two rooms, kitchen, and wash-house : these are let at 7s. The houses in Sylvan Road, one of the oldest in the ward, are rented at 8s. and 8s. 6d., and contain four rooms and a wash-house ; while in the roads to the north-east of the ward, the accommodation is five rooms and a wash-house, and the rents vary according to the design of the fronts. Where there are no bay windows the rent is 9s. ; other rents are 9s. 6d. and 10s. ; and six rooms with a wash-house can be had for 10s. 6d. and us. In one of these roads houses of a good class have been put up, where five rooms, a bath, and a portable copper in a small wash-house are to be had for us. 6d. These let well, and are occupied by foremen and men in business in the City. Ferndale, Oakdale, and Elm- hurst Roads, and St. George's Square contain six-roomed houses at 10s. or us. a week, with concrete fronts. The tenants are mostly artisans or shop assistants, a few only go to business in the City. The same is true of Beauchamp Road, where half-houses are let at 6s. 6d., the rent for the whole being 12s. or 12s. 6d. Even in Khedive Road some houses produce 6s. 6d. per half-house, while others are let at ^30 a year, but in general the tenants are well-to-do people. Between this road and Upton Lane is an estate of a superior character, comprising Lancaster, Kingsley, and neighbouring roads, in which eight-roomed houses are let at 13s. a week ; and a similar neighbourhood, lying north of this, where seven rooms and offices are rented for 14s. a week or .£3 a calendar month. These houses are seldom unoccupied if they are in good repair. An old estate with larger gardens HOUSING 45 comprises Palmerston, Westbury, and Victoria Roads. West- bury Road was formed before i860, but the first houses were built in 1861—62. The remainder of the estate was developed in 1865. Here the rents vary from us. a week to .£30 a year, and the tenants are well-off middle-class people. In Glenparke Road, which is close by, rents vary from us. to 14s. a week. West Ham Ward. The London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway forms the southern, and the Great Eastern Railway part of the western boundary of the ward. Two tram routes cross the ward from north to south, one, the Plaistow Road, leading from Stratford to Plaistow, the other, Stopford Road, leading from Upton to Plaistow. The Plaistow Road consists mainly of small shops. Some of the oldest houses in the borough lie to the north-west of the ward in the section formed by the northern part of the tram route and Abbey Road, and others of the same age were pulled down when the street was widened for the tram lines. Those which remain are to be found in several old courts off Church Street on the side opposite West Ham Church, which dates from 1135. Some, rented at 6s. 6d., consist of four rooms and a wash-house, and have very small windows and open ranges in the kitchens. They have small gardens in some cases, and overlook an open space of vacant land, while those in the courts, which have no view, are let at 5s. Here and there are small de- tached cottages with gardens. One of these, one storey in height, and consisting of two rooms and a wash-house, stands in a large garden with an ancient mulberry tree ; it is let at 8s. Behind a row of houses, some of which are probably 150 to 200 years old, lies a considerable piece of vacant land which is not laid out for building, and has no proper approach. There are also one or two courts off the Portway which are very old. But, with the exception of these courts and Marcus Street, where the tenants belong 46 WEST HAM to the poorest class, this neighbourhood, including the whole area between Stephen's Road and the Portway, is inhabited by comparatively well-to-do people. There are, for instance, engineers in the Tilbury and other works, whose daughters are often clerks in the City and elsewhere, and regular labourers whose daughters work in the leather, cloth, and other factories. Farther east, the streets off the Portway are inhabited by artisans, dockers of the superior class, such as tallymen, and a few clerks ; but some are occupied by casual labourers. In Pelly Road, for example, the houses have six rooms, and are sublet by the tenants, although there are not conveniences for two families. In this road there are also some three-storied houses let in floors. These belong to a type built about fifty years ago. In Caistor Park Road, and generally in the roads between it and Stopford Road, whole houses used to be let at 7s., but now fetch 12s. or 14s., and are usually let in halves. Between Stephen's Road and the Northern Outfall Sewer live mainly irregular and casual workers. This is a very poor district, the better part being at the eastern end towards the Plaistow Road. At the poorer end adjoining Manor Road, houses usually have six rooms, and in some cases underground wash-houses and cellars ; they are let to one family, but subletting is very common, although there are no conveniences for double occupation. In Eve Road the rents are 7s. 6d. or 8s. for six rooms, and the tenants sublet, but in this case water and open ranges are pro- vided on the upper floors. In Corporation Street are houses built by the West Ham Corporation as part of a scheme for housing the working-classes. The works of the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway adjoin this street, and many of the employes live in the roads to the north and east of the works. The section east of Stopford Road to Green Street, the borough boundary, is of a different character from the rest of the ward, being new and more like Forest Gate. It has been built on part of the Manor of Upton. It is inhabited by clerks in the City, and people of a fairly well-to-do class. HOUSING 47 The houses in Stopford Road are let at an annual rent of ^36. In the other roads, the usual rent is 14s. for eight rooms. The houses are often shared or sublet. Plaistow Ward. The Plaistow Ward lies between the London, Tilbury, and Southend line on the north and the Northern Outfall Sewer on the south and west. The four main types of tenants found in the borough are all to be met with in the Plaistow Ward, namely, the casual labourer, the labourer in regular work, the artisan, and the clerk, shop assistant, or small business man. An analysis of the occupations of tenants in a poor parish in this ward was furnished by the clergy and is given on p. 49. The poorest districts are the culs-de-sac off the High Street, the area at the rear of St. Mary's Church, the Upton Park end of St. Mary's Road, and the Surrey and Kent Street area. They are inhabited by casual and irregular workers. The houses are mostly sublet, either in halves or in single rooms ; the rent is about 3s. 6d. for the half-house and is. 9d. for a single room. Labourers in steady work are to be found in the avenues off Balaam Street, on the Salmen Road estate, where four- roomed houses can be obtained at 6s. 6d. to 7s. a week, and in Chesterton Terrace and the neighbouring roads, where flats and half-houses are let at 5s. 6d. to 6s. 6d. per week. Artisans and mechanics, employed at the Beckton Gas- works, the Thames Iron Works, and other factories within or on the outskirts of the borough, mainly live in the district between Greengate Street and the boundary of the West Ham Ward. The Corporation has recently established a tramway depot in the centre of the ward, and this gives employment to six or seven hundred men. In the east of the ward is a large estate, known as the Bemerside estate, which was acquired about thirty years ago, and has been developed within the last few years. The houses 48 WEST HAM in the eastern portion of this estate were only built about two years ago, and Boundary Road is still in course of construc- tion. The Boundary Road houses, which overlook some vacant land in the borough of East Ham, are of two types. Some have four rooms and are let at 8s. 6d. per week, or sold freehold at about ^220 ; these houses are mostly bought by artisans through the agency of provident societies. The others, containing five rooms and a bathroom with hot and cold water, have a 20-foot frontage and are sold freehold for ^335 to ^340 to occupiers who are mostly of the servant-keeping class. These houses have conveniences, such as handles for opening the windows, patent catches on the cupboards, taps over the copper, and supposed adornments, for example, stained glass in the front door, marbled painting on the bays, and highly decorated fireplaces. The houses in the newest roads in this district all conform to one or other of these types. The rule is for each occupier to own his house, but in one case an entire block has been acquired by one man. A number of clerks and shop assistants in the City live on the Bemerside estate and in the adjoining roads. The houses in Stirling, Dundee, Edinburgh, Perth, and the adjoining roads which have five rooms, a wash-house, pantry, and sanitary accommodation at a rent of 9s. 6d., are also in great demand as they are within easy reach of Plaistow Station. Eastern Plaistow and the roads near Upton Park Station are also largely inhabited by people whose work lies in the City. Seafaring men of various grades are to be found in the better districts in which a considerable number of people are living in their own houses. Off the Broadway and Balaam Street are several old houses with large gardens like those in the Romford Road, but they are gradually disappearing as they are difficult to let and the ground is too valuable to be kept as gardens. In the centre of the ward there are a Passmore Edwards Library and Corporation Baths, with a winter gymnasium made by boarding over one of the swimming baths. In Grange Road are a cripples' school and a centre for mentally HOUSING 49 defective children. There is a Recreation Ground adjoining the Tramways Depot. An analysis of the occupations of tenants in a poor parish in Plaistow shows that out of a total of 2447 occupied houses 496 were tenanted by two families and 80 by three families ; 304 of the occupiers described themselves as widows. The house- holders were employed as follows: 304 were dock labourers, 705 general labourers, 101 engaged in the railway service, 225 in the building trades, 42 in the engineering trades, 7 police- men, 45 sailors, 26 clerks, 6 dock foremen, 28 charwomen, 593 in miscellaneous trades, including tailors, shoemakers, com- positors, cabmen, commercial travellers, &c. Canning Town Ward. The main thoroughfare between the west and the east of the southern division of the borough is the Barking Road, part of which, from the iron bridge over the Lea towards Poplar, to Hermit Road leading northward to Plaistow, lies within the Canning Town Ward. There are no large streets running north and south. Victoria Dock Road, Rathbone Street, and Star Lane are the chief streets in the ward. Old Canning Town is cut off from the more modern district by the Great Eastern Railway, which intersects the ward from north to south. This district contains some of the oldest houses in South West Ham. The suggestion was made in the census of 1 84 1 that its sudden growth was due to the opening of the East and West India Docks in Poplar, but the docks are at a considerable distance from Old Canning Town, and in those days there was a toll-gate on the iron bridge. Our informa- tion shows that the rapid expansion was chiefly due to the Beckton Gas Works and the Thames Iron Works, though the docks probably increased it to some extent. Old Canning Town contains some wharves along the river Lea, the West Ham Electrical Generating Station with its stores and workshops, and an area of old houses inhabited by the very poor. The majority of the houses in this part have four rooms and a wash-house. None of them were D 5 o WEST HAM built for more than one family, and some were originally intended for shop and residence combined. Several of the streets contain a number of derelict houses. The part north of the Barking Road and east of the railway is rather newer, having been built from 1888 onwards. The building between Barking Road and Star Lane was accomplished in sections between 1888 and 1896, and that north of Star Lane between 1898 and 1905. From Star Lane to West Ham Station (London, Tilbury, and Southend) the houses are rather scattered. The land has been laid out for building, but considerable tracts are still vacant. The district was developed by three persons. The houses in most cases have six rooms ; they were intended to be sublet by the tenant, but are now let in halves by the agent, usually at 5s. 6d. and 5s. 9d. for a half-house, sometimes the upper half, sometimes the lower, being the more expensive. Some of the newer houses have four or five rooms, and are let to one tenant at 7s. 6d. and 8s. 6d. respec- tively. The agent who manages them allows no subletting of unfurnished rooms. Two streets consist of cottages with five rooms, rented at 7s. 6d. and 8s. 6d. The district is inhabited chiefly by regular and casual labourers and a few mechanics, including some factory labourers of the more permanent type from Silvertown. The portion of the ward which lies south of the Barking Road consists of a group of sixteen streets. It forms one of the oldest areas in the south of the borough, and grew up with the increase of the Thames Iron Works. The houses vary from 7s. to 8s. 6d. for six rooms, and in some of the streets there are houses with three stories containing eight rooms, let at 10s. to 10s. 6d. The neighbourhood is of mixed character. There are a few old tenants who have been in these houses eighteen or twenty years, and many casual labourers who get practically no work. Factory labourers, iron workers formerly employed in the Thames Iron Works or in one of the small iron foundries, of which there were several in the district, and a few boiler-makers whose work has become casual, are to be found in this area. HOUSING 51 In the centre of the ward are the Public Hall and the Free Library. Before the building of the hall, the only meeting-place for the large population of South West Ham was the Stratford Town Hall. Hudson's Ward. The wide thoroughfare of the Barking Road divides this ward into two nearly equal sections, and New Barn Street again divides the south-eastern half into two parts of rather different character. At the west end of this half of the ward, near Barking Road, are houses built from sixty to seventy years ago, whereas those farther east, between Denmark Street and the Beckton Road, are comparatively new, having only been built about ten years. In Beckton Road itself, the houses near New Barn Street were not built till 1893, but those at the Barking Road end are forty years old. In the older half of this section, Outram, Seaton, and Frank Streets are mainly inhabited by workers of the most irregular type, though there are among them a few tenants of long standing, relics of better days. Ethel Street, James Street, and Avenons Road are occupied by regular labourers and a considerable number of mechanics. The inhabitants of Fisher Street and Edward Street are about equally divided between the casual and regular classes of labourers. In them may be found a number of the sect called Peculiar People, who form their own exclusive gangs at Beckton Gasworks, and out of work hours also associate only with others of their own way of thinking. Several are said to have bought their houses, which are freehold. In Alexander Street, also, there were, until five years ago, some members of the sect, but now the street is mainly split up into half-houses, and about 80 per cent, of the houses are inhabited by casual labourers. East of New Barn Street the houses have been for the most part built within the last five years, and others are in course of construction. Large tracts of land adjoining Prince Regent's Lane are still under cultivation, principally 52 WEST HAM on the east side of the lane, but also to some extent on the west. The new houses built in this part of the ward, being on the edge of the borough and near open fields, are of a better class. They are designed for people who keep a servant. St. Andrew's Road is inhabited by clergy, officials at the Town Hall and libraries, foremen, and clerks in good positions. Crofton, Wigston, Belgrave, and Wanlip Roads, to the north of this section, are occupied mainly by mechanics, several of whom own their houses. In the two former the houses have five rooms and a wash-house, and are let at 8s. to 8s. 6d. ; in the latter the rents are ios. and us. , and the accommodation is six large rooms and a wash-house. The other half of Hudson's Ward, north of the Barking Road, consists mainly of four- and six-roomed houses of the older type, which were not designed for two families. They are inhabited chiefly by dockers and casual labourers, and are rented at 6s. to 7s. for four rooms and a wash-house. The Corporation Dwellings in Bethell Avenue form the only modern accommodation. A description of the dwellings will be found on page 118 sqq. A tract of about six acres in the middle of this district is not yet built on. A convent of French Sisters, who keep a school for which they collect funds in the West End, has moved to this part of the ward from the Barking Road. In one or two of the streets several of the tenants own their own houses ; and one of these streets, which is managed entirely by one agent, seemed particularly well kept. Hermit Road, the western boundary of the ward, contains houses and shops of an old type, many of which seem to have been built on a marsh without adequate foundations, and are gradually subsiding into the soil. In Balaam Street, a thoroughfare leading through Plaistow to the north of the borough, there are several old houses, in one of which Burke used to live. These have large gardens. A large estate in the southern part of this ward has been developed within the last five years by the leaseholder, and remains under his management. No subletting of houses is knowingly allowed on this property. Some of the houses are HOUSING 53 let in halves with accommodation upstairs for a second family, others as whole houses for one family, others in self-contained flats. The half-houses are of two types. One variety has three rooms and a wash-house, the upper tenement, which is rather the larger, being let at 6s., the lower at 5s. Some smaller houses of the same type are let at 5s. 6d. for the upper, and 5s. 3d. for the lower halves. The other variety has one front door opening on two staircases. It has three rooms upstairs, with sink and water in the kitchen, and the same accommodation downstairs, with the addition of a wash- house. The whole houses are rented at 9s., and contain six rooms and wash-house. The parlour, kitchen, one bedroom, and the wash-house are on the ground floor, and the other three bedrooms upstairs. In some cases there are only two bedrooms upstairs, a large front room taking the place of two. It will be seen that the ward contains a great variety of houses and inhabitants. It attracts the casual labourer because of its closeness to the docks, and on the eastern side, where the land is open for several miles, good class tenants inhabit the houses that are built on the outskirts of the town. The west and north-western part of the ward consists mainly of old houses, built originally for one family, and now split up and inhabited by labourers and factory workers, regular and casual. Tidal Basin Ward. Tidal Basin Ward is so called from the tidal basin of the Victoria Dock, which separates the ward from Silvertown. It is bounded on the west by the river Lea. The ward is mostly inhabited by casual labourers, the majority of whom endeavour to find a living at the docks. Until two years ago the Thames Iron Works, which lie within the ward, were another large source of employment. Butcher's Road, running north and south, is the only large thoroughfare. The rest of the ward consists of small streets running in every direction, with entire lack of design. The Victoria Dock Road, which runs through the southern 54 WEST HAM part of the ward, is one of the oldest roads in the south of the borough. Though the area in acres is large, it will be seen from the map that the ward contains considerable tracts of land on which houses cannot be built. For instance, the Thames Iron Works cover an area of over 26 acres, and a railway with three branches and sidings runs through the ward. In the extreme south the triangle formed by two branches of the railway and the tidal basin contains some of the oldest houses in the ward. These seem to have been built at the same time as the Victoria Dock, and are now inhabited mainly by coal porters, dock labourers, and some factory workers. In this area, almost adjoining the Swing Bridge, there is a block of tenement dwellings. They are dated 1866 and are of the early type, with doors that open on to balconies, which are approached by a single staircase down the middle. The lower tenements are below the level of the bridge and its approach, and are very dark. The group of streets east of Butcher's Road are now mainly inhabited by the casual class of worker living in half- houses, but five or six years ago were tenanted by a better class. Certain streets on the north-east of Butcher's Road are still inhabited by artisans, with a sprinkling of casual labourers. South of this group the casual labourers pre- dominate, and only about 25 per cent, of the tenants may be taken to be in regular work. A group of eleven streets in the south-eastern part of the ward, close to the docks, is inhabited mainly by coal porters, who are obliged to live within a small radius in order that they may be called as soon as a boat comes in. The other inhabitants of these roads are mainly casual dock labourers, a small percentage of regular labourers, coal porters who usually inhabit half-houses. The houses in these streets have been divided into halves within the last five years, about half being sublet by the tenants, and the rest let as half-houses by the agent. They mostly contain six rooms, three on each floor, with a wash-house downstairs, containing a common sink, copper, and water-supply, and each half lets for 4s. 6d. HOUSING 55 Most of the ranges are open. Some of the houses are of the type in which the window of the middle room opens into a glass-roofed wash-house. In one of these streets, which is about twenty years old, are some flats which have two back doors, but only one front door and a common yard. About half of the inhabitants of Butcher's Road are steve- dores and regular dockers, and half belong to the very casual class. The streets between Butcher's Road and Freemason's Road contain six-roomed houses at 9s. 6d. per house, or 4s. 6d. per half-house let by the agent. They are fitted with sink and water upstairs, but are badly arranged downstairs, as the tenant has to go outside to reach the wash-house, which contains the only tap. We were told that these houses cost about ^200 to build ten years ago, and that the rent was 1 os. 6d. when they were new ; they would now be worth about ^100 leasehold. In this part of the ward is one of the two higher elemen- tary schools in the borough, and to the north of it a tract of about seven acres, laid out in roads, but not yet built upon. This is the only considerable open space in the ward. There is a group of sixteen streets, begun in 1900 and finished in 1904, consisting mainly of two-storied houses with two self-contained flats, each letting at 5s. The upper flat has four rooms and a wash-house, and the lower three rooms and a wash-house. Some are larger and let at 6s. 6d., another variety with two doors under one porch at 6s. These houses have flat roofs, which, as we were informed by the collector, are liable to leak very much, as they are made of felt or tarpaulin, with sand or earth on the top, coated with pitch. It is also said that this form of roof is expensive, as it requires very frequent repairs. The tenants are mainly general labourers, dockers, and casual workers. In three of the streets the inhabitants are fairly well employed, as there is a glass bottle factory on the estate. In this part of the ward a mat factory and printing works employ a large number of women and girls. A group of streets in the north-west of the ward, which 56 WEST HAM is the oldest part and farthest removed from any open space, are inhabited mainly by casual or unemployed labourers. Some years ago the Town Council contemplated closing one of the streets in this area, but refrained because the agents made an effort to improve it. Some of the houses were in a state of extreme dilapidation, the floors, window frames, and doors having been used as firewood by the tenants, and the stoves sold for old iron. They cost £16 per house to do up. The lowest class of loafers and very irregular workers live in the short streets and culs-de-sac off the Victoria Dock Road. In one short street were six different types of houses ; at the end a block of half-a-dozen were ruined and unin- habited ; some six-roomed houses, in very bad repair, were let in halves at 3s. 6d. each half. They were in a filthy condition with wet walls and paper peeling off, and were inhabited by tenants who had only sacks for bedding. In some of these houses four families have lived at one time. The houses of the eastern part of the Victoria Dock Road, which runs by the side of the railway, are built on marsh- land of the same level as the Thames. In relaying the drains in one of these streets a few years ago water was found about four feet below the surface. The walls were very damp, but since then damp courses have been put in several houses by order of the sanitary authority. In a street in this group the rents were 6s. 6d. ten years ago. They went up to 9s. in 1898, but have since fallen to 7s. 6d. In the north-western part of this road are shops, among which twenty empty ones were to be seen in January 1907. Costers' barrows took up the side of the road, which used to be a favourite market, especially on Friday and Saturday. Most of the trade has now gone, and the remaining costers are chiefly foreigners. When the Thames Iron Works had many ships on the stocks at the same time, these streets were inhabited by a good class of mechanic. Since then " the Marsh " — that is to say, Victoria Dock Road and the streets off it — has gradually degenerated. HOUSING 57 Custom House and Silvertown Ward. Custom House and Silvertown together form a ward, but they are distinct in character, and the dock forms a boundary between the two. Practically the whole ward was originally below the river level. The part adjoining Custom House Station is the oldest, having been built about thirty years ago. In 1888 building operations were carried out on a large scale, for work at the docks was very brisk, and there was no diffi- culty in letting houses to artisans of a good class, stevedores, regular dockhands, ship painters, bricklayers, carpenters, &c. Houses were put up in large numbers. As the outlying dis- tricts developed, the more prosperous inhabitants moved out to new houses in better neighbourhoods, and their place was taken by people of another class, chiefly casual dock labourers, costers, and hangers-on, a class of tenant whose rents are difficult to obtain. We have been informed by a rent-col- lector, who knows the district well, that the new-comers were largely families from the eastern parts of London, who had been displaced by the clearing of congested areas and the building of model dwellings. The old houses in the Custom House district, chiefly round the station, are generally four- or five-roomed houses at 7s. to 8s. 6d. a week. The newer houses are of various types, containing four, five, and six rooms, the rents varying from 7s. to 10s. As often happens, many of these have now to accommodate two or more families, though built for a single household. The four-roomed houses with wash-houses are not adapted for two families, but they sometimes contain more than two, and subletting is very frequent. Where the rent is above 7s. there is a second range upstairs, but the upper tenement has not always a water-supply, and rarely a copper. New houses of a better type are, however, increas- ing, and, as they are let at the same rent, the demand for old ones with bad arrangements is falling off. Some of the newer roads eastwards, near the dock, are still inhabited by a superior class, stevedores, foremen, and seafaring people ; 58 WEST HAM and here and there may be found small rows of houses which seem to have been built before the district became industrial. Much of the land has been developed during the last few years, and building is going on, while there is still a large tract of vacant land to the east. There is a large recreation ground to the north, and a Carnegie library near it. Silvertown is a large area with few inhabitants. A great deal of space is used for industrial purposes, and the houses occupy a central strip, interrupted by the graving dock. The whole of the north of the district is taken up by Tidal Basin, the Victoria Dock, and part of the Albert Dock ; and between the docks and the river is a road with large factories on its southern side, most of which have frontages and wharves on the river. Its inhabitants are men who work or hope to work in the factories. Some of them would be found at the docks in the slack seasons, but there are very few habitual dockers. A large number are working at the factory wharves, and in these only a part of the work is done by permanent men, job hands being taken on in busy seasons. There are thus a great many casual labourers in the district. The " staid men " (the expression " staid " is applied to regular workers who are over thirty-five) employed in factories or on factory wharves, as a general rule live in Silvertown, and the young men in Canning Town or elsewhere. The inhabitants of Silvertown complain greatly of the fumes and smells from some of the factories. The machinery used in non-chemical factories is said to be affected by these fumes. Silvertown is divided into east and west by a part of the Great Eastern Railway. East Silvertown dates from fifty years ago, and came into existence to supply accommodation for the workers in three large factories. Some of the houses have bay windows, well-lighted stairs, and a grate as well as a copper in the wash-house. They are let at 7s. 6d. now, and are said to have been 9s. before the flood of 1888. West Silvertown was built to house labourers in the docks and newer factories. The character of the accommodation varies much. In the part nearest the lock are some older houses, built originally for dock labourers. They have neither HOUSING 59 bay windows nor forecourts, and are let at 8s. 6d., the accom- modation consisting of four rooms. Several streets are laid out, but not yet built upon. In one new street are self-con- tained flats with three rooms, let at 6s. 6d. When the Albert Dock and some of the factories were being built there was a great demand for houses, the rents for five-roomed houses being as much as 14s. But the tram- ways have now made it possible for workers in the factories to live farther away, and many of them live in the Tidal Basin and Canning Town wards. West Silvertown contains some very small and badly built houses, with small yards. We are informed by one of the house-agents in the district that before the drainage system was completed his firm expended a large sum in repairing floors rotted by damp. In one case, a firm of manufacturers built the houses on one side of a road for their men, and nine out of ten of these houses are inhabited by workers in their factory. The owners still collect the rents, which are not deducted from the wages, and the houses are good. Three streets in other parts of Silvertown have been built by employers for their work- people, who form the majority of the tenants. Several of the streets are inhabited by German Poles employed at glass works in North Woolwich, and by Russian Poles working in Silvertown factories. It is probable that the 1002 Germans and the 495 Russians and Russian Poles who are given in the 190 1 census as resident in the borough of West Ham are mainly inhabitants of Silver- town. These people's homes are described as clean but often overcrowded. In some cases a man and his wife take a house and let out rooms with several beds in them to foreigners working in the factories. These beds are said sometimes to be " nursed," i.e. occupied by two shifts in Box and Cox fashion, and we have also heard of beds under the staircase. In the North Woolwich Road is the Tate Institute, which is open to men on payment of 5s. a year, and provides a library and facilities for billiards, cards, &c. 6o WEST HAM Ward Mortality Statistics. Deaths in 1906. Ward. Estimated Population Death Rate per 1000. Infant Mortality middle of 1906. Under 1 Year. 1 Year and Upwards. Total Deaths. per 1000 Births. New Town . . 19-585 7i 229 300 15-3 131 Forest Gate 21,305 53 187 240 11. 2 122 High Street 20,689 IOI 248 349 16.8 152 Broadway . 16,950 67 146 213 12.5 151 Park . . 16,586 35 150 185 1 1.1 90 Upton . . 18,734 38 168 206 10.9 107 West Ham 35,483 161 347 508 14-3 144 Plaistow 32,590 147 345 492 15. 1 129 Hudson's . 28,714 161 347 508 17.6 161 Canning Town . 27,723 158 332 490 17.6 170 Tidal Basin . . 33,733 206 416 622 18.4 163 Custom House . 29,525 170 327 497 16.8 181 301,617 1368 3242 4610 15.2 148 1906 Births. — The number of births registered during the year was 9193, being 175 more than the previous year, but 148 less than the average number during the last ten years. The birth rate for the year was 30.4 per 1000, while the average birth rate during the ten years 1896-1905 was 33.5 per 1000. Distributed among the various wards of the borough, the births were as follows : — Births. Rate per Ward. Males. Females. Total. 1000 Population. New Town . . . . i 262 278 54° 27.5 Forest Gate 217 217 434 20.3 High Street 343 321 664 32.I Broadway 232 209 441 26.0 Park . 203 185 388 23.4 Upton . | 192 162 354 18.8 West Ham 566 552 1 1 18 3i-5 Plaistow 59i 545 1 1 36 34-8 Hudson's | 505 490 995 34-6 Canning Town 465 462 927 33-4 Tidal Basin . 639 620 1259 37-3 Custom House 484 453 937 3i-7 4699 4494 9193 30.4 CHAPTER IV Method of Tabulation of Rent Books — Discussion of Tables and Diagrams — Tables — Diagrams. The tables and diagrams 1 printed below have been obtained from an analysis of the weekly rent books belonging to thirteen agents who collect rents and manage property in the borough of West Ham. In one or two cases agents are in possession of rent books which refer to years before 1888. It has not, however, been possible to make any use of these old books, as it was impossible to trace the houses in subsequent years owing to change of name of the property or the naming or renumbering of streets. It is fortunate that so many agents have kept their records as far back as 1888. In many cases these were recovered after much trouble. The method adopted has been as follows : — Tabulations were made of the exact condition at the beginning of each quarter of each house shown in every rent book, showing the following details, viz. (1) the total rent payable for the quarter, (2) the total amount received during a quarter, and (3) the total amount of arrears incurred or paid off. In addition, it was stated if the house was empty ; or, if a change of tenant took place at the quarterly period, it was noted. It will be remarked that the total number of empty houses and of changes of tenant are not recorded in any of the tables, as the labour involved in such a calculation would have been too great. It must be borne in mind that the numbers of houses belonging to any agent vary very much from year to year. Cottage property is frequently bought and sold. An agent may be managing a hundred houses one month, and perhaps 1 The rents are inclusive of rates. 61 62 WEST HAM only a dozen the next, and vice versa. It was not possible to trace the agents by whom property was managed after it changed hands, because 50 or 100 houses often pass from the hands of a single agent to a number of different owners. For this reason the number of houses of which particulars have been tabulated have varied from quarter to quarter and from year to year. In the first set of diagrams the whole number of houses tabulated have been dealt with for the twelve wards of the borough, taken together, and also in some cases separately. It will be seen from the figures that the number of obser- vations varies considerably from quarter to quarter, and from year to year, but the total number is so large, representing altogether about one-eighth of the cottage property in West Ham, that the numbers are believed to be a fair sample from which to deduce the conditions of cottage property as a whole. 1 The number of observations at each particular rental is influenced by the selling and buying of property, which tends to obscure the rise or fall of rents to some extent, and though this may in some cases throw out slightly the curves for the separate wards, the table in which the results for all the wards are taken together will be found to represent the actual variation in conditions. In the second diagram all the houses have been taken for which the records were continuous from 1888 to the present time i.e. just over 300 out of the total houses tabulated. These houses are situated in five wards of the borough, three in the southern and two in the northern portion. As the number of houses is practically the same all through, the figures give an exact account of variation, quarter by quarter, for eighteen years. It would occupy too much space to trace in detail the fortunes of a large number of individual houses, but, by way of illustration, the facts relating to twenty have been set out in tabular form. 2 By this means the rise or fall of rent, the 1 An exception, however, is that, of the 1600 houses added in the first quarter of 1904, about 800 are self-contained flats which correspond to half-houses. 2 See p. 96. HOUSING 63 variation in arrears, the change of tenants, and the times when each house was empty, can readily be seen. In Diagram I. and the corresponding figures may be seen the movement of rent and arrears of a considerable number of houses in all wards of the borough from 1888 to 1905 inclusive. The number of observations varies roughly from 1000 to 6000, as the agents or their clients bought or sold houses. As, however, the total number of houses in 1888 was considerably less than in 1905, and as the number of observations increases from year to year, the change in number of observations is not of such importance as would at first sight be imagined. It would have been desirable to obtain particulars of every twentieth house in the whole borough, but this was obviously impossible, because only some of the agents keep their old books, and were ready to lend them for transcription. The distribution throughout the borough of the houses dealt with has been carefully con- sidered, and the results may be taken as typical of cottage property in the whole borough. A detailed examination by quarters would be prone to inaccuracy because of the change in numbers. For instance, it would be difficult to say why there was a drop of 6 per cent, in the second quarter of 1889, but if years only are taken, generalisation may be made with considerable probability of their accuracy. It may be suggested that the variations in rent would be vitiated if an agent suddenly acquired or lost the management of a con- siderable number of houses at a particular rental, but it should be remembered that thirteen agents have supplied particulars, and that the difference in rental between the houses to which the bulk of their work is confined is small. In these returns no quarterly houses are included ; they only apply to houses of which the rent is due week by week. Since much has been said about the effect of rates upon rent, the first comparison should be between the variations as shown by the two sets of figures. The rent curve begins in the year that West Ham became a county borough. It will be noticed that the variation in rents is from 7s. 2d. in 1888 to a maximum of 8s. 4d. in 1903, with a minimum of 6s. 9d., 64 WEST HAM which was most marked in 1891. Rents appear to have fallen considerably since 1903. During the same period the rates have almost doubled, moving from 5s. 8d. to 10s. 8d. in the pound. Corresponding variations from year to year are, however, noticeable. In 1892 both the rates and the rent were at the same level as in 1888. Rates rose from 1898 to 1903, while rents rose fairly consistently during the same period. The fall in rates during the next year is reflected in a fall of rent, but signs of correspondence in the opposite direction are wanting. From 1896-98 the rates fell from 8s. 5d. to 7s. 8d., and were only slightly raised in 1899, but rents rose steadily from 7s. 3d. to 8s. This may be accounted for by the house famine from which the greater part of East London was suffering during that period, and which caused great demand for houses during 1898 and the following years. In 1905 rents fell, while rates rose considerably. A comparison of increase in rent and rates is, in the case of West Ham, rather misleading, because the increases are out of proportion, for during the whole period 1 888-1 905, rents had first risen and then reached the level at which they started, while rates have almost doubled. It will be noticed that there was a slight fall of rent in 1893 and 1894, when employment was bad, but that a rise took place in 1895, though trade was only just beginning to revive. The years 1898, 1899, 1900, show a considerable increase in rent, as a result of the demand for houses during those years. In 1904 and 1905 the influence of bad trade seems to have a marked effect on rents, which fell considerably. Want of employment may be traced in the percentage of empty houses to the whole number, and it will be noted that in 1904 and 1905 this is remarkably high. The same effect may be seen in 1894, the previous occasion of cyclical depression, though the numbers are by no means so marked. From the percentage of empty houses it would appear that the most effective demand for houses was in 1899. The movement of arrears seems to have been at a high level until 1895, after which there was a very marked decrease HOUSING 65 until the end of 1899, when there was a gradual rise to the level of 1 888. It should be noted that the rise is more con- sistent than the fall, and in 1904 and 1905 the mean per- centage is higher than in any other two years. It is probable that the high percentage of arrears up till 1893 may be to some extent accounted for by the attitude of the agents, as rent-collecting was not so systematic as it is now. There was less competition between agents for the management of property, and when rates were not very high more laxity in the matter of arrears could be allowed. Such events as the Housing of the Working Classes Act of 1890, and the appointment of sanitary inspectors by the local authority in 1897, as we ^ as r i sm g rate charges, would have the effect of making landlords and agents more strict about out-goings in the form of arrears than when they could manage their property as they liked without interference in the matter of expenditure. The remarkable movement in the arrears curve for 1890 may probably be accounted for by the inclusion of houses in which particularly high arrears were allowed to run up and were subsequently wiped out. The growth and per- centage of arrears in 1903-4-5 is most capable of explanation if it is taken in connection with the number of empty houses. Agents were faced with the alternative of allowing consider- able arrears in the houses already inhabited, or of suffering a further increase on the already high percentage of empties, and seem to have considered that the former course was the best. It will be seen that the complaint of house-agents and owners of property that their affairs have never been worse is not without foundation. Rents are about the same as they were in 1888, rates have almost doubled, the percentage of empties is higher than it ever was, the movement of arrears is at a high level, the competition is severe, and the standard of management has been raised considerably. In Diagram II. is set out the average weekly rent of from 300 to 318 houses for which the record was complete from the beginning of 1888 to the end of 1905. It will be noticed E 66 WEST HAM that the rent rises from 7.5 in 1888 to 8.4 in 1905, though the actual rise is higher in years when the demand for houses was very great, and reached 9.1 in 1903. House-agents and others in West Ham assert that the greatest demand for houses began in 1898 and continued in 1899 to 1900, but though this is shown in the figures by the most rapid rise from quarter to quarter, either the demand seems to have continued until 1903, or house-agents and property owners miscalculated the market and kept their rents at a figure which the circumstances would not justify. In 1904-5 there was considerable unemployment in the borough, 1 and there was less demand for houses, and consequently a considerable reduction of rent. It is noticeable, how- ever, that no fall in rent is shown from the figures on the previous occasion of cyclical depression of trade in 1894. In comparing these two periods and their effects on rents, it should be remembered that in 1894 the popu- lation of the borough was increasing very rapidly, and depressed trade conditions were to some extent counteracted by the demand of new-comers and a growing population. If this allowance is made, the indication given by the slower rise in rent in 1894, 1895, and 1896 may be compared with the fall in 1904 and 1905. Unfortunately the figures do not go back to the previous cyclical depression in 1886, so that a further comparison is not possible. Besides the rise and fall in rent, the relation between quarterly arrears and quarterly rent is shown by a curve. The years from 1898 to 1900 show the demand by a low per- centage of arrears, which remain without much fluctuation in successive quarters, and the trade depression in 1894 is more noticeable from the irregular but high percentage of arrears than from the variations in rental. A very similar effect is noticeable in 1904-5, where the movement is irregular at a high level. The demand for houses may be seen in a striking degree by the number of houses empty at the quarterly periods. It would appear from the figures that the demand began in the 1 See Diagrams XXIV. and XXV. HOUSING 67 summer of 1896 and reached its height in 1899, while 1897 and 1898 were good years for the house owners, and 1900 showed very little falling off. The depression is very marked in 1904 and 1905, and though noticeable in 1894 and 1895 in comparison with the years that come after, is not so marked when compared with the previous years. In the years when houses were much sought after, the movement of the population as shown by the figures for new tenants at the quarterly periods is less, as would naturally be expected, but beyond this the figures do not seem to indicate any rise or fall in prosperity, nor are they comparable with other returns. It is, however, surprising that on the whole the movement is less in the last ten years than in the previous eight, and that the percentage of houses which have new tenants should rise as high as nine or ten on so many occasions. A detailed comparison of the rents in each of the wards is not possible, as in some cases the record is broken, and in others the number of observations is too small for satisfactory results. Of the seven wards taken for comparison, three are in the neighbourhood of the docks. It will be noticed that the movement of arrears in these is both irregular and at a high level, except in Hudson's Ward after 1897. The de- mand for houses in 1898, 1899, and 1900 is reflected in the variation of arrears in all three wards. The property dealt with is similar in the three wards, and the difference between the arrears in Hudson's Ward after 1897 and in the others is remarkable, and is due to differences in management. The relation between rents and employment is not very clearly marked. The Canning Town and Plaistow Wards show less irregu- larity in arrears, which are at a lower level than in the wards near the docks. The demand for houses is shown by a markedly low percentage of arrears for three years. In the West Ham Ward the arrears move most irregularly for the most part, except in years of good employment and demand for houses. The houses in the Park Ward are of a higher class than 68 WEST HAM those in the other wards, and the rise and fall of arrears is at a low level, with one or two exceptions. The selected houses, of which the rents are given together, are set out by wards in four diagrams and tables. As one ward contained only a very few houses, no diagram at all is given. Two of the diagrams refer to houses in wards north of the Tilbury Railway, though one of the wards is classed with the southern wards, the other two to wards south of that line. In the Park Ward the rent moves from 9s. ^d. to 10s. yd., with a maximum of 10s. 9d. in 1900, and a very considerable reduction in 1901 and 1902. The rent in West Ham Ward seemed to rise almost continuously until 1904, when it drops slightly. In both cases the median follows the average closely, though the changes are more sharply marked, and in the Park Ward the average rent is rather higher than the median rent. In Hudson's Ward the average rent moves from 5s. 9d. in 1888 to 7s. 9d. in 1905, with a maximum of 8s. in 1902, 1903, and 1904. From 1888 to 1905 there is no break in the rise of rent. In Custom House the movement is from 7s. 2d. to 8s., with a maximum of 9s. 2d. in 1901, 1902, and 1903. The rise is continuous from 1889 to 1904, but the fall in 1905 is considerable. It is noticeable that in the case of lower class property the increase of rent is steady, and moves more evenly. This is probably due to the increase of casual labour and the growing demand for houses at a low rental. While the average rent of houses in Hudson's Ward, starting at 5s. 9d., rose to 8s. without a break, and only in 1905 was reduced to 7s. 9d., the average rent in Custom House started rather above 7s., and at first fell, and then rose to 9s. 2d., afterwards falling to 8s. The more rapid rise took place in Custom House in 1898 and 1899, and in Hudson's Ward in 1897 and 1898, though in the latter case the rise was only about half that of the former. The result for the West Ham and Park Wards are rather different. Rents fell in 1905, when trade was depressed, though in the Park Ward there was a continuous rise during HOUSING 69 that year and the next. The demand for houses in 1898 and 1899 is reflected in the curves for the Park Ward, but the rent in the West Ham Ward was unaffected until the latter year. The Park Ward is one of the best in the borough, and in the case of these particular houses the number of empties was remarkably few through the whole period, so that the curve of rent is not affected as it is in West Ham Ward, where a high number of empty houses in 1888 precedes a reduction of rent in 1889. The rate of increase in rent is greatest in Hudson's Ward (is. 9d.), high in the Park Ward (is. 3d.), and not considerable in Custom House (8d.) and West Ham (6d.), though the rise in Custom House was 2s. until 1904. It will be seen from these figures that the lower rents have a greater tendency to rise than those of better class property, and that the rise is greater in proportion to the rent. In the better property the variation of arrears moves at a considerably lower level, and is more even than in Hudson's and Custom House Wards, where the variations are very marked. The difference between the summer and winter quarters is in most cases remarkable in these two wards, but in the Park Ward the arrears do not seem to drop very regularly in the summer, as in the Hudson's, Custom House, and (to a less extent) West Ham Wards. In Table XVI. is shown the history of twenty typical houses for varying periods between 1875 and the present time. They have been chosen from typical streets in all parts of the borough. The streets are various, and range from one of the worst slums to respectable roads inhabited by artisans and clerks. It will be noticed that in the majority of instances the highest rents are reached in 1898, 1899, or 1900, and that there is a decline after these years. These results are similar to those shown by the previous diagrams and tables. Three of the houses (A, C, and T) have been divided for two families. Houses A and C are both in very poor streets, one in North, the other in South West Ham. The high percentage of arrears in house A is noticeable. House T is 70 WEST HAM in a good street in the middle of the borough, where the demand for half-houses is not decided. The rise in rent during thirty years is well shown by house M, though the movement upwards is by no means steady. House V is an instance of rapid rise of rent throughout the street, which is a short one, and is looked upon as select and desirable. In several cases the rise in rent has been slow, but fairly continuous (E, L, H, N, O, P, R). In others the rent is either below or at the same level as it was twenty years ago (F, I, J, L). The percentage of arrears depends partly upon the tenants and partly upon the way the property is managed, 1 and varies very greatly with different neighbour- hoods. Houses B and F are let at the same rent, and managed by the same agent, yet the difference in arrears is remarkable. i Cf.p.us. DIAGRAMS AND TABLES 72 WEST HAM DIAGRAM I. — Twelve Wards. ^vo ^ oj o Jo* \Q co -^ w o CO CO 1 I I I I HOUSING DIAGRAM II. — Five Wards {Selected Houses). 73 GO <0 <# N O I ! I I ,4-1—1—1—1 00 » ^ Cl o CO to "* OJ O ~1 — I N I I X ►J a: cu E-t a. < a? PC cy I I I 1 — L oo to ^ c* O co co CO H 74 WEST HAM Diagram III. — Hudson's Ward. g) 7~ 1 1 1 1 1 / / k \ \ \ J : I 1 'l 1 1 T~r - I I I I I' =fc 1 1 1 I - 1 O~"0D VO ■"* OI O 3 o >> - fw OHO Vt OJ 6 I I I I I \< ,. I I I 11 O CO «3 «*■ O) O 82 WEST HAM DIAGRAM XI. — Custom House Ward {Selected Houses). ^ CO <0 "sf C\J o §"00 M O Mil I I I f s oo Mil «0 ^ > - CO en (P in CD " CN cn *4 Ch _ O CD - CT> CO 1 1 1 1 J 1. CO CO to 0"* CO © '* M O H 84 WEST HAM DIAGRAM XIII. — West Ham Ward {Selected Houses). CD ID ^ N O I I I I I J 1 L 1 J en CD a * < >-( M s to CD ID CD 8 aT~ ia ^ w o of < - C3 a CO o - a K CD >l Of . w to o at < H K W N u 01 a w n, III) co^io ^ w Oi CO «0 f N O /> I I I 00 to 1" N 6 I 7 6 I ,, 1216 7.5 592S-4 I95- 2 3-3 9° 101 ft -7 ft T2l8 -7 c E 004 ft 5no 7 •J. 6 78 III TABLE III. — Twelve Wards. Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. Arrears for Quarter. Percentage of Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Dwellings. s. £ £ Per Cent. 1888 981 7.2 4563-5 241.4 5-3 54 173 5) 960 7.2 4460. 1 175-4 3-9 90 179 ,, 944 7-1 4370.9 207.5 4-7 106 136 9 J 1060 7-4 5004.1 184.8 3.7 78 162 1889 987 7-3 4509-5 204.0 4-5 53 135 ,, 938 6.9 4215.8 199-3 4-7 84 125 55 909 7.0 4122.7 195.7 4-7 69 104 55 846 7.0 3856.3 103.0 2-7 66 in I89O 1062 7.0 4798.0 389-8 8.1 55 104 ,, 1067 7.0 4866.0 220.2 4-5 81 90 55 1054 7.0 4816.5 130.5 2.7 73 96 55 1042 7.0 4756.0 193-5 4.1 81 80 I89I 1360 6.9 6096.6 328.0 5-4 77 55 >> 1351 6.9 6080.1 262.4 4-3 1 10 76 )5 1354 6.9 61 14.7 300.5 4-9 130 90 J > 1361 7.0 6184.4 297.8 4.8 129 100 1892 1451 7-1 6744.0 328.7 4.9 9i 90 > s 1434 7-2 6695.7 328.1 4.9 148 107 >> 1428 7.2 6692.0 238.2 3-6 151 104 55 1415 7-3 6670.0 323.3 4.8 139 63 1893 1929 7-i 8942.6 453-3 5-i 139 112 55 1992 7-i 9215.8 423.2 4.6 183 109 55 2003 7-i 9277.5 414.2 4-4 208 81 5> 1831 7-i 8444.0 283.0 3-3 166 106 1894 2319 7-1 10680.5 537-5 5.0 170 160 55 2471 7-1 1 1 398. 1 399-o 3-5 249 147 55 2333 7-i 10736.8 363.7 3-4 232 107 55 2256 7-1 10352.7 31 1.1 3-0 197 113 1895 3003 7-3 14260.; 673-3 4-7 58 159 55 3042 7-3 14372.8 348.3 2.4 273 142 55 2933 7-3 13887.2 314-1 2.3 214 120 ,, 2775 7-3 1 31 36.0 399-6 3.o 227 124 I896 2697 7-3 12779.4 364.2 2.8 103 107 » 2813 7-3 i3373-o 418.2 3-i 185 133 ) J 2792 7.3 13232.4 333-5 2-5 192 109 55 2781 7-3 1 3 197- 1 381.9 2.9 176 72 1897 3382 7-4 16187.0 432.9 2.7 96 26 55 3494 7-4 1 69 10.8 571.8 3-4 134 27 55 3486 7-5 16956.; 287.5 1-7 134 27 -5 3469 7.2 16318.1 378.8 2.3 116 24 I898 3536 7-6 17 568.1 414.6 2.4 81 33 55 3557 7-7 17769.S 343-7 1.9 164 44 55 3562 7-7 1 78 56. 1 366.7 2.1 177 49 55 3567 7.8 17979.5 320.1 1.8 190 59 1899 3092 7-9 15847.0 247.0 1.6 152 1 1 55 3125 8.0 16177.9 223.0 1.4 208 3i ,, 3127 8.0 16273. 1 132.9 0.8 176 17 55 3088 8.0 16119.2 259.9 1.6 181 29 1900 3833 8.2 20349.5 405.0 2.0 199 60 55 3900 8.2 20842.2 544-3 2.6 222 33 55 3904 8.2 2092 1. 1 325-5 1.6 255 46 5 5 3778 I' 3 20379.1 316.3 1.6 226 38 I90I 4154 8.3 22297.5 431-7 i-9 133 120 55 4412 8.1 23305.6 463.8 2.0 289 "3 55 4420 8.1 233I5-7 559-3 2.4 271 109 » 4448 8.1 23532.3 515-8 2.2 257 121 I902 4494 8.2 23836.2 582.7 2.5 171 120 55 4570 8.1 24077.2 656.3 2.7 265 141 55 4578 8.1 24087.7 491.2 2.0 296 156 55 4480 8.1 235II-9 660.0 2.8 270 180 I903 4180 8.4 21701.1 730.3 3-4 141 190 >> 4173 8.3 21511.9 810.9 3-8 268 220 55 4172 8-3 21587.6 839-3 3-9 265 288 55 4152 8-3 2 1 320. 1 590.1 2.8 420 230 I904 5726 7-5 27791.6 1 126.7 4-i 489 39i 55 5791 7-4 28023.3 1012.5 3-6 588 468 .. 5824 7-4 28039.4 1089.2 4.0 511 537 J5 578o 7-3 27449.0 1211.8 4.4 58i 480 I905 5052 7-3 23826.0 938.7 4.0 304 328 >> 5082 7.2 23930.1 969.7 4.1 349 368 >> 5077 7.2 23889.3 935-1 3-9 333 394 55 5083 7.2 23828.5 1003.3 4.2 362 386 To face page 84. TABLE IV. — Five Wards (Selected Houses). No. of Dwellings. Average Total Arrears Percentage New Tenants. Empty Dwellings. Year. Weekly Rent. Quarterly Rent. for Quarter. of Q. A. to Q. R. s. £ £ Per Cent. 1888 308 7-5 1495-7 65.9 4-4 13 51 )> 308 7-4 1489. 1 38.8 2.6 32 54 ,, 300 7.6 1484.2 77-2 5-2 ■ 36 38 ,, 317 7.6 1559.9 42.2 2.7 17 49 1889 318 7-4 1513-8 73-b 4-9 20 38 ,, ,, 7-3 1509.0 49-5 1 ? 3-3 34 21 33 ,, 7-3 1506.7 86.3 5-7 17 31 ,, ,, 7-3 1506.6 9.2 0.6 29 4i I89O ., 7-4 1526.3 79.6 5.2 22 29 3 » ., 7-4 1529-9 53-3 3-5 21 19 ,, 33 7-4 1529.9 31.6 2.1 1 1 *7 ,, ,, 7-4 1531-1 41-3 2.7 16 12 I89I ,, 7-5 1 55 1-5 5-1.2 3-3 20 8 J) 317 7.6 1558.3 37-6 2.4 12 1 1 )) ,, 7.6 1566.7 49.0 3-1 24 15 5> ,, 7.6 1575-9 22.9 i-5 33 21 l892 316 7-7 1573-4 57-6 3-7 18 12 9 ) 318 7.8 1606.2 65.-3 4.1 12 29 ,, 309 7-9 1577-4 55-o 3-5 36 22 99 313 7-9 1605.0 61.8 3-9 25 13 1893 3*5 7-9 1621.0 66.5 4.1 22 21 33 ,, 7-9 1622.0 84.6 5.2 25 1 1 3) ,, 8.0 1628.0 88.1 5-4 30 14 33 ,, 8.0 1628.0 86.5 5-3 24 21 1894 ,, 8.0 1636.8 73-9 4-5 27 17 99 ,, 8.0 1638.4 33-6 2.1 28 13 5> ,, 8.0 1643.0 77-5 4-7 17 10 ,, „ 8.0 1643.0 54-7 3-3 14 17 i^95 ,, 8.1 1647.6 74-8 4-5 10 22 33 ,, 8.1 1650.2 50.7 3- 1 25 17 JS 3, 8.1 165 1.5 47-9 2.9 23 13 !3 >' 8.1 1653-3 93-3 5-7 19 10 1896 8.1 1660.5 58.1 3-5 11 16 ?) ,, 8.2 1669.8 38.1 2-3 22 1 1 99 ,, 8.2 1671.8 58.9 3-5 21 6 99 ,, 8.2 1675.4 57-9 3-5 22 5 1897 33 8.2 1676.3 61.7 3-7 11 4 ) J ,, 8.2 1677-3 64.8 3-9 8 3 )) 3, 8.2 1677.7 34-5 2.1 7 5 )3 ,, 8.2 1687.0 69.4 4.1 11 2 1898 3, 8.4 1717.1 52.3 3-o 3 1 ,, |, 8.5 1746.7 5i-3 3-0 12 4 33 33 8.6 1768. 1 41.9 2.4 13 4 ,, 33 S.7 1782.3 54-2 3-4 18 3 1899 33 8.5 1747.2 45-4 2.6 4 1 33 ,3 8-7 1790.0 54-4 3-i 18 6 ,, ,3 8.8 1795-6 48.7 2.7 16 4 33 ,3 8.8 1805.0 42.3 2-3 17 5 I900 ,, 8.9 1828.4 43-8 2.4 1 1 7 33 33 8.9 1830.5 61.4 3-4 12 4 3! ,3 9.0 1833-4 48.3 2.6 12 7 33 3, 9.0 1836.1 49.9 2-7 9 9 I90I 33 9.0 1832.4 57-9 3-i 13 7 33 33 8.9 1817.4 46.3 2-5 21 5 33 ,3 8-9 1825.2 63-9 3-5 13 8 33 ,, 8-9 1826.1 56.1 3-i 15 12 I902 33 9.0 1837.2 1 74.2 4.0 14 8 S3 33 9.0 1838.8 1 74-7 4.1 10 14 33 3, 9.0 1841.0 ' 64.9 3-5 18 13 33 33 9.0 1843.0 i 109. 1 5-9 15 16 I903 3, 9-i 1855-7 93-9 5-1 7 26 5) ,, 9.1 1856.1 . 107.6 5-8 19 26 S) 3, 9.1 1856.4 ' 98.6 5-3 12 40 >? 33 9-1 1854.3 ! 1 00.0 5-4 23 38 1904 316 8.9 1831.3 1 89.2 4.9 18 39 9 9 33 8-9 1821.6 j 67.1 3-7 19 40 )) 3, 8.9 1820.9 90.1 4.9 17 41 >J 3U 8.6 1767.0 1 12.9 6.4 18 4i I90S .3 8.4 1739-3 63.6 3-7 21 36 )) 33 8.4 1740.6 93-9 5-4 26 25 9 9 33 8.4 1736.8 73-2 4.0 17 25 )> " 8.4 1734-2 83-9 4-8 25 23 Table V.— -Hudson s Ward Qi- M. c. 2- Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. Quarterly Arrears. Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. s. d. j. rf. s. rf. s. £ £ Per Cent. 5 6 6 6 8 O 1888 177 7.0 8o 5 .6 34-4 4-3 12 4i 5 6 6 6 8 o ,, 157 7.2 733- 6 34-5 4-7 21 34 S 6 6 o 7 6 ,, 158 6.7 688.2 32.4 4-7 20 16 5 6 6 o 8 o , , 243 7.6 "94-3 74-4 6.2 17 35 5 6 5 6 7 o i88g 387 6.5 1630.8 81. i 5-o 18 5i 5 o S 6 7 o ,, 374 6.3 1532-6 94.1 6.1 36 42 5 6 5 6 7 o i, 333 6-5 1411.1 45-5 3-2 23 26 5 6 6 o 7 o i, 293 6-5 1239.6 44.2 3-6 17 33 5 6 6 o 6 6 1890 327 6.1 I305-9 203.4 15-6 20 3i 5 6 6 o 6 6 ,, 326 6.i 1299.4 65-9 5-i 17 30 S 6 6 o 6 6 ,, 310 6.2 1242.2 45-i 3-6 21 38 5 6 6 o 6 6 ,, 301 6.2 1216.8 40.5 3-3 33 39 5 o 6 o 7 o 1891 400 6-3 1645.2 82.6 5-o 30 23 5 o 6 o 7 o ,, 393 6.4 1623.7 61.3 3-8 42 3i 5 o 6 o 7 o ,, 400 6-3 1647. 1 91.9 5-6 3i 4i 5 o 6 o 7 o ,, 401 6-3 1650.6 78.3 4-7 37 46 5 6 6 o 7 o 1892 348 6-3 1433-3 71.2 5-o 23 33 5 6 6 o 7 o ,, 348 6.3 1432.6 96.5 6.7 28 28 5 6 6 6 7 o ,, 337 6.4 1398.5 22.6 1.6 3i 3i 5 6 6 6 7 o ,, 347 6.4 1447.6 94.1 6.5 25 3i S 6 6 6 7 o 1893 459 6.4 1919.2 100. 5-2 34 4i 5 6 6 6 7 o ,, 483 6.5 2028. 3 99.2 4-9 43 38 5 6 6 6 7 o ,, 484 6-5 2031.9 132.6 6-5 54 26 S o 6 6 7 o ,, 411 6.4 I7I3-7 28.2 1.6 36 34 5 o 6 6 7 o 1894 461 6.6 1962.7 104. 1 5-3 39 45 5 6 6 6 7 o ,, 458 6.6 i975-o 108.9 5-5 46 32 5 o 6 6 7 o ,, 407 6.6 1739.4 32.1 1.8 40 IS 5 o 6 6 7 o ,, 405 6-5 1693-3 56.6 3-3 39 23 6 o 7 o 8 1895 395 7.2 1850.9 138.9 7-5 12 28 6 o 7 o 8 ,, 379 7.2 1773-5 43-8 2-5 34 27 6 o 7 o 8 o ,, 362 7-3 1722.5 23-9 1.4 28 19 6 6 7 o 8 ,, 302 7-3 1432.3 52.4 3-7 21 15 6 6 7 o 8 o 1896 279 7-3 1322.8 47.2 3-6 15 20 6 o 7 o 8 o ,, 287 7-3 1357.2 87-3 6.4 3i 19 6 o 7 o 8 o ,, 288 7-3 1361.6 3 2 -9 2.4 20 21 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 283 7-3 1340.9 95-5 7-i 12 7 6 6 7 o 7 6 1897 274 7.2 1284. 1 53-5 4.2 18 9 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 278 7-3 i3 x 3-6 39-8 3-o 20 4 6 o 7 8 o ,, 274 7-3 1307.2 37-2 2.8 9 5 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 271 7-5 1326.0 34-6 2.6 9 1 6 o 7 8 1898 251 7-4 1207. 1 29.7 2-5 5 3 6 o 7 o 8 o ,, 253 7-4 1219.4 37-3 3-i 9 6 6 o 7 o 8 ,, 273 7-4 1318.9 30.7 2-3 13 4 6 6 7 6 8 o ,, 264 7-6 1302.3 27.0 2.1 11 6 6 6 7 6 8 o 1899 269 7-6 1330-9 20.4 i-5 32 5 6 6 7 6 9 ,, 293 7-7 I47L3 28.7 2.0 34 5 6 6 7 6 9 o ,, 293 7.8 1483.6 3i-i 2.1 21 6 6 6 7 6 9 o ,, 284 7.8 1446.6 34- 2.4 16 9 7 6 9 9 6 1900 420 9.0 2459.6 36.8 i-5 3i 5 7 6 9 o IO o ,, 442 9.1 2624. 1 54-1 2.1 3i 3 7 6 9 o IO o ,, 444 9.1 2637.7 37-9 1.4 27 4 7 6 9 o IO o ,, 445 9.2 2657.5 48.5 1.8 33 9 7 6 9 o II o 1901 594 8.7 3369.0 45-6 i-3 25 11 7 6 9 o 9 o ,, 656 8.1 346o.6 35-2 1.0 44 7 7 6 9 o 9 o ,, 655 8.1 3460.6 40.3 1.2 32 7 7 6 9 o 9 o ,, 654 8.1 3458.7 43-5 i-3 23 11 7 o 8 o 9 1902 686 8.4 3749-9 64.0 i-7 37 15 7 o 8 o 9 o ,, 681 8.4 3725-8 53-6 1.4 41 22 7 o 8 o 9 o ,, 680 8.4 3724.5 71.7 1.9 57 10 7 o 8 9 o ,, 680 8.4 3722.2 70.3 i-9 27 30 7 6 7 6 9 o 1903 991 8.2 5261.7 71.4 i-3 39 30 7 6 7 6 9 o t( 979 8.1 5085. 1 117.4 2-3 78 26 7 6 7 6 9 o , , 990 8.2 5248.8 77.2 i-5 67 61 7 6 7 6 9 o ,, 992 8.1 5209. 1 109.7 2.1 106 40 7 6 7 6 8 o 1904 1 172 8.0 6ii5.5 118.0 1.9 87 49 7 6 7 6 8 o 1205 8.0 6277.7 89.6 1.4 119 70 7 6 7 6 8 o f f 1211 8.0 6306.3 121. 1 i-9 100 67 7 6 7 6 8 o ( , 1 195 8.0 6199.7 126.5 2.0 108 69 7 o 7 6 7 6 1905 1217 7-5 5938.4 185.5 3- 1 35 99 7 o 7 6 7 6 ,, 1216 7-5 5976. 1 189.8 3-2 88 109 7 o 7 6 7 6 ,, 1216 7-5 5925.4 195.2 3-3 90 IOI 7 o 7 6 7 6 'i 1218 7-5 5904.6 209.7 3-6 78 in 85 Table VI. — Tidal Basin Ward. Qi- s. d. M. Q 2 . Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. New Arrears. Q. A. to ;Q- R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. ~JTd~. 7TZ s. £ £ Per Cent. 5 ° 7 o 9 6 1 888 100 7.6 492. s 19.7 4.0 4 21 5 o 7 o 9 6 ,, 100 7.6 49*-7 40.35 8.2 13 19 5 o 7 9 6 ,, 99 7-5 482.3 12.6 2.6 9 28 6 o 7 6 9 6 ,, 103 7.6 507.0 20.1 4.0 10 20 6 o 6 o 9 o 1889 7i 7-i 326.3 12.0 3-7 4 13 6 o 6 6 9 6 ,, 45 7-4 215. 1 12.9 6.0 2 21 5 o 6 o 7 o ,, 47 6.9 210.6 20.3 9.6 2 6 6 o 6 o 9 o ,, 36 6.9 160.8 12.6 7.8 2 13 5 o 6 6 9 o 1890 69 6.9 311. 30.1 9-7 3 3 6 o 8 o 9 o ,, S3 7-5 258.0 "•5 4.4 2 4 6 o 7 o 9 ° ,. S3 7-4 255-4 7.6 3-o 4 11 6 o 7 o 9 o ,, S3 7-4 254-8 23-5 9.2 3 10 6 o 7 o 8 o 1891 144 6.9 649.7 55-3 8-5 7 9 5 6 7 o 8 o ,, 143 6.9 640.6 30-5 4-7 11 16 6 o 7 ° 8 o ,, 136 7-i 627.9 52.6 8.4 20 8 6 o 7 ° 8 o ,, 144 7.2 676.0 73-o 10.8 17 4 S 6 7 ° 8 6 1892 144 6.9 649.7 23.0 3-5 3 12 S 6 7 ° 8 6 , , 141 7.o 639.6 46.6 7-3 9 *3 5 6 7 o 8 o ,, 143 7.0 649-3 38.2 5-9 19 16 6 o 7 o 8 6 ,, 137 7-i 633-1 53-5 8.4 15 3 5 6 7 o 8 6 1893 308 7-3 1437-5 82.6 5-7 J 3 10 5 o 7 6 8 6 ,, 310 7.2 i455-o 81.8 5-7 22 12 6 o 7 o 8 6 ,, 289 7-4 1397-7 34-2 2-5 38 9 6 o 7 6 8 6 , , 258 7-4 1241.2 52.0 4.2 23 11 5 6 7 o 9 o 1894 312 7-3 1478.9 89.6 6.0 *9 16 5 6 7 o 9 o ,, 3°9 7.2 I45I-3 52.3 3-6 25 12 5 6 7 o 9 o ,, 313 7.2 1463.2 86.5 6.0 30 24 4 6 7 o 9 o ,, 292 7-1 1346.8 46.7 3-5 3i 21 4 6 6 o 8 o 189S 218 6.5 927.9 64.6 7.0 5 14 4 6 6 o 8 o ,, 221 6.6 948.3 53-i 5-6 24 7 4 6 7 ° 8 o ,, 188 6-5 791.4 61.4 7-7 19 12 4 6 6 6 8 o ,, 183 6.4 766.7 23-9 3-i 22 7 4 6 6 o 7 6 1896 255 6.4 IOS5-6 56.7 5-4 16 J 3 4 6 6 o 7 6 ,, 268 6-3 1105.0 70.6 6.4 33 10 4 6 6 o 8 o , , 254 6.4 1049.4 61.0 5-8 17 7 4 6 6 o 7 6 ,, 248 6.1 990.6 28.2 2.8 22 2 5 6 7 o 9 o 1897 282 7.2 1311.7 57-o 4-3 24 1 6 o 7 o 9 o ,, 291 7-4 1399.0 75-2 5-4 11 1 6 o 7 6 9 ,, 307 7-4 1484.6 40.0 2.7 9 5 6 o 7 6 9 o ,, 296 7-4 1423.8 91.2 6-4 14 1 5 o 8 o 9 o 1898 363 7-5 1780.3 55-3 3- 1 5 8 5 6 8 o 9 o ,, 356 7-6 1755-3 75-o 4-3 16 7 S 6 8 o 9 o , , 347 7-6 1718.6 62.5 3-6 18 10 6 o 8 o 9 o , , 347 7-7 1729.3 66.8 3-9 18 7 4 6 7 o 9 o 1899 182 7.0 821.6 23-7 2.9 6 1 5 o 7 o 9 o ,, 167 6.9 747.8 16.6 2.2 24 6 5 o 7 o 9 o „ 167 6.9 751-7 9.1 1.2 8 2 5 o 7 o 9 o , , 165 6.8 730.6 19.6 2.7 5 4 7 6 8 6 IO o 1900 425 8.6 2383.2 87.8 3-7 40 34 7 6 8 6 IO o ,, 468 8.7 2655.6 108. 1 4.1 38 10 7 6 8 o 9 6 ,, 451 8.6 2512.6 84.8 3-4 52 12 7 6 9 o IO o ,. 320 9.0 1878.0 8.0 0.4 35 5 7 6 9 o io 6 1 901 397 9.2 2379.0 9S-i 4.0 21 29 7 6 8 6 IO o ,i S03 8.8 2889.9 114. 1 4.0 49 32 7 6 8 6 IO o ,, 5°i 8.7 2821.3 131. 8 4-7 42 24 7 6 8 6 IO O ,, 5°7 8.9 2943.8 in. 5 3-8 5i 27 5 6 8 o IO O 1902 477 8.2 2540.3 128.8 5-i 16 11 S 6 8 6 IO O ,, 478 8-3 2569. 1 145-2 5-7 36 14 5 6 8 6 IO o ,, 472 8.2 2524.9 53-o 2.1 35 19 5 6 8 o IO o ,, 469 8.1 2476.5 66.7 2.7 39 36 S 6 9 o 9 o 1903 456 8.2 2444.0 157-8 6-5 25 35 5 6 8 6 IO o , , 462 8.1 2446.3 142.3 5-8 40 4° 5 6 8 6 IO o ,, 466 8.1 2445-6 208.2 8-5 42 42 5 6 8 o 10 O , , 443 7-9 2279.5 93-3 4-i 47 24 5 6 7 6 8 6 1904 908 7-5 4417-7 347-3 7-9 73 169 5 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 898 7-5 4351-7 382.9 8.8 92 188 5 6 7 6 8 o ,, 899 7-4 43 J 7-o 358.7 8-3 69 237 5 6 6 6 8 o ,, 867 7-i 4025.8 358.4 8.9 124 189 5 o S 6 9 o 1 90S 437 6.9 1956.7 147.9 7-5 26 25 5 o 5 6 9 o ,, 440 6.8 I94L7 161. 1 8-3 33 37 5 ° 5 6 9 o ,, 439 6.8 I95L9 211. 6 10.8 37 3i 5 o 5 6 9 o ., 439 6.8 1 1935-8 180.5 9-3 35 43 3o TABLE VII. — Custom House Ward. Qi- M. Q 2- Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. Quarterly Arrears. Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. s. d. /. rf. s. d. s. £ £ Per Cent. 6 o 6 6 8 o 1888 327 6-5 1382.9 64.6 4-7 16 74 5 6 6 6 8 o ,, 348 6-5 1465.0 55.8 3-8 39 92 5 6 6 6 8 o ,, 340 6. 7 1479.4 92.8 6.0 57 53 5 6 6 6 8 o ,, 340 6.7 1478.4 63-3 4-3 29 58 6 o 6 6 8 o 1889 212 6.7 925.6 44.2 4.8 18 30 6 o 6 6 8 O ,, 215 6.7 932.1 30.1 3-2 19 2 S 6 o 6 6 8 o ,, 218 6.7 944.8 65-7 7.0 14 42 6 o 6 6 8 o ,, 218 6.7 948.7 10. 1 1.1 23 4i 6 6 6 6 8 o 1890 222 6.8 977-9 40.3 4.1 18 36 6 6 6 6 8 o , , 222 6.8 978.3 36.8 3-8 26 28 6 6 6 6 8 o ,, 223 6.8 982.8 13-9 1.4 13 21 6 6 6 6 8 o ,, 217 6.8 963.0 36-4 3-8 17 12 6 6 7 o 8 o 1891 338 7.0 1533-7 95-8 6.2 17 14 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 337 7.0 1533-7 64.7 4.2 26 12 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 338 7-i i55o.6 88.5 S-7 47 22 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 337 7-i !S55-5 69.8 4-5 35 28 6 6 7 o 8 o 1892 357 7-i I643-7 94-4 5-7 3i 31 6 6 7 o 7 6 ,, 35o 7.2 1639.0 83.8 5- 1 69 49 6 6 7 o 7 6 ,, 356 7.2 1675. 1 75-3 4-5 47 44 6 6 7 o 7 6 l( 343 7-5 1630.9 93-1 5-7 52 17 6 6 7 o 7 6 1893 484 7.0 2205.7 139-7 6-3 46 38 6 6 7 o 7 6 ,, 479 7-i 2172.0 150.6 6.9 63 34 6 6 7 o 7 6 ,, 499 6.9 2247.7 143-3 6.4 48 30 6 6 7 o 7 6 ,, 495 6.9 2233.4 130.6 5-8 56 40 6 o 7 o 7 6 1894 535 6.8 235 6 .9 137-3 5-8 34 70 6 6 7 o 7 6 ,, 635 6.9 2845.1 109.7 3-9 92 66 6 6 7 o 7 6 ,, 555 6.9 2476.5 114.7 4.6 73 47 6 6 7 o 7 6 t , 533 6.8 2370.6 102.3 4-3 56 52 6 6 7 6 8 o 189S 472 7.0 2160.9 161.7 7-5 12 34 6 o 7 6 8 o 508 7.0 2318.6 130.8 5-6 52 34 6 o 7 6 8 o , , 5°9 7.0 2318.6 121. 5 5-2 44 20 6 o 7 6 8 o ,, 480 7.0 2181.4 142.8 6.5 49 27 6 o 7 6 8 o 1896 474 6.7 2114.8 93-7 4-4 32 12 6 o 7 6 8 o , f 484 6.8 2154-4 93-8 4-4 32 15 4 6 7 6 8 o , f 486 6.8 2158.7 89.9 4.2 40 8 4 6 7 6 8 o tt 487 6.8 2165.8 72.5 3-3 39 5 4 6 7 6 8 o 1897 580 7.0 2628.6 104.4 4.0 30 8 4 6 7 6 8 6 582 7-i 2690.4 145- 1 5-4 39 5 4 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 58i 7.2 2703.4 96.3 3-6 43 6 S 7 6 8 6 ,, 579 7.2 2720.3 109.0 4.0 32 12 S o 7 6 8 6 1898 589 7-4 2831.7 99-7 3-2 16 7 S o 7 6 8 6 , r 616 7-7 3065.7 109.9 3-6 34 21 6 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 618 7-7 3100.2 122.4 3-9 37 18 6 6 8 o 9 o , , 615 7-8 3107.0 103.7 3-3 48 23 7 6 8 6 9 o 1899 324 8-7 1840.5 44-7 2.4 8 4 8 o 8 6 9 6 33 2 9.1 i960. 1 56.8 2.9 21 6 8 o 8 6 9 6 ,, 333 9.1 I97I-5 42.5 2.2 16 8 o 8 6 9 6 ,, 325 9.2 1938.3 65-7 3-4 21 5 7 o 8 6 9 6 1900 569 8-3 3081.3 112.9 3-7 25 8 7 o 8 6 9 6 ,, 565 8.4 3086.2 171.7 5-6 35 7 7 8 6 9 6 ,, 583 8.4 3180.5 105.9 3-3 38 10 7 o 8 6 9 6 ,, 595 8.4 3241.6 132.9 4.1 44 11 S 6 8 6 9 6 1 901 791 8.0 4107.7 174.4 4.2 55 27 5 6 8 6 9 6 ,, 790 8.0 4105.7 201.3 4-9 86 20 S 6 8 6 9 6 , , 786 7-9 4061.5 236.2 5-8 74 32 5 6 8 6 9 6 ,, 798 7-9 4112.9 202.2 4.9 86 35 6 6 8 6 9 6 1902 627 8.2 3355-o 193-3 5-8 45 32 6 6 8 6 9 6 M 632 8.2 3365-I 235-5 7.0 49 36 6 6 8 6 9 6 ,, 638 8.1 3377-4 198.8 5-9 56 46 5 6 8 6 9 6 , t 612 8.1 3239.6 285.4 8.8 62 57 S 6 7 6 9 6 1903 614 7.8 3098.2 3I9-I 10.3 38 60 5 6 7 6 9 6 , , 620 7-7 3*03.8 333-9 10.7 47 86 5 6 7 6 9 6 ( , 619 7-7 3096.0 367.0 11.9 49 104 5 6 7 6 9 6 , , 621 7-6 3073.2 269.2 8.8 58 "5 5 6 8 9 o 1904 640 7-5 3126.2 310.7 9-9 53 123 5 6 7 6 9 o ,, 640 7-5 3109.6 277.2 8. 9 64 125 S 6 7 6 9 o ,, 645 7-4 3099.2 297.0 9.6 69 116 5 o 7 6 8 6 ,, 649 7.2 3019-3 293-7 9-7 66 "5 S o 7 6 8 6 i9°5 584 7-3 2778.8 241. 1 8-7 45 71 5 o 7 6 8 6 ,, 59i 7-3 2804.8 255-9 9-i 56 44 5 o 7 6 8 6 ,, 595 7-3 2810.2 268.4 9-5 5o 56 5 o 7 6 8 6 ,. 593 7-3 2804.7 265-3 9-4 5o 62 87 TABLE VIII. — Canning Town Ward. Qi- M. Q !• Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. Quarterly Arrears. Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. s. d. j. 4i 9.4 250.0 0.6 0.2 3 7 6 9 o io 6 ,, 4i 9-4 250.0 2.4 0.9 2 7 6 9 ° io 6 1896 4i 9-4 250.0 1.8 0.7 2 7 6 9 o io 6 ,, 4i 9-4 250.0 i-9 0.8 1 7 6 9 o io 6 ,, 4i 9-4 250.0 1 7 6 9 o io 6 ,, 4i 9-4 250.0 3-4 1-4 2 9 o IO o 12 o 1897 34 10.3 227.5 3- 1 1.4 2 9 o IO o 12 o ,, 34 10.3 227.5 6-7 2.9 5 9 o IO o 12 o ,, 34 10.3 227.5 i-5 0.7 2 9 o IO o 12 O ,, 34 10.3 227.8 2 1 8 o 9 o II o 1898 43 9.6 267.8 2.6 1.0 1 8 o 9 o II o ,, 43 9.6 267.8 8 o IO o II o ,, 43 10.0 278.5 2.6 0.9 1 8 o IO o ii 6 ,, 43 10.0 279.8 3-i 1.1 1 8 o IO o ii 6 1899 44 10.0 286.3 5-8 2.0 8 o IO o ii 6 , , 44 10.0 286.3 8 o IO o ii 6 ,, 44 IO. I 287.6 3-9 1.4 2 1 8 o IO o ii 6 , ( 44 IO.I 287.6 0.8 o-3 1 IO o II o 14 1900 64 "•3 468.7 3-8 0.8 IO o II o 14 ,, 64 "•3 471-9 2.8 0.6 IO o II o 14 ,, 64 "•3 471-9 0.6 O.I 1 IO o II o 14 ,, 64 11.4 473- 2 1.4 o-3 3 8 o IO o 12 1901 45 IO.I 294-5 6.1 2.1 1 8 o 9 6 10 ,, 45 9-5 277.9 8 o 9 6 10 ,, 45 9-5 277-9 7.0 2-5 1 8 o 9 6 10 ,, 45 9-5 277.6 8 o 9 6 10 1902 59 9-3 356-2 i-7 o-5 2 8 o 9 6 10 ,, 59 9-3 356.2 4.8 i-3 1 1 8 o 9 6 10 ,, 59 9-3 357-5 3-i 0.9 3 8 o 9 6 10 ,, 59 9-3 357-8 1.0 0.3 1 9 6 9 6 11 1903 61 10.2 403-7 S-° 1.2 9 6 9 6 11 60 10.2 398.1 2.8 0.7 9 6 9 6 11 ,, 61 10.2 404.0 7.0 i-7 1 9 6 9 6 11 ,, 61 10.2 404.0 2 9 6 9 6 11 1904 61 10.2 404.0 3-2 0.8 1 9 6 9 6 11 ,, 61 10.2 404.0 2 9 6 9 6 11 ,, 61 10.2 404.0 6-3 1.6 1 9 6 9 6 11 ,, 61 10.2 404.0 2 8 6 IO o 13 6 1905 19 10.8 133-3 2-7 2.0 1 8 6 IO o 13 6 ,, 19 11. 135-9 2.7 2.0 2 1 8 6 IO o 13 6 ,, 19 11. 135-9 O.I 2 2 8 6 |io o 13 6 .. 19 11. 1 135-9 2 1 91 Table XII. — Park Ward {Selected Houses). Qi- M. Q 2 . Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. Quarterly Arrears. Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. s. d. j. aT. s. d. s. £ £ Per Cent. 9 o 9 o II o 1 888 3° 9-4 184.0 4.8 2.6 2 9 9 o II o i, 3° 9.4 184.0 2.2 1.2 1 9 o 9 o II o ,, 3° 9-4 184.0 7-i 3-9 4 9 o 9 o II o ., 30 9-4 184.0 i-5 0.8 2 9 9 o II o 1889 30 9-4 183.6 9.0 4.9 1 9 9 o II o ,, 3° 9-4 183.6 5-8 3- 2 1 2 8 6 9 o II o ,, 30 9-3 182.0 3 8 6 9 o II o ,, 30 9-3 181. 2.4 i-3 3 8 6 9 o II o 1890 3° 9-3 180.7 5-3 2.9 8 6 9 o II o ,, 30 9-3 180.7 1.8 1.0 1 8 6 9 o II o ,, 30 9-3 180.7 2.6 1.4 8 6 9 o II o ,, 30 9-3 180.7 5-9 3-3 8 6 8 6 II o 1891 3i 9.0 180.4 4-7 2.6 2 8 6 9 o II o ,, 3° 9-3 180.4 5-4 3-o 8 6 9 o II o ,, 30 9-3 180.4 1 8 6 9 o II o ,, 3° 9-3 180.4 2 8 6 9 o II o 1892 30 9-3 180.4 3-7 2.1 8 6 9 o II o ,, 3o 9-3 180.7 2 8 6 9 o II o ,, 30 9-3 180.7 6.1 3-4 8 6 9 o II o ,, 29 9.6 180.7 5-9 3-3 8 6 9 o II o 1893 29 9.6 181. 7 i-S 0.8 3 8 6 9 o II o ,, 29 9.6 181. 7 1.1 0.6 2 8 6 9 o II o ,, 29 9.6 181. 7 1.4 0.8 2 8 6 9 o II ,, 29 9.6 181. 7 1-7 0.9 1 8 6 9 o II o 1894 29 9.6 181. 7 2-3 i-3 1 8 6 9 o II o ,, 29 9.8 184.3 8 6 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 187.5 3-7 2.0 8 6 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 187.5 2-5 i-3 8 6 9 o 12 O i895 29 10.0 188.2 1.2 0.6 2 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 3-5 1.8 9 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 0.2 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 3-i 1.6 9 o 9 o 12 O 1896 29 10. 1 191. 1 1.2 0.6 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 2.1 1.1 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 3-2 i-7 2 9 o 9 o 12 O 1897 29 10. 1 191. 1 2.2 1.2 2 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 2.4 i-3 2 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10. 1 191. 1 1.0 0.1 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10.2 I9I-4 0.6 °-3 9 o 9 o 12 O 1898 29 10.2 191-4 2.1 1.1 9 o 9 o 12 O ,, 29 10.2 191-4 IO o IO O 12 O ,, 29 10.7 201.8 2-5 1.2 10 o IO O 12 O ,, 29 10.8 203.1 3-6 1.8 2 IO o IO O 12 O 1899 29 10.8 203.1 2.8 1.4 IO o IO O 12 O ,, 29 10.8 203.1 0.8 0.4 IO o IO o 12 O >, 29 10.8 204.4 3-o i-5 1 IO O IO o 12 O >. 29 10.8 204.4 3-3 1.6 IO o IO o 12 O 1900 29 10.9 205.1 0.6 0.3 IO o IO o 12 O 1, 29 10.9 205.1 2-3 1.1 10 o IO o 12 O 1. 29 10.9 205.1 i-4 0.7 IO o IO o 12 O ., 29 10.9 205.1 i-7 0.8 IO o IO o 12 O 1901 29 10.5 198.3 0.1 0.1 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 9.6 181. 2-5 i-4 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 9.6 181. 4-3 2.4 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 9.6 180.7 0.7 0.4 9 6 9 6 IO O 1902 29 9.6 181. i-7 0.9 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 9.6 181. 1 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 9.6 181. 2-3 i-3 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 9.6 181. 3-i 1-7 9 6 9 6 IO O 1903 29 10.4 196.6 2.8 1.4 9 6 9 6 IO O >■■ 29 10.4 196.6 2.1 1.1 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 10.4 196.6 4.8 2.4 9 6 9 6 IO o ,, 29 10.4 196.6 0.3 0.1 1 9 6 9 6 io 6 1904 29 10.4 196.6 2.9 i-5 9 6 9 6 IO o ,, 29 10.4 196.6 9 6 9 6 IO o ,, 29 10.4 196.6 4.1 2.1 9 6 9 6 IO O ,, 29 10.4 196.6 1 9 6 9 6 12 6 1905 29 10.6 198.9 0.4 0.2 9 6 9 6 12 6 ,, 29 10.7 201.5 i-3 0.6 1 9 6 9 6 12 6 ,, 29 10.7 201.5 1 9 6 9 6 12 6 • 1 29 10.7 201.5 1.2 o!o 2 92 TABLE XIII. — Custom House Ward {Selected Houses). Qi- M. Q 2 . Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. Quarterly Arrears. Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. ~s7~d. 7TZ 5. rf. s. £ £ Per Cent. 6 6 8 o 8 6 1888 IS 2 7.2 711.7 23.3 3-3 3 26 6 6 8 o 8 6 ,, IS 2 7.2 7"-3 11. 2 i-5 11 29 6 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 144 7-5 706.4 38.5 5-5 10 3i 6 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 145 7-5 707.1 23.3 3-3 9 37 6 6 7 ° 8 o 1889 144 7.i 668.7 26.8 4.0 12 27 6 6 7 ° 8 o l( 144 7-1 666.8 18.5 2.8 16 IS 6 6 7 o 8 o f , 144 7-1 666.8 46.2 6.9 5 26 6 6 7 ° 8 o , , 144 7-i 666.4 15 26 6 6 7 ° 8 o 1890 144 7.i 667.1 25.5 3-'8 16 18 6 6 7 ° 8 o ,, 144 7-1 668.7 28.6 4-3 8 11 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 144 7-1 668.4 10.3 i-5 8 8 6 6 7 o 8 o ,, 143 7.2 669.3 22.3 3-3 8 5 7 o 7 o 8 o 1891 143 7-3 682.0 24.2 3-5 6 4 7 ° 7 o 8 o ,, 143 7-3 682.3 19.2 2.8 4 3 7 ° 7 o 8 o ,, 143 7-4 689.7 19.9 2-9 13 7 7 o 7 6 8 o ,, 143 7.5 697.6 9-5 i-4 9 8 7 ° 7 6 8 o 1892 142 7.5 695-7 29.7 4-3 8 5 7 o 7 6 8 6 „ 144 7.8 727.8 37-o 5-i 5 18 7 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 142 7.9 727.0 29.9 4.1 24 14 7 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 142 7.9 729-3 3°-4 4.2 18 4 7 6 7 6 8 6 1893 142 7.9 731.6 34-3 4-7 9 9 7 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 142 7.9 732.6 46.1 6.3 10 5 7 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 142 7.9 733-5 Si-6 7.0 9 8 7 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 142 8.0 733-9 49.6 6.8 16 6 7 6 8 o 8 6 1894 142 8.0 73 6 -5 34-6 4-7 11 9 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.0 736.8 6.1 0.8 15 6 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.0 737-8 34-7 4-7 6 8 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.0 737-8 26.3 3-6 6 9 7 6 8 o 8 6 189S 142 8.0 741-7 43-3 5-8 2 5 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.0 741.0 27.2 3-7 7 7 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.0 741-3 24.6 3-3 10 4 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.0 742.0 48.5 6-5 9 4 7 6 8 o 8 6 1896 142 8.1 743-3 24.9 3-3 10 3 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.1 743-6 io. 5 i-4 7 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.1 744-3 31-4 4.2 7 2 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.1 747-5 23.0 3-8 14 7 6 8 o 8 6 1897 142 8.1 747.8 27.9 3-7 3 7 6 8 o 8 6 142 8.1 748.2 28.6 3-8 2 1 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.1 748.2 9-3 1.2 2 2 7 6 8 o 8 6 ,, 142 8.1 7S 1 - 1 39-4 5-2 4 1 7 6 8 6 8 6 1898 142 8.1 751-4 9.9 1.2 5 7 6 8 6 8 6 ,, 142 8.1 752.0 10.2 i-4 1 1 7 6 8 6 8 6 ,, 142 8.2 755-6 iS-4 2.0 8 2 7 6 8 6 8 6 ,, 142 8.2 757-9 4-3 0.6 8 8 o 8 6 8 6 1899 142 8-5 780.0 25- J 3-2 2 8 6 8 6 9 6 142 8.8 809.6 31-3 3-9 11 2 8 6 8 6 9 6 fl 142 8.8 811. 2 20.9 2.6 8 2 8 6 9 o 9 6 ,, 142 9.0 819.6 25.2 3-i 13 1 8 6 9 o 9 6 1900 142 9.1 838.2 25.O 3-o 3 6 8 6 9 o 9 6 , p 142 9.1 839.2 3" 3-7 7 2 8 6 9 o 9 6 ,, 142 9.1 839.5 33-9 4.0 6 2 8 6 9 ° 9 6 ,, 142 9.1 840.5 28.1 3-3 6 5 8 6 9 ° 9 6 1901 142 9.1 842.4 33-8 4.0 8 2 8 6 9 ° 9 6 tt 142 9.1 844.0 19.9 2.4 11 3 8 6 9 ° 9 6 lt 142 9-2 844.7 3 x -7 3-8 6 4 8 6 9 o 9 6 ,, 142 9.2 845.0 36.1 4-3 7 6 8 6 9 ° 9 6 1902 142 9.2 848.6 41.9 4.9 9 4 8 6 9 ° 9 6 ,, 142 9.2 849.9 54-8 6.4 5 8 8 6 9 o 9 6 M 142 9.2 851.2 32.9 3-9 12 10 8 6 9 ° 9 6 ,, 142 9.2 852.8 68.6 8.0 13 11 8 6 9 ° 9 6 1903 142 9.2 849.2 58.3 6.9 4 19 8 6 9 o 9 6 142 9.2 849.6 73-4 8.6 10 21 8 6 9 ° 9 6 ,, 142 9.2 849.6 47.6 5-6 8 30 8 6 9 o 9 6 ,, 142 9.2 848.8 56.6 6.7 10 33 8 6 9 o 9 ° 1904 J 43 8.9 825.8 51-4 6.2 12 33 8 6 9 ° 9 6 ,, 143 8.8 816. 1 45-3 5-6 17 33 8 6 9 ° 9 6 ,, r 43 8.8 815.4 53-1 6-5 12 3i 7 6 8 6 8 6 ,, 144 8.2 766.0 62.8 8.2 13 3i 7 6 7 6 8 6 I9°5 144 8.0 746.8 41.2 5-5 18 20 7 6 7 6 8 6 144 8.0 746.8 55-5 7-4 19 10 7 6 7 6 8 6 ,, 144 8.0 746.8 44.6 6.0 9 13 | 7 6 7 6 8 6 » 144 8.0 744.6 45-4 6.1 12 13 93 TABLE XIV Hudson's Ward {Selected Houses). Qi. M. Q 2 . Year. No. of Dwellings. Average Weekly Rent. Total Quarterly Rent. Quarterly Arrears. Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. s. d- s. d- J. . 55 5-8 206.7 11.8 5-7 16 14 5 6 5 6 6 o ■ i 55 5-7 2°3-5 16.9 8-3 14 5 6 S 6 6 6 ■ ■ 7i 6.0 278.5 17.4 6.2 3 2 5 6 5 6 6 6 1889 71 6.0 277.6 18.7 6.7 4 1 5 6 5 6 6 6 >> 71 6.0 277.6 15-5 5-6 6 S 6 5 6 6 6 11 71 6.0 277.6 20.7 7-5 2 2 5 6 5 6 6 6 <> 71 6.1 279-5 1.4 o-5 4 3 6 o 6 o 6 6 1890 71 6.4 293.2 33-6 "•5 6 9 6 o 6 o 6 6 ,, 71 6.4 293.2 151 5-2 6 7 6 o 6 o 6 6 11 71 6.4 293-5 8.1 2.8 3 6 6 o 6 o 6 6 >. 71 6.5 294-5 2.9 1.0 6 9 6 o 6 6 7 o 1891 71 6-5 301.4 7-4 2-5 9 4 6 6 6 6 7 o ,. 71 6.7 3°7-9 4-5 i-5 8 7 6 6 6 6 7 o ■1 71 6.7 308.9 17.2 5-6 8 8 6 6 6 6 7 o ., 71 6.7 310.2 9-5 3-i 11 12 6 6 6 6 7 o 1892 71 6.7 309-9 11.6 3-7 7 7 6 6 6 6 7 o M 71 6.7 309.6 20.1 6-5 2 10 6 6 6 6 7 o ,, 71 6. 7 311. 2 14. 1 4-5 9 4 6 6 6 6 7 o ,, 71 6.8 311. 8 17.8 5-7 2 8 6 6 6 6 7 o 1893 71 6.8 313-8 20.3 6.4 7 12 6 6 6 6 7 o ,, 71 6.8 313-8 26.5 8.4 11 6 6 6 6 6 7 ° ,, 71 6.9 318.7 29.6 9-3 15 5 6 6 6 6 7 ° ,, 71 6.9 318.7 21.6 6.8 3 15 6 6 7 o 7 o 1894 71 7.0 324-7 22.5 7.0 15 8 6 6 7 o 7 o • • 71 7.0 324-7 23.1 7-i 9 6 6 6 7 o 7 ° >> 71 7.0 324-4 28.6 8.8 7 2 6 6 7 o 7 o n 71 7.0 324-4 23.8 7-4 3 8 6 6 7 o 7 o 189S 71 7.0 324-4 17.4 5-4 5 15 6 6 7 o 7 o ■ > 71 7.0 324-7 J 3-5 4.2 13 9 6 6 7 o 7 ° .. 71 7.0 324-7 23.1 7-i 11 8 6 6 7 o 7 o >> 71 7-i 325-3 35-5 10.9 6 6 6 6 7 o 7 o 1896 71 7.0 324.0 24.9 7-7 1 11 6 6 7 o 7 o ■■ 71 7.0 325-0 23-3 7.2 9 11 6 6 7 o 7 o ., 71 7-i 326.3 20.7 6-3 13 4 6 6 7 o 7 o >> 71 7-i 326.7 26.0 8.0 5 5 6 6 7 o 7 o 1897 71 7-i 327-3 24.0 7-3 8 4 6 6 7 o 7 o n 71 7-1 327-9 23-9 7-3 4 2 6 6 7 o 7 o ■■ 71 7-i 327-9 18.7 5-7 3 3 6 6 7 o 8 o >. 71 7.2 334-4 21.4 6.4 4 1 7 ° 7 o 8 o 1898 71 7-3 335-2 15- 1 4-5 1 7 ° 7 o 8 o ti 71 7-3 335-4 13-4 4.0 1 1 7 ° 7 o 8 o ■ • 71 7-5 344-8 15.0 4.4 3 1 7 ° 7 6 8 o 11 71 7.6 3SO-0 17.4 5-o 2 2 7 ° 7 6 8 o 1899 71 7-6 353-0 13-5 3-8 2 1 7 ° 7 6 8 o ,. 71 7-7 354-2 16.0 4-5 6 4 7 ° 7 6 8 o • > 71 7-7 35 6 -9 16.3 4.6 7 2 7 6 7 6 8 o ■ 1 71 7-8 357-5 9-5 2.7 3 4 7 6 7 6 8 o 1900 71 7.8 359-5 12.5 3-5 8 1 7 6 7 6 8 o ,, 71 7-8 360.4 20.2 5-6 4 2 7 6 7 6 8 o 1, 71 7.8 361.7 4-8 i-3 3 7 6 7 6 8 o >, 7 1 7-9 362.4 12.7 3-5 3 4 7 6 8 o 8 o 1901 7i 7.9 364.0 13.6 3-7 4 5 7 6 8 o 8 o ,. 7i 7-9 3647 13.5 3-7 8 2 7 6 8 o 8 o ,1 7i 7-9 365-3 !5-i 4.1 7 4 7 6 8 o 8 o >> 71 7-9 365-3 8.6 2.4 8 6 7 6 8 o 8 o 1902 7i 7-9 366.3 2 3-5 6.4 5 3 7 6 8 o 8 o >, 7i 7-9 366.6 14.6 4.0 5 5 7 6 8 o 8 o 1, 7i 8.0 367-3 24.0 6-5 5 2 7 6 8 o 8 o ,, 7i 8.0 367-3 22.0 6.0 1 4 7 6 8 o 8 o 1903 7i 8.0 367.6 21.8 5-9 3 7 7 6 8 o 8 o ,, 7i 8.0 367.6 22.6 6.1 9 5 7 6 8 o 8 o ., 71 8.0 367-9 29.0 7-9 3 9 7 6 8 o 8 o ,, 71 8.0 367.6 3o-4 8-3 10 5 7 6 8 o 8 o 1904 7i 8.0 367.6 24.4 6.6 4 6 7 6 8 o 8 o ,, 7i 8.0 367.6 18. 1 4.9 2 7 7 6 8 o 8 o ,, 71 8.0 367.6 19.4 5-3 4 7 7 6 8 o 8 o ,, 71 8.0 367.6 31.2 8-5 1 10 7 6 7 6 8 o 190S 7i 7-9 365-0 12.2 3-3 3 14 7 6 7 6 8 o ,, 7i 7-9 363-7 23.6 6-S 5 *3 7 6 7 6 8 o ,, 71 7-9 363-4 19.0 5-2 4 11 7 6 7 6 8 o .. 71 7-9 363-0 30.8 8-5 7 8 94 TABLE XV. — West Ham Ward (Selected Houses). Qi. M. Q„. Year. No. of Dwellings Average Weekly • Rent. L To ; al , Quarterly Q R e r y A -ars. y Q. A. to Q. R. New Tenants. Empty Houses. JTd s, d.\s. d s. £ £ Per Cent 8 o 8 6 8 6 1888 71 8.4 387-1 18.6 4.8 3 7 8 o ; 8 6 8 6 • • 7i 8.4 387-1 13.6 3-5 4 11 8 o 8 6 8 6 >> 71 8-5 390.3 14.7 3-8 8 7 8 o 8 6 8 6 n 71 8-5 390.3 3 10 8 o 8 6 8 6 1889 71 8.3 383-2 19. 1 S-o 4 9 8 o 8 6 8 6 >. 71 8.2 380.3 9-7 2.6 11 3 7 o 8 6 8 6 >> 7i 8.2 379-6 19.4 5-i 7 3 7 8 6 8 6 • > 7i 8.2 379- 5-4 1.4 7 2 7 ° 8 6 8 6 1890 7i 8.2 378.6 15.2 4.0 2 7 o 8 6 8 6 • 1 71 8.2 378.6 6.4 i-7 "0 1 7 o 8 6 8 6 1. 7i 8.2 378.6 10.6 2.8 1 7 8 6 8 6 n 7i 8.2 378.6 12. 1 3-2 7 o 8 6 8 6 1891 7i 8.2 378.6 14.4 3-8 3 7 o 8 6 8 6 11 71 8.2 378.6 8.4 2.2 1 7 o 8 6 8 6 11 71 8.2 378.6 11. 6 3-i 3 7 o 8 6 8 6 • 1 71 8.2 378.6 2.4 0.6 5 1 7 o 8 6 8 6 1892 7i 8.2 378.6 "•3 3-o 3 7 o 8 6 8 6 >• 7i 8.2 379-3 8.2 2.2 3 1 8 6 8 6 8 6 11 64 8.4 349-7 4.9 1.4 3 4 7 6 8 6 8 6 11 69 8-3 374-4 5-3 1.4 5 1 7 6 8 6 8 6 1893 71 8-3 385-1 10. 4 2.7 3 7 6 8 6 8 6 • 1 71 8-3 385-1 10.7 2.8 2 7 6 8 6 8 6 • • 7i 8-3 385-1 5-4 1.4 4 1 7 6 8 6 8 6 • 1 7i 8-3 385-1 13.6 3-5 4 7 6 8 6 8 6 1894 7i 8-3 385-1 x 3-9 3.6 7 6 8 6 8 6 71 8-3 385-1 4.4 1.1 4 1 7 6 8 6 8 6 7i 8-3 385-1 !0-5 2.7 4 7 6 8 6 8 6 >i 7i 8-3 385-1 2.1 0.5 5 7 6 8 6 8 6 1895 7i 8-3 384.5 I2.9 3-4 1 2 7 6 8 6 8 6 • • 71 8-3 384.5 6-5 i-7 5 1 7 6 8 6 8 6 • • 7i 8.4 385.S 2 1 7 6 8 6 8 6 >> 7i 8.4 386.1 6.2 1.6 4 7 6 8 6 9 ° 1896 7i 8-5 393-3 7-i 1.8 1 7 6 9 ° 9 ° ■ • 7 1 8-7 400.7 2.2 o-5 5 7 6 9 o 9 ° • • 71 8-7 400.7 6.8 i-7 1 7 6 9 o 9 ° • 1 71 8.7 400.7 5-7 1.4 1 7 6 9 o 9 o 1897 71 8-7 400.7 7.6 i-9 7 6 9 o 9 ° • • 71 8-7 400.7 9.9 2.2 7 6 9 o 9 ° >• 71 8.7 401. 1 5-5 1.4 2 7 6 9 ° 9 ° • 1 71 8-7 401. 1 8.0 2.0 3 7 6 9 o 9 ° 1898 7i 8-7 401. 1 10. 2-5 1 7 6 9 o 9 ° • • 7i 8.7 401. 1 6.6 1.4 1 7 6 9 o 9 ° • ■ 7i 8.7 401. 1 3-5 0.9 2 1 7 6 9 o 9 o • 1 7i 8.7 401.4 8.0 2.0 1 7 6 9 o 9 o 1899 71 8.7 401.7 4.0 1.0 8 6 9 o 9 o • ' 7i 9.0 413.7 6-3 i-5 1 8 6 9 o 9 ° • 1 7i 9.0 413-7 8-5 2.1 8 6 9 o 9 o • 1 7i 9.0 414-1 4-3 1.0 1 8 6 9 o 9 o 1900 7i 9.0 4I5-4 5-7 1.4 8 6 9 o 9 ° • ■ 7i 9.0 4I5.4 7-8 i-9 1 8 6 9 o 9 o • 1 7i 9.0 416.7 8.2 2.0 3 8 6 9 o 9 o .1 7i 9.0 416.7 7-4 1.8 8 6 9 o 9 o 1901 7i 9.0 417-3 10.4 2-5 1 8 6 9 o 9 o • • 7i 9.0 4I7.3 10.4 2-5 2 8 6 9 o 9 6 .1 7i 9.1 423.8 12.8 3-o 8 6 9 o 9 6 i, 7i 9.1 424.1 10.7 2-5 8 6 9 6 9 6 1902 7i 9-3 430.3 7-1 i-7 1 8 6 9 6 9 6 • 1 71 9-3 430.3 5-3 1.2 1 8 6 9 6 9 6 • > 7i 9-3 430.6 5-7 i-3 1 1 9 o 9 6 9 6 ■ 1 7i 9-3 43!.o 10.4 2-4 1 1 9 o 9 6 9 6 1903 7i 9-3 431-3 11. 2.6 9 o 9 6 9 6 1. 7i 9-3 431-3 9-5 2.2 9 o 9 6 9 6 it 71 9-3 431-3 17.2 4.0 1 9 o 9 6 9 6 ii 71 9-3 430.3 11. 8 2.7 2 9 o 9 6 9 6 1904 7i 9-3 430.3 10.2 2.4 2 9 o 9 6 9 6 • ■ 7i 9-3 430.3 3-7 0.9 9 o 9 6 9 6 11 7i 9-3 430.3 13-5 3-i 1 3 8 6 9 6 9 6 1, 7i 9.2 425.8 18.7 4.4 3 8 o 9 6 9 6 1905 7i 9.0 417.6 9-8 2-3 2 8 o 9 6 9 6 ,, 7i 9.0 417.6 13-4 3- 2 1 2 7 6 9 6 9 6 ,, 7i 9.0 4I4-I 9-6 2-3 4 7 6 I 9 6 9 6 •- 7i 9.0 414. 1 6-5 1.6 4 2 95 96 HOUSING u W S o X u H H < . o vo . o vo .ovoovoovoooo *->" : ion : vo ci : oo" oo" to d d d n' •* co 't' MM MM M M CO W VO vO O O vo M COCO Cv! c u TJ TJ TJ covo vo 1893-1905. Total arrears . . £t ,, ,, Total possible rent . 3c , ; , , Loss in arrears as per- centage of rent 1/1 W .• .• .■ m Tl »r1 tfl W (fl W Ifl 1/) (fl IN CN W « «.^,v§ 5 vo vo vo VO vo LO vo in to in •3- ** "o i id HHH(tHNNIIfl(ICICIMNn(l >< MM g J;, H CO CO if «OVO IN 10 cRo « N UltlO Ov Ov Ov . OvOvOv -OvOvOOOOOO 000000 -000000 -0OCO U.OvOM3vOiOv n U U3 D O ell V u H < OOOOOOOOOOO O M cvl vO CxVO CO IN CO OvOO ' Oi ' M M M M in " • M 1886-1905. Total arrears . . ^51 10 , , , , Total possible rent . 490 16 , , , , Loss in arrears as per- centage of rent . 10.4 C u (2 cr O oooooooogooooooooocOti m in m in in in en in in 5,0 O O vo vo vo ov o\ "^ififififtxtxlx CO x c c O 0> 4) zh a 53 >< cr _g . . - . M CV1 CO if VO O o o Ov Ov CJv Ov Ov VO IN00 Ov M M CO Tf vOvO~ t>.CO Ov Q CO CO CO CO CTvOVONOvOvOOvOvOvOvO COCOOOCOCOCOOOOOOOCOCOCOOOOO OV < w in D O DC 53 & I* H < OO OvOvOvOvOvO OvvO VO ^ .odevi -iNTt-Miot^copico vovd tN 0) IO00 VO « VO t^ M M O M M M *n otal arrears . . . 793.6 otal possible rent £284 18 6 oss in arrears as per- centage of rent . . 13.9 C TJ TJ TJ TJ . . vo VO VO VO TJTJTJ vOrtjfldco^ in in tn IN in in vtU'H.S vn vo vo T T Z * 5r " cn ^- > '° in in in cnininui vovovo f f •"!■ >r o i™ . C c JO v MMMMnNNNM«M«MCI 3 tjcT O-vT vT vT O" .^•2 •■S'S -c -"§ --2 • • — CO -i" IN CM Cv! CO if vovo noo dJg no ro't 1 ^ Ov - Ov CN -OvOOvOOOOOO 00 -0000 -OOOOOOONOvOvOvonOn vo O - - Ov - - M 1 if ON - - 00 - - M £s HOUSING 0*0 iO OiO O >0 O O O : oo : m ■^S O O O O O O O 0*0»OiOvO\0^0'OiO«»0»OiO ( OC •i'oococooooo tst^t^t^Cxt^rNt^t^tsoooooooooo t^tN OOOOOOOOOTOOOOCOCOCOOOOOOOOOOOOO (MJaCMMJl "tjOOOOOOvOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO . (M K")0 rro^-O ONOOO toco 10 10 O t~- •* t^ -*• '-'MO w m 01 m NH W'l-CO M N m -qOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO <^ o o o o ""> loo o o o o n n t\ nco ra co co ra oo oo . cr cr ■5 5 O30000COCOCOCO0OCO0O000000O00000 OOMXJiOW 97 o o ^3 rt rt i/> S O o O ^ C^co ri o u fa o rt c cts a s uj rt ca n o o HhJ •^jO <■> o o o ■* 01 o o o o o o ►^'OOOOOOOOOOOOO ^ t^ tN t^oo 0OO\O\OOOOOCT> . 3-O-CT T3 T3 "O ro tT loo t^oo O O w 1 884-1905. Total arrears . . ^23 8 6 ,, ,, Total possible rent . 396 16 ,, , , Loss in arrears as percentage of rent 5.9 *y ovovovo o o o o o v o>ovo>ovovo'-ovovovo\ovo o s H u u >« 1^ t^ u !-.' cc a" a T3 T3 "O T3 C c C >- '"NO PI C it >ovO K00~ CJ\ M N ro if "">vo Koo C> O M in Iltir 0OCO0OO00O0O a (M> 0\ (MMJ a\ o o o o o OO0O0O0OCOCO00OO0O0O0OO00O0OOO0O 0M>OM3lCMJ u U3 D O t/j H rf u < •« o o ->' oo oo 1897-1905. Total arrears . . £o 16 o ,. ,1 Total possible rent . 193 1 , , , , Loss in arrears as percentage of rent 0.4 "*S O O O Ovovovovovo <-i'0O0O0O0O0O0OCOO00O O u MMMIHMHHMM n! D > u cr t^OO C^O m (M co rf m 0\0sO000000 O0000O Ol»0(MM> d u O (J) J- cd H < "QVOVOVO OvO vOOvOvO O Oi5iOOOHMHHOiOi(l(ltl MMMMMMM MMM £ c MMMMMMMMMMHMMMMMMMMMM u >< i u u a" o" c S3 o • ■ •* l n\o r^oo o^O w « fi-t *o\0 t-Coo o o M o o o o o o o oooooooococooococooooooooooooo OOC^^OON HOUSING 99 Z e *« o o o« o o .oo ooh » n* nono r^oo oo h n n-tio 00000000 OnOnOnOnOnOnOnO^OnOnO O O O O Q oooooooooooooooooooocooooooo on on on on on on H On N^CO rt rt yi ^M C CI U) c CD in "3 <" a fc! o - a o..s c CI cS rt m CI O O O HHJ £ s "y no o O O O vO NO vO vO NO vO O O O O NO NO NO NO NO NO NO j; On On On On OnOO 0OCO000O00 OnOnOnO O O OvOnOnOnOn h IN CO Tf to cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oiom NNNtsNNtsN rvOO 0000000000000000 H M M H H OOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 0>0>OM>0\0\ M 0* M ti cS (3 C a; O t_ u §* • V d O 4) En ctf rt t; o _ e ~- — . CJ rt rt m £ o o o a. o o o o o o o oo ooo otno^o o* oio^o o "Q o o o o o o ooo ooooooooo oooooooo o o o o o o o <->" O tv 00 00 00 00 00 NN CNO OOOOOOOO^OOOOOOOHmmmhmih "1 ""JO t-*CO O M N CO if IOO f^CO ON O M d 0) CO * IOO C-nOO On O H N CO Tt- "1 t^ t>. c^ t^ t-» Cnoo oooooooooooooooooo okmjo>o>oio>om.(M>o O o O o O COO000CO00OT00000000C0CO000000000000000O00COO000000000O\ONaNaNONaN lO t-N CO t-N ^o U i-X) V «> hr a! Ou cd rt c rt ct !G ♦-**-« in U o o o a HOUSING IOI w en & O & M < -y vo vo O O O vo vo vo ^ H H H 1 888-1 905. Total arrears . . ^3 17 6 ,, Total possible rent . 420 4 6 ,, ,, Loss in arrears as percentage of rent 0.9 c CD a: ^vovOvOvOvOvOvovo O OvOvovOvovovovOvO ^•COCOOOOOCOCOOOOO O Oil? OMJi Ol Ov Ov o> ON 'o § 6 £ £ c u h MMMHMHtHMMMMMMHMHHH > 1* CO »Oh fl «)* u-)vO tv.00 O O M CN CO ^- vo COCO OOOOOOOOOOO o o o cocococooocococococococo ooio>o>oc> en O U •^» o vo oo o oo o vo • :cncm ; s m M N CI W M 1-1 1888-1905. Total arrears . • £% 5 ° ,, ,, Total possible rent . 310 10 6 ,, ,, Loss in arrears as percentage of rent 2.6 c cu -(jvOvOiOvOVOvO^OVOvOVOVOvOvOiOvOvOvOvO o.;vovovovovovovovovovo rNCNCxtxrvr-.t>lv, CO O tu MHMHHMMHMMtHHMMMMMM eu & J3 «t co o>o " n n + mvo cnco o q m in co ■+ to COCO 000000*00000 o o o o o cooooooooocococooocoooco oooooo oi Id m O K to a> H •qOO coo vo vovo vo VOOOOO . tj- m : : io co '■ : : co : :oooo m : : : : coco vo vo cn "> -t- W MM 1882-1905. Total arrears . .^702 .» 11 Total possible rent . 519 70 11 ,1 Loss in arrears as percentage of rent 1.3 a u 05 •y O O O O O OvOvOvOvOvOvOVOVO O Ovovovovovovo i," NNN r-vo VOOOCOOOCOOOCOCOCO O\O\0\0sO\0\0s0s0s0\ No. of Tenements. (5 tu > c . . .-5 c CN ■* CM CN CO t- tovo" tvCO O O 11 CN CO rf »*lvO tvCO o o w w ro ■* lO COCOCOOOCOOOCOCO OOOOOOOOOOO O O O O oocooococococooocooooococooococococo .00 CTi O w O CO ** "1 0000000000 oocooooo oioiaoiaoi ►H 00 . en «_, ~ rt a C 0) 4) -q ^ O O O O . : : ■>!- C O*v00 .OOOOr^^ft U1M "1M "■ HI M N CM CM 01 ■^oooooooooooo^o^o^o^o^o^o oooococooooooooooooooooo oc^oooo *0 O O o - 13-f- 15 o 7 o 43 40 84 82 5 4 each Earnings of men working less than 48 Iiours a week. March 3s. 5s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 6d. 9s. 9. 6d. 411 1 11 March us. 6d. 12s. 6d. 13s. 14s. 14s. 6d. 15s. 6d. 1 1 1 1 1 1 June 4s. 4s. 6d. 9s. 10s. 6d. lis. 6d. 12s. 12. 6d. 14s. 6d. 15s. 16s. 16s. 6d. 1 4 1 1 211 1 1 4 1 Sept. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 6d. 5s. 6d. 6s. 6s. 6d. 9s. 6d. 10s. us. 22 5 212 112 Sept. 11. 6d. 13s. 13s. 6d. 16s. 16s. 6d. 1 2 1 1 2 Dec. 2s. 2s. 6d. 3s. 4s. 6d. 7s. 9s. 10s. 6d. 13s. 14s. 1 2 1 3 2 1 2 13 170 WEST HAM The information promised by some of the unions in the building trade was unfortunately not sent in time for insertion. The West Ham branch of the National Amalgamated Society of Operative House and Ship Decorators and Painters contains 360 members, of whom 125 are entitled to strike, accident, and lock-out pay, but not to out-of-work pay. Out- of-work pay is only given from March to October. During the last three seasons the branch has paid out a total of .£1370 in out-of-work pay. This sum is only a partial indi- cation of unemployment, as some of the members were out of work in the summer, when no benefit is paid. It is alleged by the union that one of the reasons of under-employment is that work is hurried through and scamped, so that there is a tendency for jobs to last a very short time. Information was received from the union with respect to the wages paid by twenty-four firms in the borough. Nine pay the trade union rate ; two pay a uniform rate which is less than the trade union rate ; nine have no uniform rate at all, and four are " doubtful." The trade union rate is 8Jd. per hour. "Time and a quarter" is paid between 5 p.m. and 8 P.M., " time and a half " between 8 P.M. and midnight, and " double time " from midnight to 6.30 A.M. This scale does not apply to ships' painters, who get 9d. an hour and over- time, but sometimes earn as much as 2s. per hour on piece- work. Seven shipping firms recognise the union. Carpenters have been much affected by the depression of the building trades, and by the substitution of iron and con- crete for wood in the construction of buildings. Printing. The printing works to which the following table applies are all union shops so far as the men's wages are concerned, but the women in the trade are totally unorganised. It will be noted that the number of observations is not the same in all the quarters, and that the largest quantity of extra labour was taken on in the men's department in December and in March. Most overtime was also worked in December. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES Printing. 171 Men. Date. No. of Observa- tions. Median. Upper Quartile. Lower Quartile. Predominant Rate. No. at Predominant Rate. s. * s. d. s. d. s. d. March . . 147 4i 6 48 36 6 39 1 1 June . . . 138 39 45 31 39 13 Sept. . . . 121 39 44 3i 39 10 Dec. . . . 155 4i 6 50 6 Youths. 38 39 17 March . . . 23 17 21 16 16 4 June . . . 20 16 18 6 16 16 6 Sept. . . . 18 16 17 15 16 5 Dec. . . . 19 24 26 6 Women. 18 26 6 3 March . . . So 12 6 IS 6 10 13 5 June . . . 52 12 6 16 6 10 10 6 Sept. . . . 44 14 16 11 15 6 4 Dec. . . . 57 13 17 Girls. 12 12 6 9 March . . . 17 5 6 9 4 6 5 3 June . . 16 5 6 9 4 6 4 6 6 Sept. . . . 13 6 9 5 6 5/, 5/6 3 each Dec. . . . 14 6 6 9 Boys. 5 4/6, 5/, 6/6 2 each March . . . 54 7 9 6 6 6 7 June . . . 54 7 6 10 6 6 6 7 Sept. . . . 58 7 6 10 6 6 6 9 Dec. . . . 60 7 10 6 6/, 6/6 9 each March.— In the case of 48 sums over 25s. , overtime payments varying from 8d. to 25s. id. are included. June. — In the case of 17 sums over 21s., overtime payments varying from 8d. to 24s. 6d. are included. September. — In the case of 15 sums over 23s. , overtime payments varying from is.to i7S.6d. are included. December.— In the case of 51 sums over 22s. 6d., overtime payments varying from is. to 24s. 6d. are included. Youths. March.— In 12 cases over 14s. 6d., overtime payments varying from 2d. to 3s. 3d. are included. June. — In 2 cases over 18s., overtime from od. to 3s. are included. September. — In the case of one sum of 17s., iod. for overtime is included. December. — In all cases, overtime payments varying from is. od. to 7s. gd. are included. 172 WEST HAM Boys. March. — In the case of 19 sums over 6s., overtime payments varying from 2d. to 6s. 8d. are included. June. -In the case of 11 sums over 6s., overtime payments varying from 2d. to 6s. 8d. are included. September.— In the case of 12 sums over 7s. 6d., overtime payments varying from 3d. to 8s. are included. December. — In the case of 25 sums over 6s. , overtime payments varying from 3d. to us. are included. Girls. December. — In the case of 4 sums over 12s., overtime payments varying from 4d. to 8d. are included. The following details were furnished by individual workers. At one firm not included in the above group we were informed that no apprentices were employed. Trade union rates were not observed, but it was said that in certain classes of work men could earn more than the minimum rates insisted on by the union. Men were asked to name their own price when they were taken on. The work was paid by the hour, and in the case of the less skilled work there was a premium. A girl aged fifteen, employed as a machine minder's assistant in a certain department, and not included in the above group, earned as wages in three successive weeks : 5s., 5s. 5d., and 8s. ; the maximum earned was ios. The system of payment is to give so much " standing money," that is, regular weekly wages, and a premium. The maximum that can be earned by any woman in this department is 12s. If a girl earns this regularly in the form of standing money she gets no premium. The premium varies with the amount done by each machine. There is a girl assistant for each machine, and the " minder," who is a man, usually looks after two machines, though in some cases two minders look after three machines. The premium, therefore, is dependent on the work of more than one person, on the class of work, and on the quantity given out, as workers are sometimes kept waiting. The irregularity of the premium can be seen from the girl's earnings, as she had 5s. standing money in each case. The wages do not, however, represent the money she actually took home, for 2s. was returned to the firm for dinner at the factory. In the case of more than one of the earnings above- mentioned, id. was deducted for unpunctuality. The fine is EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 173 id. for every five minutes up to half-an-hour. No one who is more than half-an-hour late is admitted. It will be noted that the fine is disproportionate to the wage earned, as none of the women are earning a shilling an hour. The hours worked during these weeks were 51 J. Gas and Allied Trades. It will be noticed that the labour in this group is affected by seasons. The lowest number are employed in June, and the highest in December. Some gas workers have a summer occupation, such as brickmaking, which lasts until the winter season begins again, and many try for work in the building trade ; but a considerable number remain unemployed. The table given below also shows some broken time. The wages are much lower than a few years ago, owing to improved machinery. It was then worth while for Germans to come over to work during the winter, return- ing to Germany for the summer. They were admitted temporarily as members of the Gas Workers and General Labourers' Union. Gas. Men. 1 Date. No. of Observa- tions. Med an. Upper Quartile. Lower Quartile. Predominant Rate. No. at Predominant Rate. March . . . Tune .... Sept. . . . ! Dec 715 648 6qo 75i s. 3i 29 29 3i d. 6 6 6 6 s. d. 42 38 38 6 42 s. d. 29 6 29 6 29 6 29 6 s. d. 29 6 29 6 29 6 29 6 200 217 201 213 1 March June . Sept. . Dec. . 4 cases under 7s. 6d., 1 at 16s. under 48 hours. 17 M ,, 12s., 2 under 17s. 6d. under 48 hours. 13 ,, ,, 8s. 6d. , 1 at 14s. 1 ,, at 15s. 6d. , 1 at 20s. ,, >, 74 WEST HAM Clothing Trades. A considerable amount of low paid male labour is em- ployed in the clothing trades. The wages for women and girls vary very slightly, and have been taken together, as the ages were not indicated in all the employers' returns. It is unfortunate that more information could not be obtained with regard to this group, but some of the largest manu- facturers in the borough refused information. Clothing. Men. Date. No. of Observa- tions. Median. Upper Quartile. Lower Quartile. Predominant Rate. No. at Predominant Rate. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. March . . . 23 16 33 6 11 10/, ii/, 50/ 2 each June .... 27 16 6 35 13 13/. 15/ 3 each Sept. . . . 29 16 35 13 15 3 28 19 35 12 6 12 3 ! Women and Girls. i March . . . 161 9 12 6 6 8 14 Tune . . • 150 9 6 14 7 9 10 Sept. . . . 179 9 6 14 6 6 8 6 1 1 Dec. . . . 207 10 14 6 6 10 14 Glass. There is a branch in West Ham of the Yorkshire Glass Bottle Makers' Union. In glass bottle making there are usually three grades of men — gatherers, blowers, and finishers ; the gatherers bring the molten glass to the blowers. The rates paid in one factory are as follows : gatherers, 25s. per week and " plus" ; blowers, 30s. per week and "plus" ; finishers, 32s. per week and " plus." The work is done in gangs called " chairs," with three men and two boys in a chair. A chair can usually EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 175 make £2 5s. premium on a full week's work ; the employer takes 7£ per cent, of this, and the remainder is divided between the " chair," the finisher and blower each receiving 7s. 6d. in the pound of their wages, the gatherer 3s. qd. in the pound, and the boys iod. each in the pound. The number of dozen bottles allotted to a chair to make in the day varies with the kind of bottle ; if they do more than the number allotted, they are paid a "plus." The work is done by two shifts. One shift works from 5.30 a.m. to 4 P.M., and the other from 5.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. One and a half hour are allowed for meals, and no work is done on Saturdays. The boys mentioned above are not ap- prentices, but sometimes an apprentice takes the place of the gatherer. Other kinds of work are done by " holes " of two men. Boys are taken on from fourteen years of age and up- wards and are paid 9s. per week. They become " wetters off" at fifteen and upwards, and are then paid 13s. per week. When a vacancy occurs, they are taken on as gatherers, and can then qualify as blowers if there is a vacancy, but they must remain as apprentices at 16s. a week till they are twenty-one. Boys usually manage to remain in the trade. The work is done by two " shops," consisting of six chairs each. If one shop is reduced because work is slack, the other shop must, by the trade union rules, share their work with them. There are a number of foreigners coming and going in the non-union shops — Germans, Poles, Swedes, and Russians. The non-unionists do not work in chairs, but are paid in- dividually at so much per 100. Labourers are engaged by the week, and their work is fairly regular. Shops. The leading shopkeepers in West Ham were asked to give the same information as the other employers of labour, but all refused. A partial explanation of this is probably that they are less accustomed than other employers to making official 176 WEST HAM returns, and therefore more inclined to resent the request for detailed information. The Secretary of the National Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen, and Clerks states that hours are longer and wages lower in West Ham than in the west of London and in certain more prosperous suburbs. Railway Servants. The following information has been received from the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants : porter guards, 1 8s. per week; acting and shunting guards, 21s. to 24s.; guards, 25s. to 30s. Only main line head guards receive as much as 30s. The maximum pay of other guards is 27s. Porters, 14s. to 18s. per week. Shunters, 24s. to 28s. „ Platelayers, 21s. to 24s. „ Ticket Takers, 18s. to 20s. per week. Ticket Collectors, 20s. to 23s. „ Foremen Porters, 21s. to 25s. ,, Firemen, 3s. to 4s. 6d. per day. Drivers, 5s. 6d. to 7s. 6d. „ Goods Workers, 18s. to 23s. per week. Carmen, 18s. to 27s. per week. Signalmen, 20s. to 36s. „ The majority are paid less than 30s. per week. o <* NO OMX3 M LO Ct TfH CO -t- o tN -*- CO M h a Tt IN -t- C-. ON t^ CO o (N| CN1 « M M **** , 4) Oh > a cd 'SoS - ' °«^ : c 2 ' cj 'S — - ^ a; ctf U ■ = C3^ w 2 c ^ J 01 j5 -2 oj S e * r? £ S ra in ^2 o ci J2 K3 . : ISO uffl«u ■a td g , - c 3 " * ,2 2 ' "«3 . 3$ C/5P3 OE — -a S £ .,// „ 4 ,. //.,„, County Borough. ■ Young , ;:;:;;: ■ SB M. 1 M f M p 1 i M in "„ 17) ««.;«i : s. ■!» Kg . 30 53 86 3 ,1 ■ . .„ ,07 1,609 . .. ''Jm IIS ,8, 6°| l 4 l ,.; i t 4 1 il 4 s ; , !S .. "° " ..416 2 ■■*3 4 4|| 3» ''" «95 mJojinti. ■!).,, 170 ,. ■.763 !;'• „ ^ [ol ,!» 4=7 "i ..'* |j° ,nd disiiliine "' 96 ,,766 ; ; ~ 1 10 , ,s :> s 3> 43 ' *&,', : ; ,K j - - 4 "7.S3H j .:-/„ H >s " JJ r; ,'-„;t 2 60 Sirs « „., k ,„ B 10 « 3S U,.|>dlM.T> , 173 .'i'l".';^'", ','■'. I 9 ,rf " '"; g l 658 36, «. , ,„ 4. !4 ! , ; "•»-"»7'««»»;- , ,6 , ,,. ,.. Tow i.„ F.ooriu WortHon. '""' u """ 1 " nol ,504 ,7»3 >7, ,46 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 177 West Ham — Census, 1901. Table XIX. — Males Over 15 at Three Ages, Expressed as Per- centage of the Total Number of Males in Each of the Six Groups. Census Group. Total in Group. Of these— 15 to 25. 25 to 45- 45 and Upwards. XV. — Chemicals, grease, oil, fat, &c. (excluding dealers) .... 2,560 35.o 44.6 20.3 X.— Metals, Machines (excluding dealers) 10,818 30.5 46.2 23.1 XXII. — General Labourers . . ■ 6,983 31-7 45.2 23.0 VI. (4). — In Docks, Harbours . . 5,928 16.9 52.9 30.5 XII. — Building and Works of Con- 8,700 26.5 45-S 27.6 XX. (1). — Food (excluding dealers) 1,876 45-9 37- 1 17.0 Table XX. — Age and Sex-Distribution of the Workers in Certain Trades in West Ham in 1901. Census Group. XV. — Chemicals, &c. (exclud- ing dealers) } X. — Metals, Machines, &c. . .j XXIL— Under heading " GeneO ral Labourers " J VI. (4). — In Docks, Harbours,) &c / XII.— Building and Works of\ Construction / XX. (1). dealers) Food (excluding Totals of all Groups . . . . \ Sex. Males Females . Males Females , Males Females , Males Females , Males Females Males Females Males Females 151025 772 3,304 2,216 3 1,006 2,309 1 861 809 10,592 1,673 251045. 1,142 122 5,011 16 3,159 1 3, " 2 3,988 696 124 17,108 263 45 and Over. 522 24 2503 3 1608 1 2403 3 319 32 9165 63 All Ages Over 15. 2,560 918 10,818 107 6,983 5 5,928 8,900 4 1,876 965 36,865 1,999 M 178 WEST HAM TABLE XXI. — Population at Three Ages. Sex. I 5 to 25. 25 to 45- 45 and Over. All Ages over 15. 25,508 24,979 37,849 37,836 20,438 2 1 ,464 83,795 84,279 Table XXII. — Males at Three Ages, Expressed as Percentage of Total Number of Males Over 15. Total Males over 15. Of these— 15 to 25. 25 to 45. 45 and Upwards. 83,795 30.4 45.2. 24-4 500 160 100 Diagram XIV. Age-distribution of 10,000 of whole population. Numbers at each year in successive age groups. England and Wales, 1901. London, 1901. West Ham, 1901. "1(5 16 50 ?5" jfe sW lb sfe 50 55 &< 60" So -7b — 7^ 80 Age Groups. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 179 Table XXIII. — Diagram XIV. is based on the following figures, obtained by dividing the numbers in each age group per 10,000 of total population by the number of years (5 or 10) in that age division. Age Group. England and Wales. London. London. West Hani. 1901. 1901. 1891. 1901. 0- 5 228 218 240 272 S-io 214 197 215 245 10-15 205 185 197 225 15-20 199 195 198 194 20-25 192 210 203 184 25-35 162 178 165 162 35-45 123 130 123 121 45-55 89 9i 87 83 55-65 59 57 52 46 65-75 33 29 29 21 Table XXIV. — 1901. Of Every 100 Persons Living in London. 1 29.9 are under J5 1 per cent . dependent. 4.1 are over 65 j °^ r r 9-7 are l J~*° I =15^ per cent, capable of self-support. 23.5 are men 27.0 are women 50^ per cent, able to support themselves and others. } 20-55 j Of Every 100 Persons Living in West Ham 37.2 are under 15 ) cent _ d dent 2.7 are over 65 J ^ r r 9-7 are I 5 _ ^° I = 14 per cent, capable of self-support f = 46 per cent, able to support themselves 22.9 are men 22.8 are women f and others Of Every 100 Persons Living in Hampstead 22.7 are under 15 I = cent d dent 4.6 are over 65 j ' r r 10.9 are 15-20 1 _ ^ cent, capable of self-support. 5.7 are 55-65 / 20.4 are men 36.7 are women } 20-55 { 57 per cent, able to support themselves and others. 1 The divisions in this table are arbitrary, since there are, of course, exceptions to each group : they are used for the sake of comparison. ::::::::::::":::::::: : • ■ M O « o - :::::::::::-::::::: : : : : m o n 4^ vo • ••••';'':i: m ;;:::: 1 - 1 : ;:; n ° « -:::::::::::-:::::::: : : : N O *C1 vo 1^ ::::::::::: ;h :::::.: : « : : in o N J^ :::«::::::::«:::::: :h ::: + o "o VO N ;;!;;;;;;;;;;;;;; nn ; ! m ; t^ 'ov 6 * * M !!! f ^!!!!!;vo;;;;;;*' mm* vo m 1 ^O ^ ; *m m ; h ;;;■••*••■• h ■ ■ w • • *9- ' ■ M r-» 4. 1 u% 1 ffnn ; ; + ; h ■ ■ • ■<> „ km- 1 ov m " 1 " vo SO t-w t ( hSh ,"■*". ( p> ( t g # w« p w moi OO Oi 1^ ,*, i ~o « ; ; ; « m « n ■«■ ; m inoo m ; ; ; nnm ; w m ; M f Ov OO -<*-00 MtvieiWiriNON MVO OV M "5" vo rou " 1 .. rOM ,. NM ,.N w O tN M ! I C I ! I'trorn^-vt; ; ; |mw ;m' ... r^ m S VO H M * 1 '*" t-. 1 o ! M C ! '. '. '. I oo ;nm ; « m m ; m m h ; * w ; « - VO JO ' ! I I ; M ; w nh mh • n • ^m • 'c*vo •-» * n ro vo 3 4^ • M I * ■ I '. I ^ w ^ ^ ! '. *-* I *** I 1 wco voo>r-. o fo vo 3 vo t* Ot i-t . . . . : ; '. ; v o»-itN*i-;MMM-^; : "^ ; ^ ; co OX H ro i "5" ! w I ! ! * I ! °^ I *h« * • h oh • tm com • **• " H r^ m « in" t^ iri!! N ;;'- , ;;o;;;;Mt^;m; ■-• ; « VO f») ? ! suosjaj jo •on 1 E J°X w ^ -*■ «f m<5 rvi-ot^ovOmroOmii-jMOvO"-. coco n *tf" M M h> M o o -J- o d 3 O 6 . £ <8 H.tt<*S d d d . d . d <3;£ £ £ °8 e g s ** •* g £ , r * g c ^ l g g<« • o^^.s- 8 .^ 1 = ff| S s £ s 1 s a e § :-==! « s g -^a 2 § WOC3iB,SmcoJuQuh.oSo^(£i.Qti "ou (A 4) bO n a s. a O V h a, ^i m B\S C OTJ S5 3=^01? O.W endants, d workers >aitment w be classifie jointers, & ers, and ot emale as: o •" Ec vT £ o n *J v v£p*cc e o Disinfectoi Miscellane Tramwa not othe Lamp trim Gangers, s Charwome and clea 10 o • C > u tm nd >'£x o >> I'd k ; rt bo ' ■d-S c B " =; iJ iJiiSS c o J! u b « g M £ >. ™ u o c 3 V ■d £ . stri one o " S; ° ° s. .-a « •d v S « "5 „,- c - u ^ nil en, ure ker ers, ers mi rse i c o o w JO od K «hA WiJ v« g * £ ^ to 5 s'E-5 r; s o E £ c " o u — > (4 V - c 2 2 O o S B c-d gi2-o u c J; •as e-is |.s |-g W OB3P-ft<2co S so bo b» •d v o E-t: J= " E bo.2 £ •d o_ g-gg* k 3 i_ • a<5 g-d a« vo a.2 in - ui d o &"" u a b „ s ■V M O w 4_ o '. '. I '. '. '. '. '. '. '. I '. ^ .' '. '. '. ; 1 ; '. '.'.'. en ° w vo h :::::::«:: :« ::;:: ;h : : : : -f o "75 i o n ::::::::::: n ::::::: : : m : "> o VO VO «::::«::::::":::::«:: : : : * o CN 4_ m ;; m ; m ;;;;;; ro ;;;;;;; m h ; ; CO o 1 1 If I ! H !! H !!!!!!!!!!!! n ! ! M ! ! "° ° 'on ~o ■^-m«;hvo;;n;;;io;;;;;;;; m n ; in N ;eifo;;o*;;M»;;;;;;;M;;; M ; ; f^ M t^. j_^ O^oo ; ; Ooo ; m ; h mm \ * ; ; ; ; \ h mm ; w ; ; t-s i ; • ; ; OV . m m m -*■ t ,00m tvi r» On 1 « s vO « 3 t ~° !!!!! H !!*! N ! H(nMC, ! H !!! M !t ^ M 1 * 'inl ~i?i Ilil^Iil^^i^ 1 ;";! !!^ 00 r^omioo ro •* so 1 . . . . 1 ' 1 w o : c m m : : : N : ^ ; : N « : « ; o « : *^ « M h oo * 3 in*- 1 r-> • m** ; ; m ;u-»;mw« ; ; ;co s ; w ; ; ;« m m 2 | T3 w VO ■ • • ■ H •*■ in ■SUOSJ3J JO - °N I*'°X hVDCOO n(sO\ OnOO u>00 O On 'too N'tOM m^ ro m On ■d-cj m « o t% h -j- n on 1 - 1 ""> cm mo t noro ui^o « rn o g S V bo rt C O V H CU a 3 o 6 «*^ » • .<*°a,£ .4« ■ ■* ■ : -,;^So_- 2 " S «■- •<« c « ,-c8 c .o fe j; =«8 * o^ o.5<« « tl u S.J.m u J J _5ic=ySiSe e ti^Si h in " WOP9PL,a,ScnwJuOufc-oSO?PHfcQ^ JOU <«uQ«fadK«^,j§fc'dPuOWwH!3 >^X C13 o. o <0 to <3 5 ft, to § 1 > X X w cq < 1 M o 1 '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. m '.'.**'.'.'.'.'.'.', '. M ! ' in o -*• 01 4^ vo ;;;;;;;;;;;;h;;;;;;m; n ; ; ■«• o m 4_ vo «:::::::::::-:::::::: - : : vo o w VO « :::::::::: ;h :::: :» : : : : : m o 1 J_^ -:-::::::::-:::::::: : : : in o '3' vo «:«::«::;:::::::::«:: ■ : . 'o! o ■^-nm;;«o;;m;;;-^-m ;;;;;;; | CO N CO t^ o MM I ! H ', '. '. 1H ! ! ■**" ! N ; m m m m « ; h «ro « M VO vO • • M 1 "» 3 _J^ I ; ; ;mmih ; n ; m»o h ; ; l 1 ^* ;o\^ iom n o m CI -itoiS. ;;;:;;;;t>;H«:;;;oco;Mn l^^ 1 " CO fO ~ •••.••■. c ^. H( .. MMMfnN . rn . ;mm t^ N •suosjaj jo •°N l E l°X 0>N\0*0 inr^M Os« nho3 t^u-. i^m mM tJ-00 m \o moo m cm m rovo MfOMooo-vrw ■"j-vc^rnO'vi- -vj-oo w o§ 2 ,: tie • c O « a. a o O A. Engineers, &c. B. Carpenters, &c. C. Bricklayers, &c. D. Plumbers, &c. . E. Painters, &c. F. Masons . . . G. Stokers, &c. H. Sewermen, &c. I. Labourers J. Checkers, &c. . K. Drivers, &c. L. Coachmen, &c. M. Foremen, &c. . N. Clerks, &c. . . O. Messengers . . P. Gardeners Q. Watchmen . . R. Porters, &c. S. Firemen . . . T. Disinfectors, &c. U. Unclassified Tram way Workers V. LampTrimmers,& W. Gangers, &c. X. Charwomen, &c. ::::::::::::«:::::::: : :"■ CO o ^ ~o m;;;;;;;;;;;m;;;;;;h; ; ; * iv O ^ ::::::::::::«::::::»: : : * no o N J no *:::::•::::::«.:::::::: t- o ~ no tv :: :h ::::::: :h :::: :« : : : : « •*■ o V in «:::::::::• :c ::::::: : : : : ■*■ o 1? no ~c7 -:::::::::::::::::«:« : : : VO O 'S ~o" *h : ;::::;:: :o : :::: :: h g " 1 no tv : : : : :h : : : :«„« ::::«::« : : : tv o t^ 1 ^ w'mm'h , m« , m"'0 - '';h , ;h nm; ro N to no h :: ::«::::: : : | a i? ~o" m on m m cono ^■^•in m ■*+• on fs . N(r1 .. M tr ' ca ■*■ rs ^ NO rv IT) > _ Ifl _ o i- ( n t ^o « , (N . CS . « f , N 00 co co N n tN co co o cono ro in m m oo in no m « ui n ; ; ; ro -» ■«- m ; ; m mm oo M -a- •a CO ' ^ '. ; m ; o ; +mio n ; ; ;*^" w ; w : w ■* ^ : cv \o ON c "o" ^mwMM i O\MO - c^m'*NHMMco . m , w m o % ' 'o' NO M CO M M "Nf M (NJ M CO CO 0) "*■ M C\ I I I I I '. '. * !! ■ • ^ • J° 'on J^ HHMM;;M;vo;voo;;;tH--i;co; m .4- ; M N mm m , *w'co'*cocN] , NOM • m • M * ' ' ' * ' M in M tv J 6" • • • • • ; ; ; n ; tf]H ;mm ■ CO m m m ro M ; rv tv N NO tv .•.•••••m;(NMMm;MroM;;o M |; 00 N 3 ~iK . M ...... •••••mmm;;;io»h no co m O N 3 vO N;H+;HM;h;;»H ro ; ■«• H N CO 3 1 o m • cm 'fiH ;h ;i*ipi;nh m ^ ; O N 3 -i-gifi. ;o;f>" p >«;;; , «f^;H<»-< m ; •**- OO N CO 3 4."S i io M NO •SU0SJ3J JO m on mio ^oo tv onoo on m ""1- w tv m m cv tv o* « Ci *d- rv cn •5, 8 tV M "1 0) Bfl a • "a v s a O 1) h a, p. 3 O hi o A. Engineers, &c. . . B. Carpenters, &c. C. Bricklayers, &c. . D. Plumbers, &c. . . E. Painters, &c. . . F. Masons . . . G. Stokers, &c. . . . H. Sewermen, &c. . I. Labourers, &c. . J. Checkers, &c. . K. Drivers, &c. L. Coachmen, &c. M. Foremen, &c. . N. Clerks, &c. . . 0. Messengers . . P. Gardeners . . Q. Watchmen . . R. Porters, &c. . . 3. Firemen . . . T. Disinfectors, &c. U. Unclassified Tram way Workers V. Lamp Trimmers, & W. Gangers, &c. X. Charwomen, &c. s e o -. Tt II C rt a v So. o. cci 1 ►J - mi rt 184 WEST HAM TABLE XXIX. — Some of the Rates paid to Corporation Workmen. Rate of Pay. Classification of Workmen. No. Employed. Hours Worked per Week. Per Day. Per Hour. Sewage Works — s. d. s. d. Engine-drivers 5 1 oh 48 hours. Stokers .... 4 ° 9l 48 ,, Labourers 18 8| 48 „ Sewers — Sewermen 36 5 10 39 .. Gullymen 7 5 54 .. Collection of House Refuse — Dust-fillers . 18 5 54 ., Highways — Masons .... 11 10 Summer, 54 ; winter, 48. Road labourers, pickers, > 102 7 1 54 hours (pickers' hours \ same as masons'). tar paviors, &c. . Scavengers (sweepers) . 81 sl 54 hours. ,, (night) 24 4 '"8 (night) 54 ,. Watchmen . 20 4 6 (night) As required. Labour employed in execu- tion of constructive and other works by the Council. Building Trades — Joiners .... Carpenters . 6 6 io£\ io£ ^ io$ r 11 j Trade Union hours. Bricklayers . 2 (Summer, 50 ; winter, 44 and 47.) Plasterers 2 ( Trade Union hours. Plumbers 3 11 < (Summer, 47 ; winter, 44^and4i£.) Trade Union hours. Labourers 14 07^ (Summer, 50; winter, 44 and 47.) Stables Department — Carmen 150 5 ° 60 hours. Electricity Department — Labourers 18 7 54 .. Tramways Department (outdoor staff) — Motormen * . J43 7 60 ,, Conductors 1 . J 43 7 60 ,, Shed Staff- Labourers 33 7 60 ,, 1 Uniform provided. CHAPTER II Description of Victoria and Albert Docks and of Dockwork — Employment by the Dock Company, Shipping Companies, and others — Dockwork Scheduled as a Dangerous Trade — Casual Labour the Result of Unor- ganised Demand — Discussion of the Dock Company's System— Royal Commission on Port of London — Tables and Diagrams. The Victoria Dock, which was opened in 1855, and a part of the Albert Dock opened in 1880, are in the borough of West Ham. They are joined by a channel, over which is a swing bridge, and form practically one dock ; but it is im- possible for very large ships to pass from the Albert to the Victoria Dock, as there is a railway tunnel beneath the canal which limits its depth. In this report they will be taken together, as they form, with the dry dock and repairing shops, a system of docks quite separate from those farther up the river. The system extends a distance of three miles, and is the largest under the control of the London and India Docks Company. The company was formed in 1901 as the result of the amalgamation of the London and St. Katherine Docks Company and the East and West India Docks Company. The area of water in the two docks amounts to 183 acres, and there are berths for sixty vessels of large size, besides quay accommodation for many smaller vessels. The Albert Dock must be classed with Tilbury as more modern, better supplied with appliances, and able to receive larger ships than the other London docks. Vessels over 536 feet in length cannot, how- ever, enter the Albert Dock, and in 1902 there were thirty afloat so disqualified. Moreover, the larger vessels of some of the lines which use the Albert Dock are berthed at the Tilbury Docks, which are more convenient in the present state of the river. Parliamentary powers have been obtained 185 i86 WEST HAM to extend the Albert Dock. In the area owned by the Dock Company is a system of goods lines forty-one miles in length and communicating with the general railway system of the country. At the side of the Victoria Dock are warehouses for stor- ing tobacco, foreign meat, and grain, while the Albert Dock contains sheds, but no warehouses, and is used almost entirely for the loading and discharging of ships. It is a peculiarity of the Victoria Dock that the vessels are discharged at jetties instead of at quays. These two docks have the advantage over Tilbury that they are within carting distance of London, and a large proportion of goods are conveyed to their destina- tion by road. A considerable part of the discharging at both docks is done overside into barges, and the practice is increasing. The following return shows approximately the use made of each dock for the years 1 899-1 906 inclusive. It will be observed that during this period the number of ships and the tonnage has decreased in the Albert Dock, and increased in the Victoria Dock, though there has been a decrease since 1904. The decrease at the Albert Dock is due to a tendency for larger boats to use the Tilbury Docks, and to the growth of Southampton as a port. Two smaller lines of steamers have moved from the Victoria Dock, one to the south side of the river, and the other to a provincial port. Tonnage Returns at the Victoria and Albert Docks. Victoria. Albert. Year. Ships. Tonnage. Average Tonnage. Ships. Tonnage. Average Tonnage. 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 304 294 378 355 407 434 399 394 637,492 628,966 777,100 7H,5 I 3 875.797 969.344 949,120 939.930 2097 2139 2056 2004 2152 2234 2380 2386 476 429 425 386 35o 337 335 369 1,455,924 i.3'7.697 1,418,936 1,299,607 1,242,997 1,174,892 1,125,984 1,208,415 3059 3071 3339 3366 355i 3487 336i 3275 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 187 The chief employers of labour established in the Victoria and Albert Docks are : — (a) The London and India Docks Company. (b) Twenty-seven shipping companies. (c) About six master stevedores and porters. 1 (d) About nine ship repairers and scalers. 1 (e) Two coal-merchants. (/) A grain-elevator company. (g) Two timber-yards. (h) Two flour-mills. It will be advisable to give some description of the general nature of the work carried on at the Victoria and Albert Docks before dealing separately with the different modes of employ- ment. The following account is taken from the Special Report issued in 1900 by Messrs. Maitlandand Eraut, H.M. Inspectors of Factories. It should, however, be explained that stevedores are en- gaged in storing cargo in the holds of either ships or barges, while dockers do unloading, trucking on the quay, and placing the goods in sheds or warehouses. " There are numerous methods adopted for the loading and discharging of vessels in docks or at wharves and quays varying according to locality, and the class of cargo to be handled. Two characteristic methods of loading are : — " (a) By hoisting the packages of goods direct from the quay and depositing them in the ship's hold (in one operation) by means of cranes, which either stand on the quay or are built on to the warehouses or sheds near to the quay edge. " (b) By first hauling the packages up an inclined plank or ' stage ' from the quay edge to a temporary platform, built on the deck at the side of the hatchway, and then lowering the goods into the hold by the steamer's own winches. . . . " Frequently the loading of a vessel is from barges or lighters, which are convenient for the purpose of enabling a vessel to be loaded from both sides at once. Then, since the 1 The numbers of {c) and (d ) are difficult to ascertain accurately, as some of these employers are in a very small way of business. 1 88 WEST HAM cranes on the quay may not be available, recourse is had to the ship's winches and derricks, which are especially furnished for rapidly dealing with cargoes, and of such ranges as to enable a package, at one operation, to be lifted from the barge and deposited in the ship's hold. . . . " In some docks the goods, before or after unloading, are carted or conveyed by rail into sheds called ' transit sheds,' which are built on the quay or wharf, and then stored until it is convenient to place them on board, so that they undergo a preliminary or additional unloading from the vans, lorries, or railway waggons, and storing in piles on the sheds, to be sub- sequently dealt with by the porters or stevedores who place the goods in the vessel. " In any of these additional operations of unloading, haul- ing, and repiling of goods in the transit sheds mechanical power may be employed in aid thereof ; the appliances generally consisting of power cranes and capstans in the sheds or on the quays. " In other docks where special classes of goods are shipped the loading is frequently direct from the railway waggon to the vessel's hold. " In the discharging of cargo from vessels the processes above mentioned are found reversed. . . ." The work of dockers is interfered with by rain, although tarpaulin can sometimes be stretched over the hatch without interfering with the work. The men are either paid off or are kept waiting in the hope that the rain will cease ; in the latter case they expect to be paid for " standing off " time. Complaints were made before the Royal Commission that the lack of shelter at the Albert Docks caused frequent stoppages of work in bad weather. " Cargoes of grain < in bulk ' are often discharged direct into granaries arranged in the docks near to the quay side. For this work mechanical elevators or pneumatic suction elevators are used, driven by engines either in the granary or placed temporarily on the ship's deck for the purpose. With such apparatus there is very little manual work needed, as the machine deposits the grain on the mechanical conveyors in EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 189 the granaries, one or two machines taking the place of a large staff of porters. " The work of loading and unloading vessels is generally performed by gangs of stevedores, employed sometimes by a master stevedore who contracts to do the work, sometimes directly by the owner of the vessel or his agents, sometimes by the owners of the dock. " The work of stevedores is confined in loading to receiving the cargo at the vessel's side, transferring it to the hold, and storing it securely in the hold ; and in unloading, 1 the steve- dore's part ends when he has taken the goods from the hold and delivered them over the vessel's side, or on to the quay or wharf. " The master stevedore sends men on board to prepare and rig the ropes and hoisting tackle 2 (which he or the owner of the vessel supplies), men to build the platforms and stages, and to arrange the gang-ways or gang-planks along which the goods are moved from quay to vessel, and men or boys to work the winches and cranes on the vessel and forming part of the ship's apparatus. " It is of great importance that the work of discharging and reloading a vessel should be carried on as quickly as possible, and to ensure this it is no uncommon practice for two or more separate and practically independent gangs of men to be working simultaneously in one hatchway, and where the hatchway is narrow or small the risk of accident is much increased. "The packages of goods are secured for hoisting in various ways. Bales of cotton or jute are gripped by < cotton-dogs ' or ' cotton-hooks ' ; sacks of flour or grain, several together, on a ' cradle ' or in a rope sling, or singly by a ' snorter ' or running noose ; barrels, kegs, oil and alkali drums by ' can- hooks ' ; heavy packages and rough timber in chain slings ; light and sawn timber by rope slings ; bricks, loose stone, or ore are hoisted up in ' tubs ' ; pig iron and tinplate boxes on cradles or in slings. When the goods are ' slung,' or are 1 In the Victoria and Albert Docks unloading is rarely done by stevedores. 2 These men are known as gearers. 1 9 o WEST HAM otherwise ready for hoisting, the men in the hold give a signal to the 'hatchman,' who directs the hoisting while standing on the top deck, the stage, or the platform above the hatch- way, as the case may be. He, in turn, gives a signal by hand or mouth to the winch-driver, or to the man at the winch who is manipulating the rope there, care being taken that the load, as it is rapidly hoisted, does not strike the cranings or any fixture ; arrived at the platform, the hatchman, by him- self or with help, drags the package on to the stage, so that it may be either transferred to the l fall ' from a quay-crane, or placed on a trolly for wheeling on to the quay by porters. When the vessel rises considerably in the water, packages may be slid down the stage to the quay instead of being wheeled there. " In discharging timber cargoes 1 the method of working is generally very much the same at different ports. In some instances the crew of the vessel discharge the cargo ; in others it is handled in the same way as general cargo by the stevedores. At other ports timber is the chief import, and the method of working is arranged accordingly to allow of its being done the more expeditiously." Little dock work can be regarded as quite unskilled, and certain branches are distinctly skilled. A man who is un- accustomed to handling particular cargoes — for example, planks of timber, casks of tobacco, frozen meat — would be a slow and clumsy workman, a source of danger to himself and others. It is generally held that stevedoring requires more skill than ordinary dock labour. This is probably true as a general rule, but certain work done by dockers requires quite as much skill — e.g. dealing with "bedding papers." 2 Before the dock strike of 1889 the Dock Company used to undertake nearly all the loading, discharging, and ware- housing of goods in the docks under their management. As a result of the strike some of the shipping companies 1 At the Victoria and Albert Docks there is very little timber work. * Cf. p. 196. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 191 organised departments of their own for this purpose. It became usual also for firms of contractors to undertake the work, and in this way to compete with the Dock Company, whose method was at that time to employ mainly unorganised casual labour. The Dock Company, who had gradually re- linquished the work of loading, gave notice to the shipowners that after December 30, 1890, they would abandon the discharging also. This determination was the effect of the dock strike of 1889, because the higher rate of wages obtained by the men made the discharging of ships less profitable. The company retained the work of removing from the quay and storing those goods which were intended for warehousing, and of taking goods from the warehouses to the quay and numbering them ready for shipping. The discharging and quay work at the Victoria and Albert Docks is almost entirely undertaken by shipowners, master stevedores, and master porters, and the warehousing business of the Dock Company has never been extensive. In 1892 the Company began gradually to reorganise their system of labour in order that the work should be done by as large a number of regular men as possible. Formerly each department of the Dock Company's system had taken on men independently ; then each " control " or group of docks or warehouses was made the unit ; and finally the unit became the whole system of forty-five departments in all the company's docks, which form five " controls." Eighteen of these departments are in the Victoria and Albert Docks, which form one " control " or superintendent's unit. To each department are allotted a certain number of permanent, of A or registered men, who are also permanent but do not receive certain privileges, and of B or preference men. The permanent and A men are paid by the week, the B men by the hour. When one department is pressed, the permanent and A men are transferred to it from another or others that are less 'busy. The weekly men are ordered to go where required, but the movement of the B men is practically voluntary, though they obtain a higher place on their prefer- ence list by attending where they are needed in accordance IQ2 WEST HAM with the notice given them. Employment for the weekly men is ensured either at their own department, other departments within their " control," or other " controls " ; and, subject to the weekly men's preference, B men have also a claim to work at their own department, or elsewhere. The men's names are in a special order on each list ; the permanent men are employed first, then the A men in their order, then the B men in the same way. Extra men are only taken on when all the men in the other three groups are employed. Every after- noon the head of each department sends to the superintendent of the dock an estimate of the number likely to be wanted on the next day, and from these lists calculations are made, and transfers are ordered to meet the day's requirements. By means of this very complete organisation a large proportion of the work is done by weekly men. The number of men on the lists for the Victoria and Albert Docks on January i, 1906, was as follows : Permanent, 190 ; A, 254 ; B, 347. The percentage of work performed by each class of labourer at the Victoria and Albert Docks is given in the following table : — Percentage of Work done by Different Classes of Men at the Victoria and Albert Docks. Year. Permanent. Registered A. Preference B. Extra. 1894 31-3 40.7 22.9 5-i 1895 3°-7 39-8 20.7 8.8 1896 29.6 38.5 23.1 8.8 1897 30.0 39-i 21.7 9.2 1898 37-3 40.4 18.6 3-7 1899 34-i 34-8 21.8 9-3 1900 25-3 30.9 23.0 20. 81 1 901 26.4 37-7 26.8 9.1 1902 30.7 41.4 23-4 4-5 1903 34-8 46.4 16.7 2.1 1904 33-9 44.4 19.7 2.0 It will be noted that over 70 per cent, of the work has latterly been done by weekly labour, and less by extra men as compared with the preference or B men. 1 The additional casual labour in 1900 is stated to be due to extra pressure caused by the South African war. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 193 The difference between permanent and A men is very slight. When the A men were appointed, the intention was that they should " stand by " in periods of slackness, but this was never carried out. There is nearly always enough work for the permanent and A men, who approximate roughly to the minimum employed. In January 1906, for example, the permanent and A men employed were 444 in number, while the lowest number was 403, and only on three occasions was the number employed less than 430. Among the permanent men are included a few permanent coopers employed in the tobacco sheds, and the crane-drivers who manage the machinery required for the company's work. Tickets renewable every quarter are issued to B men. Casual labourers have no tickets and are on no list. If all the permanent and registered men in each department are employed and more men are required, a form is issued from the superintendent's office showing how many B men are to be taken on in each of the various departments. Lists, with ticket numbers, of the B men required in each department are also posted. The next morning the " taking-on foreman " calls for men in their order on the list. He calls first for the B men of his department, then, if more are wanted, for the B men of the control or group of departments, and if enough are not present, for men from any department or control. When B lists are exhausted, casuals are taken on. Apart from foremen's instructions, B men ascertain where there is likely to be work and present themselves at those departments. Very often B men will not turn up. If B men happen to get work for a contractor or a shipping company, they will very often not turn up at their usual work. The contractors and shipping companies pay at least id. an hour more than the Dock Company, and it is said that at the Victoria and Albert Docks, if the Dock Company and the ship- owners both want men, the B men will probably prefer the shipowners on this account. Some foremen in making out the numbers for the next day ask for about 25 per cent, more B men than are actually required, to allow for absentees. It is asserted that the B men are better workmen than ordinary N i 9 4 WEST HAM casual labourers, because under the Dock Company's con- ditions they have a chance of rising to the A list, and therefore a better class of men is attracted. The B lists are revised every three months ; each man's attendance and character are taken into account, and his place on the list lowered if he is observed to be very irregular in attendance, of bad character, lazy or inefficient at his work. By this means, the worst men sink to the bottom of the B list, and their chances of employment are but slight. The numbers on the B list in 1905 at the Victoria and Albert Docks averaged 348, and the average number employed was 91. The same men are not necessarily employed each day. The work done by the Dock Company has decreased, but they have not reduced the number of B tickets issued, though the question has been considered. It is said that it is an advantage to men to have a ticket, because they have a pre- ference over casuals at all the Dock Company's departments, and if there is no employment to be had from the company the possession of a ticket is no disadvantage in obtaining em- ployment from the shipping companies. The wages guaranteed by the company are : — Permanent, 24s. per week. A or registered, 24s. per week in summer, 21s. per week in winter. B men and casuals, 6d. per hour. The company do not pay for meal times. The methods of remuneration are mainly two, daywork and piecework, and the percentages of work done in these ways may be seen from the table on next page. It will be observed that the relative proportions of piece- work and daywork have been transposed within the ten years dealt with in the table, and that in 1904 there was about four times as much piecework as daywork. Each class of worker may be employed on either daywork or piecework. On daywork permanent and A men receive 24s. a week paid weekly, and B men and casuals 6d. an hour paid daily. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 195 Percentage of Work done by Piecework and by Daywork at the Victoria and Albert Docks. Year. Piecework. Daywork. 81.2 1894 18.8 1895 20.7 79-3 1896 21.5 78.5 1897 29.9 70.1 1898 68.1 31.9 1899 79.o 21.0 1900 80.2 19.8 1901 76.7 23.3 1902 78.9 21. 1 1903 80.9 19. 1 1904 . . . 1 80.8 19.2 On piecework the wage of 24s. per week or 6d. an hour is a first charge on the piecework jobs. The amount which each job yields over the sum for guaranteed wages is treated as a bonus, which is equally divided among the men in pro- portion to the number of hours each has worked on the job. For example, if 100 tons of cargo were priced at is. a ton for discharging, the cost would be .£50 ; suppose the guaran- teed wages amount to ^40, the bonus would be ^io, which is reduced to tenths of a penny, i.e. 2400 tenths of a penny. By dividing this by the number of hours worked by all, the amount of bonus per hour is obtained. The amount of bonus due to each man is obtained by multiplying the hourly rate of bonus by the number of hours worked by each individual. Overtime rates are 2d. more per hour, and obtain from 6 P.M. to 6 a.m. The rate allowed for wages per ton is altered automatically after 6 p.m., so that the bonus is not interfered with by a higher first charge. The object of the system is to encourage the men to do each job as quickly as possible, by inducing them to work harder in order that there may be a greater amount of bonus available for distribution. If a job works out badly, i.e. if it does not yield the men their guaranteed minimum wage, the difference is made up by the company. The method is that a record of the amount 196 WEST HAM of minus against each man is kept, and opportunities are given for working it off on jobs in which the price is put high and the bonus or plus is easy to obtain. The minus is, how- ever, sometimes remitted, and is in no case paid in cash by the men, or deducted from their guaranteed wages. Each man receives what is due to him straight from the paymaster's office, and no money passes through the hands of foremen. In addition to the ordinary wages, "cons" 1 or con- tingency payments of 6d. or is. a day are made for certain jobs requiring special skill; for example, the "scribing" or marking of barrels, tallying, and piling goods in the ware- houses. Sometimes a " con " for taking charge of a gang on a particular job is paid to " Royals," who are particularly handy. They are capable of dealing with a " bedding paper " which shows the marks on different portions of the cargo, and are able to sort the cargo and mark out in the warehouse the minimum space required. Sometimes small jobs are given to the leader of a gang of men on contract. The guaranteed minimum wage is always ensured, but the difference from the ordinary bonus system is that the leader of the gang plays the part of a contractor, and arranges the price with the foreman as satisfactorily as possible. When an agreement has been arrived at, the gang will try to make as much as possible out of the job by completing it rapidly. A large number of messenger boys are employed, and these go up for examination between the ages of 16 and 17, and, if they pass, become junior assistants or clerks, and may ultimately go on to be junior foremen. Those who fail become " labouring boys." The number of these was thirty-seven in 1905 in the Victoria and Albert Docks. Their wages range from 1 os. to 22s. a week. When they earn 22s. they are promoted to the class of permanent men, which is also recruited from the registered men. Twenty-seven shipping companies have berths in the Victoria and Albert Docks. Rather more than half of these employ labour direct, but some give one department of their 1 The number and amount of" cons" has been reduced in recent years. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 197 work, either import or export, to master stevedores and master porters. The companies and the master stevedores and porters employ only small permanent staffs, consisting of superintendents, clerks, and foremen. The shipping companies vary in the extent to which they organise their demand for labour. The main methods em- ployed are as follows : — (a) Two preference lists are kept, one for import and the other for export work. The ordinary procedure is that when both departments are busy, preference men are employed first, and then casuals. When one department alone is busy, the preference men from the other department are transferred before casuals are employed. In this case the distinction between docker and stevedore is broken down, and the men are paid dockers' or stevedores' rates as the case may be. (b) Preference lists, which are not interchangeable, are kept for the export and import departments, but casual labour is employed when the list of either department is exhausted. (c) Employment is confined to either an export or an import department, and casual labour is employed when the preference list is exhausted. (of) No written preference list is kept, but the " taking-on foreman " keeps a list in his head, and has recourse to casuals if more labour is required. One foreman is said to be able to remember as many as 300 names. (e) The foreman knows a number of men by sight, and finds out those he wants without reference to any definite list or order. The men follow foremen for whom they have worked before, and to whom they are well known. Men are often known by various names, e.g. " G. R. Sims " to one foreman and " Rags " to another. For this reason it would have been impossible, even had the necessary information been forthcoming, to detect all the cases in which a man had been employed by more than one company during the same week. The men follow the course of ships in the daily papers, in Lloyd's register, and in the London Customs bill of entry, and turn up when a ship arrives if their names are on the prefer- 198 WEST HAM ence list of its owners. A man may work for two or more firms within the same week, and in this way a certain number secure fairly regular work. It is not, however, possible for a man to be on the preference lists of two companies. Few dockers keep a record of their earnings, but returns were furnished by four men personally known to one of the investigators. The wages in Table L. are those of a glass bottle-maker who failed to get regular employment at his own trade, and worked sometimes as a docker proper, sometimes at ship repairing, or in the yard of a dock engineering works. From time to time he was able to obtain work at his own trade, and such earnings are marked with an asterisk. He is now (1907) again in regular work as a glass bottle-maker. Contractors' " Royal " at the Victoria and Albert Docks. Year. 2/6 12/6 iS/- 17/6 20/- 22/6 25/- 27/6 30/- 1903 1904 1905 1 . 1 ... 4 2 3 1 3 2 1 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 ... Shipping Company's u Royal" at the Victoria and Albert Docks. Year. 2/6 5/- 7/6 .10/- 12/6 15/- 17/6 20/- 22/6 =5/- 27/6 3°/~ 32/6 1892 1 1 4 1 3 1 1 1893 ... ! 2 3 2 3 2 1894 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1895 1 2 ; I 2 1 3 1 1 1901 ... ... | I 1 1 1 2 2 3 1 1 The above two sets of wages show the average weekly earnings of two " Royals " to the nearest half-crown, and the number of months during which each weekly average was made. In the first case the earnings vary from 2s. 6d. to 30s., in the second from 2s. 6d. to 32s. 6d. In the first case they were under £1 for as many as ten months in one year, 1 Half-year only. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 199 in the other for the whole of one year. It will be remem- bered that a " Royal " has the best chance of work at the docks, and is considered to be in quite a superior position to the ordinary casual docker. In the course of the home work inquiry the wives of casual dock labourers gave the following information as to their husbands' average earnings : — 17s. 6d. 1 6s. 6d. 16s. 15s. 14s. 6d. 13s. 6d. 13s. 1 1 1 1 1 11 12s. 6d. 12s. 9s. 8s. 7s. 1 1 1 2 1 Some information about the earnings of dock labourers which had been ascertained from the Country Holiday Fund Schedules was supplied by the Rev. H. Cubbon. 1 The weekly earnings were as follows : — 10s. 12s. 15s. 18s. 20s. 21s. 22s. 22s. 6d. 23s. 4 5 5 4 9 2 3 1 ! 24s. 25s. 26s. 27s. 28s. 30s. 11 5 1 216 Details have been extracted from the unpublished census figures referring to men registered as dockers living in West Ham at the time of the census. The details are set out by wards and show that the large proportion of dockers live close to the docks. No statement can be made of the number of dockers who work in West Ham, and no doubt some of these men seek work wherever they can get it. The large number of dockers born outside London and West Ham is partly due to the dock strike of 1889, when considerable numbers of men were brought up from the country, and partly to the preference naturally given to strong country-bred men when they apply for dock work. The conditions of crowding, especially in Hudson's, Canning Town, Tidal Basin, and Custom House Wards are remarkable, and tend to show that the casual nature of the 1 These figures are probably in most cases based on the wives' estimate. 200 WEST HAM work forces numbers of men and their families into a state of overcrowding. In Table LIV. the returns for Tidal Basin, where the largest numbers of dockers live, are set out in more detail. They show that in nearly all cases there is another member of the family occupied and that the family is large. Those un- occupied are, no doubt, mainly children. In some cases it is probable that those classed as servants are members of the family in domestic service. The Shipping Federation, which was started at the time of the dock strike to enable the shipping companies and con- tractors to obtain unorganised labour, posts its notices in each dock. A large number of men were brought up from the country at that time, and many of them have remained in the district permanently. The Federation is prepared to arrange for the supply of labour at the time of a strike. The notices give the number of men required by firms belonging to the Federation which employ labour direct. It is alleged by the Dockers' Union that the estimates are often exaggerated. The notices, however, combined with those in the papers already referred to, afford some guide to the men as to their chances of obtaining work. The shipping companies, master stevedores, and porters have their men taken on by a foreman, usually at fixed hours. He goes to a " pitch " where the men are assembled, and picks the number required from among applicants by one of the methods above explained. There are five recognised places of call for dockers on the north side of the Victoria and Albert Docks, and three on the south side ; there are four for stevedores, only two of which are inside the docks. The men selected by the foremen are given metal tickets or passes. Sometimes foremen will shirk the selection of the whole num- ber required, and when they have given out a certain number of tickets will hold the rest in their hands to be snatched by whoever can get them. Such a fight was seen by the writers, who were informed that it was by no means an isolated instance. The brutalising and demoralising effect on the men requires no comment. Doubtless this procedure would EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 201 not be countenanced officially by any of the shipping com- panies, but it is due to the weakness of individual foremen and their fear of offending men who habitually work for them. A weak foreman may get into difficulties if there is a good deal of work, and therefore a possibility of men outside the ordinary gang being taken on ; or if he has promised work to several men, and even accepted drinks on the strength of such promises, and then finds there is not as much work as he expected. Accidents sometimes occur in these scrambles for tickets. The recognised hours of call for dockers are 6.45 A.M., 7.45 A.M., 8.45 A.M., 12.45 P ' M v 5-45 P - M -; and IO -45 P - M '> but some firms engage men at several additional times, and in some cases every hour. If dockers are taken on at 10.45 P - M - they are paid from 10, as 10 to 11 is the supper hour, and if they are taken on at 5.45 P.M. they are paid from 5 o'clock, the tea hour being from 5 to 6. The docker's regular working day is 7 A.M. to 5 P.M. with one hour for meals. The recognised meal hours are 12 to 1 for dinner, and if work is carried on after 5 o'clock, 5 to 6 for tea. If a man begins work at 6 a.m. he is entitled to one hour, 8 to 9, for breakfast, and if he has been working all night 6 to 7 is the breakfast hour. All meal times are paid for. A man working up to 3 a.m. is paid for the breakfast hour, and if he works during any of the meal hours he receives double pay. Double pay (at day or night work rates as the case may be) is paid for work on Sundays, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the King's Birthday, August Bank Holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. For dockers the rate per hour paid by contractors is 7d. In addition to this there are a large number of the extra pay- ments, known as contingency payments, or " cons," which have been already referred to. These are usually 6d. a day, but sometimes is., and are paid for work involving (a) special danger or unpleasantness (e.g. dusty or dirty cargoes); (b) skill ; (c) strength. From 1889 to June 1900 all the employers of labour in the Victoria Docks, with one exception, recognised the 202 WEST HAM Dockers' Union. Men were taken on outside the docks at six places of call, and preference was given to unionists. They showed their union cards, and were not considered to be members if they were more than six weeks in arrear with their payments. Men attached themselves to special lines, and were on the look-out for the arrival of their ships. There were no written preference lists, but the foreman knew the men and called for them in a certain order, usually by gangs. This arrangement, however, did not apply to the Dock Company, whose system has been explained above. It is asserted by representatives of the union that the possession of a union card was a guarantee that a man was an efficient worker. Only the most regular dockers would be able to maintain their membership, and for this reason the unionist gangs would be better because more regular work would lead to greater skill, and the chance of accidents would be lessened. As the result of a small strike among a section of the workers in the Victoria Dock for better prices at special work, the employers decided to take on all men inside the dock at a shed which they erected for the purpose at Custom House. But the shed is never used. This action was contested by the union, and many of the employers agreed to take on men outside as before. There was, however, some misunderstanding, and the employers finally determined to take on all men inside the dock at the places of call. For stevedores the rate is 8d. per hour, but less than 2s. must never be paid for a single engagement, however short. There is also a system of contingency payments, like those made to dockers. Some firms employ stevedores for discharging in times of pressure ; if stevedores do dockers' work, they are still paid their own rate of 8d., except in the case of one firm where the lists of stevedores and dockers are interchangeable. Their overtime rates are is. an hour after five o'clock. The stevedores' day is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but they are not paid for meal times, and although their rate. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 203 per hour is higher, they would get 2d. less than dockers for working a whole day and night. 5 to 6 P.M. counts as two hours, 10 to 11 p.m. counts as two hours, and all hours from 2 A.M. to 6 A.M. count as double hours. Before 1872, when the men employed in loading struck for higher wages, there was no definite distinction between stevedores and dockers. Generally speaking, a little more skill is required for loading than for discharging, though sometimes dockers do work, such as piling goods on the quay or in the sheds, that requires equal skill. The Stevedores' Union was formed in 1872, and in 1890 practically all the stevedores were in the union ; since then several firms in the Victoria and Albert Docks refuse to recognise the union. The remaining firms give the preference to unionists, and only employ others when no unionists are available. For the purposes of Tables A, B, C, and D informa- tion was obtained from ten companies who employ labour direct for import departments, and from three companies for export departments. The pay-sheets of each company were copied for the first week of the last month in each quarter, and the results tabulated. Three sets of men are dealt with separately — foremen, regular men, and casuals. It has been pointed out that the Dock Company has an organised system of regular labour, and that each of the shipping companies maintains a small nucleus of practically regular men. The figures for the foremen and regular men are all weekly. The regular men include the permanent and registered men employed by the Dock Company, and such men working for all the firms included in the returns as had had a full week's work during each of the selected weeks. It will be observed that the wage is not always the same, and the variation is accounted for by piecework. The returns refer to 1905. A comparison of the figures on which Diagram XVII. is based shows that of the months taken March has the greatest average employment, then 204 WEST HAM follow December, September, and, lastly, June. Tables B and D show the daily payments to casuals during the same weeks. It is impossible to ascertain the weekly earnings of casual labourers, because individuals work for different employers on different days, and it is not possible to trace them and compute the total amount earned during the week. 1 It will be noticed that in all the four quarters the highest wages are earned on the three middle days of the week, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and that of these Wed- nesday shows a rather higher average. In the majority of cases the working day consists of ten hours, paid at the rate of yd. per hour, and it will be noticed, accordingly, that 5s. iod. is frequently the median wage. Import — 1905. Table A. — Weekly Wages of Foremen. Date. March . June . . September December March . June . . September December No. of Observations. Median. 92 101 105 no s. d. 36 o 40 6 40 o 40 o Lower Quartile. j. d. 36 o 36 o 36 o 36 o Weekly Wages of Regular Labourers. S07 412 402 402 34 o 33 6 30 10$ 33 3 3i 28 29 28 Upper Quartile. s. d. 42 o 44 o 42 9 42 o 38 o 37 " 35 4 4i 5 1 Cf. p. 197. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 205 Table B.— Daily W ages of Casual Labourers. March. No. of Median. Lower Upper Date. Observations. Quartile. Quartile. s. d. s. d. s. d. 1087 5 10 4 7 6 10 993 5 10 4 8 8 1 1 Wednesday . . . 1895 6 3 ? 3 7 7 Thursday .... 1950 6 4 5 9 6 11 2083 S 10 5 3 6 11 Saturday .... 1576 5 9 4 8 6 5 85 5 10 5 10 6 4 June. Monday .... 532 4 9 2 11 6 Tuesday .... 651 4 8 4 6 5 Wednesday 868 6 4 5 3 8 Thursday .... 1659 6 3 4 9 7 3 Friday 1420 6 5 5 2 9 5 Saturday .... 879 5 3 4 5 9 Sunday 16 2 4 2 2 7 September. Monday 1156 5 9 4 6 6 4 Tuesday .... 1290 5 10 5 2 6 4 Wednesday 1051 6 5 5 3 6 11 Thursday .... 1234 6 S 5 6 11 Friday 1598 6 2 5 3 6 5 Saturday .... 1284 5 8 4 8 6 2 Sunday iS 2 4 2 2 7 December. Monday 749 4 9 4 1 5 10 Tuesday .... 643 4 9 3 6 6 4 Wednesday . . . 623 6 3 6 6 1 1 Thursday .... 867 5 10 4 6 6 Friday 1387 5 9 4 6 4 Saturday .... 1171 5 3 4 5 9 Sunday 49 11 2 1 1 1 1 It will be noted that in the export trade the foremen's median average wages are rather higher, and the permanent men's rather lower than in the import trade. The earnings of the casual labourers are distinctly higher in the former. 206 WEST HAM Export — 1905. Table C. — Weekly Wages of Fore?nen. Date. March . June . . September December No. of Observations. Median. 14 14 14 14 s. d. 60 o 60 o 60 o 60 o Lower Quartile. s. d. 50 o 50 o 50 o 50 o March . . June . . . September . December . Weekly Wages of Regular Labourers. 49 30 49 30 49 30 49 30 27 6 27 6 27 6 27 6 Upper Quartile. s. d. 60 o 60 o 60 o 60 o 37 6 40 o 40 o 40 o Table D. — Dally Wages of Casual Labourers. March. Date. No. of Observations. Median. Lower Quartile. Upper Quartile. s. d. s. d. s. d. Monday 533 7 5 14 Tuesday 465 6 8 6 10 6 Wednesday .... 825 6 4 10 8 5 Thursday .... 840 6 4 9 8 Friday 1 142 6 6 5 5 11 Saturday .... 604 7 4 13 4 Sunday 29 28 28 Tune. 8 10 Monday 353 6 3 2 7 1 Tuesday 460 6 <; 4 8 10 8 Wednesday .... 352 6 5 10 7 8 Thursday .... 460 7 8 6 11 Friday 390 6 6 5 4 9 10 Saturday .... 411 5 4 3 4 7 3 Sunday 1 7 5 7 5 7 5 September. Monday 348 6 5 5 8 2 Tuesday 400 6 3 4 6 8 Wednesday .... 621 6 6 5 10 10 4 Thursday .... 74- 6 6 5 10 13 3 Friday 923 6 6 5 1 1 Saturday .... 495 6 3 10 7 7 Sunday December. Monday 694 6 5 10 6 Tuesday 617 60 5 6 6 Wednesday .... 545 6 6 5 7 1 1 Thursday .... 772 9 8 5 2 17 Friday 577 8 4 8 21 Saturday 653 6 3 4 7 3 Sunday 79 12 12 12 6 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 207 The Dock Company and certain of the shipping com- panies have their own repairing shops. There are also about six private firms which undertake repairing work. Trade union rates are paid to boilermakers and engineers, and in the majority of cases men are employed by the clay. Their work is irregular, because it is dependent upon the arrival of damaged ships, and the number of these must vary with season and weather. There are further two or three small contractors who undertake the " scaling " of ships, i.e. stripping ships before they are repainted. Foreign crews are sometimes employed in scaling, because they are not paid off on arrival in port. Ships are usually cleaned inside by women known as " the amazons," who are engaged by forewomen. They earn from 2S. to 2s. 6d. per day, and the forewoman receives a "con" of id., 6d., or is. Foreign crews are employed in washing ships as well as in scaling. Coal-porters are employed either in discharging coal from ships into barges or on to the quay, or in " coaling." The men work in gangs ; when a ship comes in, the foreman calls a leading hand, whose business it is to summon his gang. The men are expected to live within a certain radius of Custom House Station ; this radius is not clearly defined, and depends upon what the leading hand considers " within call." There are no preference lists of gangers or of ordinary hands, and no permanent men are employed, but the firm keep the names of all the men whom they engage. The taking on is left entirely to the gangers, who are followed by their own experienced men, and casual labour is only employed when these are not available. The hours worked are very irregular, for ships must be cleared as soon as they come into dock. " Coalies " are often employed for thirty-six hours at a stretch, but when it is necessary to unload a ship at top speed, relief gangs are employed in alternate shifts, because the men cannot keep up high pressure for more than six or seven hours. Jobs 208 WEST HAM come in very irregularly, and men are sometimes obliged to try to supplement their earnings by other labour. In spite of their remarkable physique they are apt to be content with two engagements or three days' work at their own trade on account of the heavy nature of the work and the long irregular hours. The number of men employed as coalies at the Victoria and Albert Docks is considerably less than a few years ago, as labour-saving machinery has been introduced. The most notable machine in the docks, which is known to the men as " Long Mike," scoops coal out of the barges into the hold of the ship, thereby reducing the number of men employed. One man can look after her and she can work several barges at a time. A man is only required on the barges to "trim" when they are nearly empty. Winches are now mainly worked by steam, but there are still instances where machinery has not yet been introduced. In such cases the foreman of a gang often owns the gear and works with the men instead of merely supervising. A public-house often becomes the place of call, because the men look there for the leading man in order to ascertain whether there is work for them. At the end of the day they wait in the public-house for the leading man to pay them, and have a drink together. It is stated that there is no " buying work " or treating the ganger, and that often when the foreman has no work to give out, he will stand the gang a drink or give them a small present of money. The foreman and his gang are often on very friendly terms, and from working together year after year trade customs arise which are not interfered with. If the gang is called out in the expectation of work which does not arrive, they get 2S. 6d. per man ; and if the work is " broken," i.e. if it is less than 25 tons, they are paid the price of 25 tons. Table LI. shows the actual amount earned by each man of a gang of eight. The greater part of the work was done in the Victoria Docks at the coal derricks, and the remainder at the Albert Dock. The return is made from particulars supplied by a member EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 209 of the gang who kept the dates, names of ships, amount and description of the coal worked for the years mentioned. It should be noted that these figures apply to one of the gangs which would be the first to obtain work and can by no means be taken to represent the earnings of the average coal- porter. The rate per ton varies for different coals, e.g. for small coal the rate is 4d. a ton ; for gas coal 4-ld. ; for house coal 5d. and 5|d. ; for Welsh coal 6d., and for coke iod. The Grain Elevator Company, which owns four transit silos, undertakes the work of unloading grain-ships. The company supplies both plant and men, and removes the grain by means of an elevator. It is taken away in barges either straight to its destination or to the transit silos where it is stored, and subsequently put into barges, loose or in sacks, for delivery to consignees. Men are employed both on piecework and on daywork, in the latter case at the same rate as stevedores. The ordinary hours for grain-workers are from 8 to 6 or 7 to 5. Four firms have premises within the Victoria Dock for convenience of transport, two owning timber-wharves and two flour-mills. One of the former firms, besides dealing in timber, owns a factory in the immediate neighbourhood, where wood is treated with creosote for telegraph poles, sleepers, &c. At the wharves and yards where timber is dealt with, the work is of two kinds, done as a rule by distinct sets of men : (a) unloading the wood from the ship and stacking it, (/3) treating it with creosote or in other ways. Employment in the first process is very irregular and is much the same in character as dock work. In the latter, the men have longer spells of work and are paid at a higher rate, which in the case of one firm is regulated by an agreement made in 1889. The yardmen do not know when they are taken on whether O 210 WEST HAM their job will last an hour or several months. If they are not very busy, they compete with the others for the unloading of any timber-ships that come in, and are naturally employed by the foreman in preference to the less regular men, who are less efficient. Some timber-porters move between the Victoria, Mill wall, and Surrey Commercial Docks, doing various kinds of timber-work for different employers, and also work in the yards. The wages in Table LI I. were furnished by one of these men who has been at the work for eighteen years. He was both steady and exceptionally strong, and is considered by himself and others to get the pick of the work under the prevailing conditions. His wages cannot be taken as repre- senting the earnings of an average timber-porter. The two flour-mills are provided with silos and ware- houses for storing grain. The erection of these mills marked a new departure in London, as hitherto no flour-mills had been worked on the spot. By this means grain coming from abroad can be discharged direct from the vessel into the mill, and the cost of transit and loss of weight and quality caused by double handling are saved. When a ship is discharged " overside," the goods are taken from the ship and placed in lighters or in barges. The barges are managed by lightermen, who, though they naturally acquire some special skill in dealing with particular goods, are practically interchangeable. They are all licensed by the Amalgamated Society of Watermen and Lightermen, which is in its main functions similar to a city company. An historical account of this society may be found in Mr. Charles Booth's "Life and Labour of the People," vol. vii. (1896), P- 3 6 7- A lighterman is expected to work a twelve hours' day between 6 A.M. and 8 p.m. If, however, his day ends at 6 P.M. or 7 P.M., he may be kept waiting half an hour for orders, but must be paid overtime if he is detained longer. Lightermen's wages are governed by an award made by Lord Brassey in September 1889, and by a further agreement EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 211 between representatives of the Master Lightermen's Associa- tion and of the Amalgamated Society of Watermen and Lightermen. The payment is 6s. for a twelve hours' day. If men are required to work or be in attendance for more than twelve hours overtime is paid at the rate of is. an hour. For a short night, i.e. 8 P.M. until midnight, a lighterman is paid 4s., and for a long night, i.e. from 8 P.M. to 6 A.M., 6s. If he has not been employed during the day he receives 6s. for night work, and work next day is guaranteed. If he has to turn out early, i.e. between 5 A.M. and 6 A.M., he receives 2s. extra, and if he has to go more than four miles from his home, or from the place where he receives orders, he is paid for the estimated time required to reach his work at the rate of 6d. an hour. For Sunday work he is paid 4s. up to 10 A.M., and 8s. for the whole day. Men who start work after noon must be paid 6s. The work at the docks involves danger to those employed in several ways. This had been recognised in the payment of " cons," but the employment was not officially recognised as exceptionally dangerous until in October 1904 regulations were issued under section 79 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1 90 1. Before that date, accidents due to engines in the docks were reported to the Board of Trade and to the Factory and Workshop Department. In the Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories for 1899 there was a special report on the causes and means of preventing accidents at docks, wharves, and quays. An account was given of the processes of unloading and loading vessels ; the accidents were classified as due to — (1) Falls ; (2) machinery in motion ; (3) use of locomotives ; (4) fatigue due to excessive work ; (5) handling dangerous materials ; (6) drowning. In September 1902, as a result of this report, the employ- ment was scheduled as dangerous under section 79 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, and, in pursuance of the provisions of the same Act, rules were drafted. Objections 212 WEST HAM were made to them, and an inquiry was held under section 8 1 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901. The inquiry lasted twenty-six days, and evidence was received from witnesses called by the Home Office, the dock and shipping companies, owners of factories, and the trade unions. The rules were intended to provide for the safety of those employed in load- ing and unloading ships, and in handling goods in docks, wharves, and quays. It is unnecessary to give details of the evidence, much of which affected docks with which this report is not concerned. Regulations were issued in October 1904, and came into force on January 1, 1905. In the Victoria and Albert Docks, some fencing of dangerous corners, entrances to sheds, &c, had been provided, but this was not sufficient to comply with the rules. The fencing has been considerably increased, and ladders have been placed at intervals along the quay for the use of those who fall into the dock. It is impossible to scale the dock or quay walls without assistance, and much of the evidence related to cases of drowning. No such ladders were supplied in the Victoria and Albert Docks before the rules were drawn up. Part III. of the Regulations deals with the examination and testing of chains. This section did not entail any modification in the practice of the Dock Company, but it has undoubtedly had the effect of raising the standard of gear used by the shipping companies and contractors who employ labour. The evidence at the inquiry leaves no doubt that a proportion of the accidents which occur are not reported. The Dockers' Union complain that the fencing of dangerous corners is still unsatisfactory. They say that some are still left unfenced, though fencing would not interfere with work, and that in other cases the fencing is but little better than none, as the stanchions are close to the edge of the dock and the chains loose. The writers of this report have seen chains so loose that they would have been insufficient to prevent any one from falling into the dock. It is, however, possible that these defects have recently been remedied. One of the main demands of the Union is for more adequate inspection at the docks. There are no special dock EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 213 inspectors under the Home Office, and the Unions demand that such inspectors shall be appointed. They assert that technical knowledge of a peculiar kind is required, and that it is impossible to secure it if docks are made a part of the ordinary factory inspectors' districts. No one who has read the evidence at the arbitration on the regulations can deny that there is force in this contention. It is also stated by the Dockers' Union that it is of great importance to have an inspector who can be easily summoned. Work may be begun, carried on, and completed under dangerous condi- tions before the inspector can be communicated with in his office in South-West London, and before he can visit on complaint in the ordinary way. It is contended by officials of the Union that at least one inspector is required for the London and Tilbury Docks, and that by means of a system of telephones the men at any dock should be able to summon him. The Victoria and Albert Docks are in the East London District, which is composed of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Hackney, Bethnal Green, Stepney, and Poplar, that part of Woolwich which lies north of the Thames, and the whole county of Essex. The staff consists of the District Inspector, three junior inspectors, and four inspectors' assistants. In order to meet the obvious objections to the multiplica- tion of special inspectors, it has been suggested as an alternative to the demand put forward by the union that more efficient inspection might be obtained by reducing the size of districts which contain docks, and so increasing the staff of factory inspectors. By this means it would doubtless be easier to ensure that inspectors in charge of docks had time to acquaint themselves with the necessary mechanical details. As things stand at present, the security of fencing, &c, on the quays may be dealt with satisfactorily by periodic inspection, but not the safety of work on board. It is main- tained that special knowledge is also required, because the effect of arbitration has been to leave many of the rules vague, and to place much on the discretion of the inspector. 214 WEST HAM On this point, Part II., rule 6, 1 is quoted, which refers to access from the deck of the ship to the hold in which work is being carried on. One of the writers has been down to the holds of ships in which the arrangement of ladders was such as to require more care than can reasonably be expected from men in heavy clothes and boots, especially when custom makes them careless, and they are tired by their work. The pro- vision and inspection of tackle, such as slings and ropes, is at present regarded by the Unions as totally unsatisfactory. It will be clear from what has been stated above that employment at the docks is regulated by the employers of labour by different means and to a varying extent. On the one hand there is the Dock Company with its very complete system of lists, on the other the foreman employed by a small shipping company or by a contractor, and acquainted by sight or name with a few men, on whom he relies to lead gangs of inexperienced casuals in the event of a pressure of work. In some cases the amount of labour employed is inconsider- able, and any system of organisation seems to the employer to be unnecessary ; in others, where the volume of work is considerable, the heads of the firm do not concern themselves with the way in which their labour is employed, and it is left to a foreman or superintendent. Foremen find it more con- venient to have a large supply of men from whom to choose, and it is alleged that bribes are in some instances given by the men which would furnish the foreman with another reason for increasing the number of possible employes. It has been stated to one of the writers by a director of an important shipping line that dock labour is "such a bagatelle" in the business of managing a large shipping concern that the heads of firms are not inclined to consider the question from the men's point of view, and are content to leave the control in the hands of foremen without questioning the methods employed, so long as there is no great change in the labour 1 This rule contains several vague phrases; such as, "practicable," "reasonably necessary," "sufficient." EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 215 bill. It is, of course, to the foremen's interest that the work should be done as cheaply as possible, and that they should have a minimum of trouble with the men, but any organisation of the demand seems to depend largely on individual foremen. The extent to which they elaborate their system appears to depend on the degree to which they recognise that regular men do the work more efficiently than casuals. They seem agreed that it is advantageous to have a nucleus of men whom they know to be trustworthy and acquainted with the work, but even in the matter of lists their practice varies. In making a distinction between men who are on a pre- ference list and ordinary casuals, it must be remembered that the employment of both classes is irregular. The former are given the first chance of any work that may be available, and are therefore more likely to earn a livelihood, and they generally make dock work their sole occupation. The shipping companies have no system analogous to that adopted by the Dock Company to secure continuity of employment, and it appears that any attempt at organisation would be looked on with disfavour by foremen, who like to have a wide margin of choice. Indeed, some foremen are apt to find the system instituted by the Dock Company contrary to their inclinations. There is no systematic interchange of labour between the different companies throughout the docks, although it may often happen that one company is busy while another is slack. In a few cases, especially where men are required who are accustomed to a special kind of work, two companies who are not busy at the same time may employ each other's preference men before calling on outsiders, and this is more likely to occur when the men are known to each foreman and when the foremen know each other. But these cases are rare, because usually foremen are jealous of each other, and are afraid of losing their best men if another foreman gives them work on many occasions. The extension of this system would appear to be very desirable, as at present it is entirely dependent on the foremen, and quite casual in its nature. 216 WEST HAM It must be remembered that the arrival of ships is affected by many considerations which cannot be foreseen. The weather need not be taken into account so much as formerly, when ships were smaller ; yet the docks may be empty for days at a time during a bad fog, and a rush of work is the after effect. The commercial element is now a greater cause of irregularity in the arrival of ships ; the manipulation of the markets or the sale of goods while the ship is on the sea and expected to arrive makes calculations of the men required difficult. It would appear that only organisation of their demand for labour on the part of all the companies concerned could effectively meet variations that cannot individually be controlled. As shipping companies are so dependent upon superin- tendents and foremen for loading and unloading ships, it is not surprising that the increase of mechanical appliances is sometimes due to these officers' initiative or inventive power rather than to the progressive policy of the company. Coal companies, timber merchants, or large contractors who super- vise their work are in a different position from shipping companies, because the question of cheap unloading and loading is one of their most important interests. They con- tinually introduce new machinery and carry on experiments, and though they do not organise their demand for men in conjunction with others, they often have an effective system of working as far as their own interests are concerned, and attempt to make up for lack of organisation by higher wages. A large contractor (whose work is not, however, confined to the Victoria and Albert Docks) employs a permanent staff of labourers which amounts to about one-fifth of the daily average number employed, and attracts a higher class of worker than others by offering a higher wage. It does not escape such employers that they are better served by strong and efficient men than by " scallywags " who cannot do the work, and who are likely to cause accidents to themselves and to others. The employer referred to asserts that his usual rate, including bonus, amounts to iod. an hour, and that he gets the pick of the men in the docks. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 217 Coal-porters are also paid higher wages, and in their case too the employers organise their demand to the extent of keeping lists of the gangs and knowing the names and addresses of the men employed. It would appear possible by more complete organisation to reduce the long hours now worked at a stretch. Men employed in the timber-yards too are paid more than dock labourers. Their pay is the same as that of stevedores, 8d. per hour, and stevedores as a whole are recognised as a more efficient body of men than dockers, their higher rate being regarded as a proof of the fact. The work in the timber-yards could not be done except by men who are of good physique and in good condition, and the higher rate is paid to attract such men. The Dockers' Union do not wish to make public the number of their members in the Victoria and Albert Docks. Some of the superintendents and foremen appeared to regard the union as practically dead, while others held a different opinion. The Union play no part in the Victoria and Albert Docks in regulating the supply of labour. At the Bristol docks, on the contrary, there are agreements between the Dockers' Union and the consignees (the Corn Merchants' Association and others) by which an Arbitration Board of eight members, four chosen by each side, has been set up ; and all disputes concerning wages or terms of employment are referred to it. A sum of money is deposited on each side as " caution money," which is forfeited in the case of either party breaking the rules. No strike or lockout of union men is to take place before, during, or as a result of arbitration. Though the agreement leaves employers free to employ non- union men, it does not apply to strikes that are not authorised by the union, and therefore indirectly promotes the employ- ment of union men. The docks are municipally owned, but the Dock Committee employ direct labour only at one wharf. In London the Dock Company's system is the result of a definite policy. The company employ as much regular labour as possible, because they think that they are better served than by employing indiscriminately men whose 218 WEST HAM earnings are quite irregular. It is stated too that the de- crease in the average daily number employed by the Dock Company is partly due to the greater efficiency of the weekly men, and that the superiority of the weekly men over the B men is noticeable. Foremen are apt to prefer working with the men attached to their department, i.e. their own weekly men and B men, and sometimes raise objections when they are compelled to employ weekly men from another department instead of their own B men, but these objections are overruled by the com- pany. The reasons given for the superiority of the weekly men are that they are in better physical condition, more reliable, more practised in handling all kinds of goods, able to work more quickly, and less liable to accidents due to weakness or carelessness than irregular wage-earners. It is a frequent complaint of shipping companies' and contractors' foremen that many of the irregular workers are in such poor physical condition that they are not equal to the demands on their strength, and that regular work and regular pay are necessary if a man is to keep in good condition. The main objections made to the Dock Company's system by some other employers of labour at the docks are : — i. That the amount of competition between the men is diminished and bad work is the result ; i.e. the men are liable to be lazy because their work is comparatively regular, and they are not as good as men in constant competition with each other and chosen from a large supply. It must, however, be taken into account that it is possible to attract efficient men at lower wages if the work is regular ; and that a perfectly free system postulates a large supply of labour which must continually be recruited by efficient substitutes for those who drop out. A large number are therefore worn out and cast aside after a few years' work and hang about on the look-out for irregular work, while the large supply of applicants neces- sary to such a system produces an increasing surplus of casual labour. 2. That the system prevents the Dock Company from discharging ships, because it is more expensive, and they EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 219 cannot compete successfully with the shipping companies and the large contractors. 3. That the weekly pay and the guarantee increase the difficulties of getting rid of men, and thus comparatively in- efficient men retain their places on the lists. It is clear, how- ever, that a standard of efficiency is essential to the success of the list system, and that the men whose names are on the lists must be weeded out from time to time in order that the standard may be maintained. The Dock Company claim that this is done. 4. That superintendents, foremen, and leading hands have not the same incentive to work hard for a large company as they have for a private employer, and do not look after their men as closely. The work therefore takes longer, and the demurrage charges for the use of the dock space are greater. When, however, the contractors and shipowners were in competition with the Dock Company, the Company's system was not yet completely organised, and thus no comparison from past experience of the two systems is possible. It is, however, stated that the large number of superintendents and foremen employed by the company adds to the cost of their work. 5. That time is wasted by sending for weekly men from other departments when extra work has to be done. This can be minimised by estimating the number required over-night ; moreover, it is urged that the regular men work more quickly. 6. That in times of pressure a contractor is more likely to " speed up " the men than officials who have less interest in " driving " ; but this is open to the objection already mentioned, that men are apt to be worn out in a short time. It is stated by representatives of the Dockers' Union that the bonus system is disliked by the men. It leads to greater dissatisfaction than a fixed wage, because the men are often disappointed in their expectation of a good " plus," or by a ship being declared " nil " or even " minus." It is possible that such disappointments counterbalance the stimulus afforded by the system, and that the men do not accomplish more or even as much work as for a fixed wage. There is an 220 WEST HAM effort on the part of the Dockers' Union to secure the applica- tion of the Particulars Section of the Factory and Work- shop Act. The section makes it compulsory in certain trades to give the person employed particulars of the work to be done and the wages to be paid for it before he begins the work. The proposal of the union is that if the work is paid by the piece or on the bonus system, the leading hand in a gang should have a duplicate of the ticket given to the weigher or tally clerk. It will be seen from the tonnage returns of the Victoria and Albert Docks that there is a decrease in the number of vessels entering the docks and also in the actual tonnage. The administration of the Port of London was made the subject of a Royal Commission in 1900. The evidence taken went to show that while decline in trade was not proved, London compares unfavourably with other ports as regards the measures taken to meet the development in shipping, especially in the matter of exports. " The body of testimony as to the delays in the delivery of goods from the docks and the injury suffered in con- sequence by the trade of London is overwhelming. The con- ditions of modern trade and industry, and the increase of railway facilities in various parts of the world, have enabled enormous cargoes to be brought together and shipped for Lon- don. Mechanical invention and enterprise have provided ships equal to carrying these cargoes ; and the immense growth in population and wealth of London and the country round it have afforded a market sufficient to attract and absorb them. " The dock companies, however, for financial reasons which we have indicated, have not been able to adapt their receptive powers fully to the change of circumstances." At the present time certain powers are vested in the following authorities and companies : The Thames Con- servancy, the Trinity House, the Watermen's Company, the London and India, and the Surrey Commercial and Millwall Dock Companies. It is probable that this divided control EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 221 does not make for the efficient or economical administration of the port. The Dock Company are authorised to levy tonnage dues up to a certain maximum upon shipping entering the dock, and upon goods landed upon or loaded from the quays, and to make charges for warehousing. In London (except in what is known as the North American trade) the shipowners bear all these charges ; under the Liverpool bill of lading, on the contrary, the responsibility of the shipowner ceases when the cargo has been landed upon the quay, and further charges fall upon the consignee. Goods discharged overside escape dues. The complaints of the shipowners in their evidence before the Commission were directed not so much against the charges as against the delay in discharging caused by the inconvenience of the docks and by the lack of accommoda- tion on the quays, which added largely to their expenses. It has been remarked that there are a large number of ships afloat that cannot get into the Albert Dock. Various schemes were suggested, especially for the struc- tural improvement of the Albert Dock, in order to facilitate the speedy discharge of ships. The evidence given on behalf of the London and India Docks Company showed that it was impossible for them to carry out the necessary improvements with their present resources. They demanded power to tax lighters and the goods conveyed by them, both of which have hitherto been exempted from charges. It was pointed out by an opposing witness that the exemption alone enabled wharfingers to compete with the Dock Company, whose ware- houses possess natural advantages ; and that if the present balance were disturbed, the Dock Company would not merely secure the additional charge, but would divert a large pro- portion of the trade to their own warehouses. Counter-proposals were made for taking over the present powers of the dock companies and of the other above-named authorities, and vesting them in a Dock Trust. Various schemes were put forward on behalf of the London County Council, the Corporation of London, and others, for the 22 2 WEST HAM establishment of such a trust, and evidence was received as to the administration in other leading ports. Docks may be administered by private owners, by railway companies or a board of trade, by the municipality, by a trust on which the municipality is represented, or by a trust on which the municipality has no representation. The three main examples of the three last-named types of administration are Bristol, where the docks are the property of the Corporation, Glas- gow with its Clyde Navigation Trust, and Liverpool with its Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. The report of the Commission is in favour of a trust. They suggest that both the London County Council and the Corporation of London shall have some financial responsibility, and shall have representation on the trust. It would be unsuit- able, as the present report is concerned only with the industrial conditions at two docks — the Victoria and Albert — to discuss the various schemes suggested for carrying out the recom- mendations of the Commission. It seems, however, clear from the evidence that some form of trust, duly administered, would increase the trade of the port, and it is obvious that an increase of work at the Victoria and Albert Docks would mean less poverty in the borough of West Ham, especially in its poorer districts, Canning Town, Tidal Basin, and Custom House, which are mainly inhabited by labourers who find, or fail to find, a living at the docks. No evidence was given by representatives of the Dockers' and Stevedores' Unions as to the importance from the men's point of view of regularising labour and employing as large a permanent staff as possible. One witness, indeed, touched on this point, and explained from the employers' standpoint that a trust might be so managed that business would be no longer interrupted by small strikes, and that the alternatives would be universal peace or a universal strike. It has been already shown that the main evils of the industrial conditions in the poorer districts of West Ham are the irregularity of labour and the large propor- tion of casual labour. It would therefore seem to be of great importance — especially as this point appears to have EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 223 been entirely absent from the minds of the Commission and those who gave evidence before it — that one of the functions of the trust should be the regularisation of labour, and to this end that labour should be directly represented on the trust. This is the more important since a trust which was to any large extent an employer of labour would neces- sarily be extremely powerful, and it is desirable that a peace- ful means of settling labour difficulties should be provided. The only alternative which would at all answer the same purpose is that the London County Council should have a sufficient number of members on the trust to give the men an opportunity of securing adequate labour representation. Many of the objections that have been made against em- ployment of labour by a large corporation are similar to those directed against municipal trading. It is asserted that the men are not under proper control, and that they feel themselves secure, as when once taken into employment they cannot easily be turned off. But these difficulties are often overcome by good and well-paid foremen under strict supervision. The advantages to the community of a more regular and organised system of employment x would be more likely to be attained if employment were controlled by a body which could represent all interests and leave out none. 1 See p. 125. TABLES AND DIAGRAMS FOR the purpose of the tables and diagrams returns have been supplied by the London and India Docks Company. The Company supply the Board of Trade with general re- turns of their own employment at all the London docks except the Surrey Commercial and Millwall, which are not under their control, and Tilbury, which is returned separately. They were good enough to make special returns for the pur- poses of this inquiry, showing the numbers employed at the Victoria and Albert Docks daily for eleven years. As the general Board of Trade returns include all the London docks, the returns which apply to the Victoria and Albert Docks have been extracted. They cover, in addition to the Dock Company, twenty-seven shipping companies, three firms of master stevedores, two coal factors, a grain elevator company, and two timber-yards. It will be seen from Diagram XV., which gives the average number employed per diem for each of the eleven years 1 896- 1 906, that the average numbers of dockers employed varies from 2513 to 3616 — i.e. to an extent of about 1100. The average of stevedores varies from 848 to 626, with a difference of about 220. The actual numbers from day to day vary to a much greater extent. It was thought in- advisable to print the daily fluctuations for each of the eleven years, but Diagram XVI. gives the actual daily figures for the year 1902, which Mr. A. L. Bowley, after consideration of the daily figures for the eleven years 1 896-1 906, held to be typical. The diagram shows that the maximum number of dockers employed was 4694, and the minimum, excluding Sundays, bank holidays, &c, was 1107, a difference of 3587. The number of stevedores is between 1343 and 160, with a difference of about 1 1 80. A comparison of Diagram XV. with EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 225 Diagram XVI. shows that for any one year it is impossible to get any idea of the size of the daily fluctuations from the monthly averages, as the former are far more marked. In Diagram XVII. the averages of employment for the eleven Januaries, eleven Februaries, &c., are taken together. The average employment is considerably higher in December and January than in any other months, is lowest in May, and low in August and September and February. Table XXXIII. shows the various periods during which different sets of men are employed. These tables have been compiled from the wages-sheets used for Tables A, B, C, and D. It will be noted that the distribution of daily em- ployment is very uneven, as there is a considerable amount both of overtime and of short days. In considering the possibilities of regularising labour at the Victoria and Albert Docks a distinction has to be made. These docks may either be treated as a single self-contained labour market, or the possibility may be admitted of drafting in men from other labour markets to meet regular seasonal fluctuations or occasional emergencies. Upon the first supposition the principle must be to divide the total work of the docks as evenly as possible between the maximum number of men required on any single day in the year. The result of doing this for each of the last eleven years is shown in Table XXXV. The aggregate number of days' work is obtained by multiplying the average number of men employed daily by 310, the assumed number of working days in the year, and this product is then divided by the maximum number employed in any one day. The table applies to dockers regarded as distinct from stevedores. The average of the last column is 214, or practically four days' work a week for every man of the maximum required on any one day. It will be noticed that the years 1900 and 1901 are years of relatively steadier employment which could have averaged four and a half days' work a week. Upon the second supposition the attempt might be made to give six days' work a week to as many as possible, P 226 WEST HAM five days' work a week to as many as possible of the re- mainder, and so on. Table XXXVI. shows what would have been the result of doing this in each of the last eleven years. It will be seen that on an average 59 per cent, of the men could have been employed regularly five days a week and upwards, 5.5 four days a week, 4.4 three days a week, 4.5 two days a week, 5.8 one day a week, and 20.7 less than one day a week. It will be noticed that the distribution of work among dockers throughout the year would have been most even in 1900 and 1901, and least even in 1904 and 1905. Among stevedores the most even distribution would have been in 1900, and the least even in 1896 and 1902 ; and the averages for eleven years show that 40.8 per cent, would have worked five days a week and upwards, 7.2 four days a week, 6.2 three days a week, 6.1 two days a week, 8.0 one day a week, and 31.6 less than one day a week. The extremely casual nature of dock employment will be appre- ciated when it is realised that if the demand for labour had been completely organised during the eleven years 1 896-1 906, 35.4 per cent, of the dockers and 51.9 of the stevedores neces- sary for the work would have been employed less than four days a week. If these two figures are taken together, it will be seen that even under these conditions 43.6 of the men required could not have obtained as much as four days' work a week. On this supposition it would be necessary for the least regular men to find part of their maintenance at another labour market. In this connection attention should be called to the definite seasonal fluctuation of employment shown in Table XVII. The busiest time at these docks falls in December and January, at a time when, with an effective organisation of the whole labour market, it would be possible to draft in a seasonal staff of labourers from such trades as building, in which employment would then be slack. Apart from what might be done to meet this seasonal fluctuation, it is also clear that the number whom it would be desirable to keep more or less definitely attached to the docks could be much reduced if organisation of the general EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 227 labour market presented the possibility of drafting in men at any time to meet emergencies. The possible distribution of work under the second sup- position in 1899 in the Victoria and Albert Docks and in the Liverpool Docks are compared in Table XXXVIII. The figures for Liverpool are taken from the " Report of an Inquiry into Conditions of Dock Labour at the Liverpool Docks," by Eleanor Rathbone. 1 The figures for stevedorage and porter- age in Liverpool have been taken together for all the firms making returns and compared with the figures for dockers and stevedores given in Table XXXVI. taken together. It appears that work in the Liverpool Docks could be more evenly distributed than in the Victoria and Albert Docks. Whereas in the Liverpool Docks 61.2 per cent, of the men could obtain work on five days or six days a week, this is only possible in the Victoria and Albert Docks for 50.8 per cent. ; and while in Liverpool 18.6 per cent, could only obtain work for less than one day a week, in the Victoria and Albert Docks the percentage would be 26.5. This difference in possible distribution of work is probably in part due to the more frequent arrival of regular liners and numerous tramp vessels at Liverpool. 1 Table D, page 25. 228 WEST HAM Diagram XV. Average Employed per Diem for each year 4896 - 1906 Men DocKers 5500 300O ] QC-CO 2ooo - 1500 4000 500 Sfc- o 1 1 1 1896 109 f ?99 I9oo i9oi I0O2 iv>OS 1904 1906 1906 Table XXX. — Data for Diagram XV. Average Daily Employment for each Year} Year. Dockers. Stevedores 1896 . . • 2686 626 1897 . 338i 696 1898 3230 669 1899 3533 784 1900 35 00 784 1901 3616 792 1902 3241 732 1903 2961 750 1904 2924 692 1905 1906 2544 25 J 3 735 848 General average 3102 736 1 These averages have been calculated as follows : The sum of those employed day by day each month is divided by the number of days' work in each month to give the monthly average. The sum of the twelve monthly averages has been divided by twelve to give the annual average. The months being very nearly equal in length, this process is sufficiently accurate. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES Diagram XVI. 229 1 i- _c _* 7= 4. V 3 s * 5: 3 4 < »- u .-j-i TJ fD. *■> tf ".* ^■3 ?*' 230 WEST HAM Table XXXI I. —Data for Table XXX. Average Number of Dockers Employed per Day during each Month. Year. Jan. Feb. Mar. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1896 2636 2429 2532 2384 2285 2685 2823 2474 2969 2886 2840 3293 1897 3907 3356 3"4 3"4 3079 3S«3 3555 3S4« 347i 3i44 3268 3433 1898 3595 3096 3554 3291 3238 3244 3224 2972 3016 3 io 4 2936 3490 1899 3365 3157 3093 3473 3281 3412 3250 3907 37i8 3878 3937 3921 1900 3809 3439 3325 3477 2989 3128 3 6 37 3446 34i8 3601 39i4 3818 1901 3903 3678 3667 3454 3473 3 8 93 3515 370S 353° 3517 3329 3734 1902 3892 3180 3031 3190 3°93 3279 345° 3298 3084 3188 2944 3262 190.3 2957 2669 2813 2842 2995 2876 2929 3064 2811 33i8 3225 3029 1904 3367 3226 3132 3135 3097 3°77 2808 2567 2615 2843 2538 2677 190S 2915 2670 2863 2737 2714 2271 2294 2254 2430 3383 2391 2606 1906 2753 2629 2676 2776 2626 2544 2522 2630 2216 2125 2337 2325 Av. 11 ) Years J 3372 3048 3072 308O ; 2988 3090 3091 3078 3025 3090 3060 3255 General average, 3102 for 11 years. Average Number of Stevedores Employed per Day during each Month. Year. Jan. Feb. Mar. April. May. June. 1 July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. ! 1896 585 615 649 542 574 572 606 478 686 679 715 816 1897 700 785 60 682 770 604 589 602 879 700 674 717 1898 652 598 656 678 667 699 676 594 676 743 637 755 1 1899 668 721 738 606 779 727 970 650 720 893 848 1091 1900 954 729 770 723 904 736 948 74i 733 769 702 696 1 901 740 865 741 73 1 942 745 835 700 838 764 705 892 1902 635 854 735 654 580 474 805 618 75i 103 1 954 688 1903 802 73 1 784 844 845 648 627 691 759 726 763 783 1904 73 6 733 740 811 658 608 650 671 666 742 600 684 1905 642 699 747 741 714 589 622 732 811 803 788 93° 1906 912 «33 834 773 792 769 821 919 910 904 975 93 6 Av. 11 ) Years J 729 742 732 708 747 652 741 672 766 796 760 817 General average, 738 for 11 years. Table XXXI. — Data for Diagram XVII. Average Daily Employment in Eleven Januaries, &>c. Date. Dockers. Stevedores. January February March April May June July August September October November December 3372 729 3048 742 3072 732 3080 708 2988 747 3090 652 3091 74i 3078 ^73 3025 766 3090 796 3060 75i 323s 799 General average 3102 736 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 231 Diagram XVII. 2 o o GL >> 3 <0 < E o L J5 £ o 3 £ P o c a 2> 5500 2000 2500 2000 450O J000 S0O 232 WEST HAM TABLE XXXIII. — Imports. c . a ■ c . c • 1 tUD 0) T3 -a Work eginnin on <*. o ° a M 3 V- O a S O ffl £W 52i ZW z« Up to £ day . 1086 I36 102 1 189 163 677 50 Up to i day . ,, S5 2 ,, 386 ,, 843 ,, 494 i day and £ night . ,, 370 ,, 29 ,, 180 ,, "3 i day and i night . ,, 6 ,, 2 ,, ,, 20 i day, i night, and •a 1 J next day . ,, 14 ,, ,, ,, o i day, i night, and all next day ,, 8 ,, 2 ,, 2 ,, i day, i night, next day, and J next night " - " I •• Up to \ day . 1003 38 652 45 1200 46 709 75 >> Up to i day . ,, S 2 4 ,, 562 , , I063 ,, 481 ■a i day and J night . ,, 393 ,, 42 ,, 179 ,, 145 h i day and i night . ,, 45 ,, 3 ,. ,, 8 i day, i night, and all next day •• 3 " " 2 " Up to \ day . 1897 121 865 36 1052 49 621 69 ^ Up to i day . ,, "73 ,, 412 ., 853 ,, 379 T3 i day and £ night . ,, 478 ,, 415 ,, 117 ,, 134 V J i day and i night . ,, 5 2 ,, 2 ,, 29 ,, 39 c 1 T3 i day, i night, and a) ^ next day . ,, 73 ,, ,, 1 II i day, i night, and L all next day " •- •• 3 " Up to J day . 1940 119 1662 221 1235 97 865 84 Up to i day . ,, 1326 ,, 899 ,, 985 ,, 494 5^ i day and j night . ,, 483 ,, 5°5 ., 145 ,, 219 i day and i night . ,, 10 ,, 37 ,, 4 ,, 37 i day, i night, and 3 J next day . ,, 1 ,, M 1 • > 3i P i day, i night, next day, and \ next L night , , 1 ,, ,, 3 ., ' Up to J day . 2086 266 1417 143 1615 168 1383 224 Up to i day . ,, 1308 ,, 661 ,, 1 196 ,, 973 i day and \ night . ,, 415 ,, 588 ., 204 ,, 169 i day and i night . ,, 20 ,, 21 ,, 27 ,, 9 >, rt i day, i night, and 35 \ next day ,, 28 ,, 4 ,, 11 .1 2 £ i day, i night, and all next day i day, might, next day, and \ next i night " 45 4 " •■ 3 6 " 6 ' Up to \ day . 1583 160 896 132 1286 87 1 176 164 Up to i day . ,, 1064 ,, 696 ,, 1116 ,, 93 1 >^, i day and \ night . ,, 264 ,, 68 ,, 75 ,, 68 i day and i night . ,, 88 ,, ,, 8 ,, 5 3 i day, i night, and « \ next day . ., ,, >, ,, 3 C/2 i day, i night, next day, and \ next i night ,, 7 ,, ., .. 5 rt [ Up to \ day . 85 5 15 5 15 5 49 5 T3 Up to i day . ,, 80 ,, 10 10 ,, 10 72 [ i day and i night . " " 34 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 233 Table XXXIV. — Exports. c . c ■ £_• c . M O T3 > 359 1 day and ^ night . ,, ,, >, >> 65 ^, 1 day and 1 night . ,, 4 ,, .. • > 1 day, 1 night, and c 1 £ next day . ,, ., ■1 n 18 S \ day, all night, and \ next day . \ day and ^ night . . 1 night . •- 28 14 •■ " •■ "28 ' Up to \ day . 215 I 200 S3 226 81 479 Up to i day . ,, 150 ,, "3 ,, 145 >> 282 - \ n'ght ,, ,, ., M 126 rt 1 day and \ night . ,, ,, • > II 22 « ' 1 day, 1 night, and 3 \ next day . ,, 36 ,, 34 ,1 |l h 1 night and \ next day . L i night . '• 28 ,, ,, " 49 ' Up to \ day . 495 56 178 317 is 412 18 >, rt Up to 1 day . ,, 223 ,, 142 >. 189 • 1 171 •a 1 day and \ night . ,, 103 ., • 1 44 • • 71 3 \ 1 day, 1 night, and ■a \ next day . ,, ,. 36 >> 4i II S3 1 1 night . ,, ,, >. • • 29 k \ night . " "3 •• " 28 " 70 r Up to \ day . 691 28 169 447 440 64 Up to 1 day . ,, 330 ,, 61 ,, 229 • ■ 118 >> 1 day and \ night . ,, 147 • , 108 1, 44 • . X) 1 day, 1 night, and £ \ next day . ,, ,■ ,, 74 II 103 3 1 night and all f-i next day . 1 night . \\ night. " 7i "5 f , •• 1 99 ,, 3i 2 122 ' Up to \ day . 743 11 208 14 675 14 355 So Up to 1 day . ,, 339 ,1 135 >> 287 • • 211 1 day and \ night . ,, 144 ,, 21 ,, 161 >> 8 >> \ day, all night, d and \ next day . ,, 19 ,, .. »i •r 1 day, 1 night, and £ \ next day . 1 day and 1 night . " 45 " 36 1 •• " 70 1 night . ,, 99 ,, 1 ,, "83 • > 16 i \ night . ■- 86 " » 130 ■■ r Up to \ day . 342 76 173 89 339 99 374 76 Up to 1 day . ,, 160 ,, 68 11 229 >• 207 "O 1 day, 1 night, and 3 " all next day , , 86 ,, ,i «> (3 1 day and \ night . . \ night . 11 20 "16 " 11 •■ 90 1 | I Up to J day . 20 20 , , ,, 79 79 234 WEST HAM Table XXXV. — Average Number of Days Work per Man of Maximum Required [Dockers). Year. Aggregate Days' Work. Maximum Employed on any One Day. Date. Days' Work per Man. 1896 832,660 3872 December 22 215 1897 1,048,110 4982 April 23 210 1898 1,001,300 4660 December 9 215 1899 1,095,230 5*03 August 9 214 1900 1,085,000 4580 November 3 237 1901 1,120,960 4779 January 10 234 1902 1,004,710 4694 July 17 214 1903 917,910 453° October 28 202 1904 906,440 4S3S January n 200 1905 788,640 3879 May 3 206 1906 779.°3° 365 6 March 8 213 Victoria and Albert Docks. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. II Years' Average. Per Per Per Per Per Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. [2548 56.0 t 6 ;h- 53- I19} 2042 52-5 l6 5 2 l 2 o 7 i 419 f 54-o "3H* 59-o So 27s 6.0 285 7-5 270 7.0 250 5-5 4.0 224 5-o 191 S-o 202 5-o 199 4-4 1 4-5 301 6.S 214 5-5 166 4.0 203 4-5 i S-o 334 7-5 3°S 8.0 226 6.0 261 5-8 25.0 999 22.0 842 21.5 915 24.0 930 20.7 > 100 4535 100 3879 100 3850 100 4497 99-9 1903. 1904. 1905- 1906. II Years' Average. Per Per Per Per Per Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. [572 44.0 392 1 6 i34 J J 45-5 378 [512 i34 ) ° 3 6 -5 *}}«■ 38.0 403 f 546 143 f 3 40.8 7.0 90 8.0 103 7-5 154 10. 99 7.2 6. S 74 6.5 90 6-5 89 5-o 83 6.2 5-5 90 8.0 109 8.0 82 5-o 82 6.1 8-5 84 7-5 130 9.0 117 7.0 107 8.0 28.5 275 24.0 100 468 33° 553 35-o 424 31.6 100 1 139 1412 100 1594 100 I34i 99-9 TABLE XXXVl.—SI Distribution o/ Wort in Ox Pitbril and Albtrl Dodo. *• 1897 1303 1399 I9» 1901 1901 1903 I9M tgo$ 190& . ■ . ■ »6l Stevedcrt 1S9G 1897 lB9> .900 .*,.. I90J lOOJ " 6 [»o6 ««S 60 i k «S '». ■J » If ill |9 S 9j IJM ' ■ »8 . - u > ■s s v -Ewxpi for ivenges it EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 235 Table XXXVII.— Data for Table XXXVI. Dockers. 1896. 1897. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. Maximum employed on any day . 3872 4982 4660 5io3 4580 4779 4694 4536 4535 3879 3656 No. of days on which as many as 4000 were employed 29 19 58 36 66 23 10 8 39°o 4i 29 76 56 85 3i 11 13 3800 2 57 36 92 83 "3 40 19 21 2 1 3700 5 75 52 109 104 145 55 29 3° 3 1 3600 ,, 8 96 66 135 130 174 76 36 4i 7 3 3Soo IS "3 89 158 167 199 93 44 53 8 4 3400 22 149 105 185 193 223 112 53 71 16 7 3300 28 185 133 203 215 240 135 73 85 22 13 3200 ,, 40 209 162 224 244 261 155 IOI 105 32 16 3100 54 2 33 188 239 263 273 180 127 121 44 28 3000 ,, 70 253 217 262 276 283 203 152 135 56 4i 2900 ,, 95 262 246 276 285 291 236 188 156 70 62 2800 , , 121 275 260 286 295 295 262 208 183 96 92 2700 , , 156 287 277 291 299 298 281 233 199 112 105 2600 ,, 190 293 293 297 300 301 293 250 224 J 35 132 2500 218 299 300 300 3°S 301 295 268 245 161 168 2400 ,, 243 302 305 3°4 306 301 299 277 260 185 195 2300 , , 262 3°4 305 30S 11 302 301 290 268 215 220 2200 ,, 277 3°4 306 ,, ,, 3°5 3°3 299 282 235 243 2100 ,, 291 305 3°7 1. ., .. 301 288 246 253 2000 ,, 299 ,, 3°7 ,1 ,, ,1 3°5 292 262 270 1900 ,, 3°3 ,, 308 ,, ,, ,, 3°S 295 275 277 1800 ,, 304 ,, ,1 n ,, ,, 299 287 285 1700 ,, 305 ,, 1, ,, n >. 301 298 295 1600 ,, 307 ,, 11 >, ii 306 3°5 301 3°4 1500 ,, ,, ,. 306 >, ., 303 304 1400 „ ,, n 3°7 ,. 11 308 3°4 305 1300 ., .1 >. i< ■1 >. 3°S 3°5 1200 ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 3°7 it ,, 305 IIOO ,, ,1 ,. ,, ,. 3°4 ,. >> ,. 306 1000 ,, .. •■ 11 ■ > • • • ■ 11 • • n Stevedores. Maximum employed on any day . 1302 1224 1 177 1373 1227 1547 1449 1298 "39 1412 I594 1 No. of days on which as many as 1300 were employed 1 5 5 3 2 5 iaoo ,, 2 2 13 3 7 10 4 8 11 1 100 ,, 4 5 3 24 r 5 12 22 15 1 19 37 1000 ,, 13 12 10 44 38 39 36 35 9 38 87 900 ,, 22 31 29 74 78 80 64 64 29 64 119 800 46 73 63 125 146 145 108 114 92 109 171 700 ,, 100 157 121 197 210 201 167 187 150 156 242 600 ,, 165 217 199 247 264 270 220 245 216 220 279 5°o 241 267 265 282 288 296 268 282 265 271 300 400 ,, 290 296 300 299 3°3 305 292 299 299 296 306 3°o 304 303 306 305 3°7 3°7 303 306 308 303 306 200 ,, 308 305 307 ., 308 ,, 3°4 308 ., 306 306 100 ,, 310 306 309 " " 309 306 3" 310 " 307 1 Second greatest, 1376. The actual numbers used in Table XXXVI. were obtained for the working tabulation. 236 WEST HAM Table XXXVIII. Showing the Possible Distribution of Work in Liverpool and in the Victoria and Albert Docks, London. Liverpool. 1899. Victoria and Albert Docks. 1 Number. Per Cent. Might have Worked Number. Per Cent. 4291 328 347 290 398 1284 61.2 4-7 5-°5 4.2 5-75 18.6 260 days per week and up 208 days 156 days 104 days 52 days Less than 52 days 3701 33i 3i9 300 345 1560 50.8 6.0 5-5 5-3 6.8 26.0 1 In this table the returns given in Table XXXVI. for stevedores and dockers have been added together. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 2 37 Table XXXIX.— Year 1896. Total Dockers Employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores (in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 566 736 808 863 274 669 617 442 1,012 800 2,858 2,270 2,300 2,484 2,255 2,794 2,578 2,622 2,578 3,230 2 639 672 1. 197 652 460 555 580 854 468 809 2,848 2.441 2,336 2,432 2,497 2,528 2,911 2,467 2,424 3.294 3 552 632 604 499 633 "60 406 634 570 983 2,609 2,472 2,204 2,672 2,421 474 2,793 2,516 2,394 3.367 4 539 657 753 432 471 610 520 397 478 719 598 2,390 2,847 2,171 2.295 2,916 2,628 2,050 2.354 2,687 2,323 3.453 5 628 749 472 686 391 410 408 849 493 2,779 2,103 2,906 2,532 2,458 2,689 2,688 2,426 3-597 6 405 577 708 485 606 470 460 560 748 2,285 2,683 2,349 128 2,718 2,458 2,3!7 2,725 2,651 2.759 7 405 539 639 384 500 508 486 '451 603 652 457 2,774 2.994 2,099 2,876 2,612 2,232 2,152 3,200 2,930 2,679 3.605 8 504 495 480 446 345 549 412 578 507 738 2,721 2,625 2,855 2,460 2,207 2,506 2,325 3.543 2,977 3.508 9 547 551 552 404 495 549 515 491 586 1,062 3,022 2,537 2,541 2,178 2,106 2,650 3.473 2,798 3,011 3,566 10 474 655 567 457 420 507 310 615 425 682 859 2,927 2,590 2,613 2,368 2,089 2,747 2,701 3.215 2,708 3-342 3.375 11 708 592 S41 405 522 563 5i8 525 752 692 850 2,510 2.758 2,603 2,466 2,099 2,723 2,655 2,873 3,527 3.!3i 3.036 12 717 544 566 572 526 607 431 680 504 2,768 2,806 2,057 3,002 2,899 3.!9i 2,721 3.148 3.225 13 '586 752 523 255 705 528 391 502 533 733 2,391 2,665 2,742 2,504 1,924 2,602 2,956 2,910 3.285 3.190 M 5io 56i 503 372 772 460 377 607 755 625 558 2.775 2,153 2,505 2,266 1,976 2.983 2,687 3,3 2 5 2,943 2.943 3.322 IS 500 569 549 774 392 467 602 725 843 623 3,005 1,880 2,548 2,144 3,i37 2,866 2.505 3.549 2,767 3.403 16 621 578 602 690 460 787 854 652 630 874 3,046 2,435 3.071 1,912 2,953 2,965 3.404 2,695 3.I.S4 3.43° 17 661 618 563 508 525 664 571 78l 610 585 1.035 3,010 2,127 2,225 3,094 2,940 2,877 2,741 2,849 2,797 3,166 3.158 18 638 618 496 414 605 576 650 754 711 796 1. 147 2,848 2.147 i,734 2,688 2,362 3,224 2,624 2,649 2.548 2,961 3.5o8 19 750 934 720 603 648 627 621 835 903 2,144 2,885 2.745 2,941 2,734 2,289 3,24s 2,694 3.453 20 554 836 839 236 697 684 695 420 576 823 2,801 2,062 2,716 2,224 757 2,629 2,576 2,757 2,850 2,579 21 531 614 440 354 436 690 556 503 796 708 1.023 2,698 1,640 2,895 2,273 2,856 2,716 2,493 2,704 3.231 2,499 3,602 22 735 517 412 447 735 808 371 671 995 1,097 2,589 1,693 2,241 2,946 2,815 2,718 2,573 2.974 3,006 3,872 23 531 609 414 647 831 802 755 866 756 1.235 2,240 2,976 2,150 2,562 2,701 2,702 2,892 3.185 2,627 3.792 24 659 406 701 512 744 774 329 962 5i6 791 1,302 2,520 2,316 2,894 2,248 2,622 3.138 2,418 2,583 2,871 2,733 3. "4 25 573 434 643 541 189 747 692 522 1,053 937 2,350 2.509 2,734 2,035 405 2,768 3,096 2,322 2,510 2,702 26 49i 724 688 729 543 1,080 676 922 114 2,758 2,458 2,317 2,818 2,618 2,507 3,212 3.085 278 27 473 767 765 772 767 619 521 543 827 7i8 2,617 2,836 2,431 2,415 2,470 2,466 3,8n 2,548 3,182 2,843 28 676 597 616 780 713 775 585 825 805 679 345 2,695 2,665 2,336 2,930 2,498 3,726 2,374 2,930 3.134 3,130 2,638 29 722 629 721 400 522 53i 578 945 776 774 2,449 2.350 2,595 2,487 2,930 3.463 1,928 3,032 2,956 3.377 30 727 798 844 282 651 666 908 778 694 1,008 2,152 2,899 2,150 2,179 3,096 3,232 3.241 2,939 3.o55 3.789 31 757 2,048 8i7 3.042 515 2,865 345 2,532 790 2,600 1,023 3,620 21,214 Total/ 15,793 15,387 16,877 13,001 14,913 14,876 16,366 12,430 17,841 18,340 17,878 71,178 60,731 65.833 59.597 59-402 69,811 76,214 64,328 77,188 77,932 70,998 85,623 2 3 8 WEST HAM Table XL. — Year 1897. Total Dockers Employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores (in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. 580 April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 664 514 784 779 648 722 875 808 298 970 3.345 3.917 3.065 2,376 3.384 3,631 3.187 3.424 3,4o8 3.149 3.269 2 706 724 696 622 535 597 930 765 431 737 3.047 3.346 3.595 2,742 3,764 3.233 3' 1 47 3.7io 2,981 3.2°7 3 860 779 568 656 748 638 '486 853 677 626 4.051 3.29 1 2,580 3.400 3,949 2,976 3.284 3.219 3,180 3.633 4 631 1,006 842 651 775 662 760 629 612 490 3.779 3.568 3,305 3,527 3,899 3.483 3.389 3,302 3.880 3.250 5 SSi 760 685 '468 837 502 480 731 621 449 3. 6 36 2.175 3,477 3.109 3.745 3,53i 3,180 3.925 3,o7S 4,081 6 713 710 506 624 778 475 658 576 847 699 530 3,712 3.324 2,862 2,746 3,673 3.346 3,867 3,469 2,736 3.669 3.423 7 761 650 773 50 752 344 595 636 724 3.684 2,619 3,328 3.322 3.834 3,430 3- J 49 3,617 8 7S2 '719 395 850 493 463 786 759 516 791 838 3,080 3,3i3 3,100 2,813 2,697 3,722 3,207 3,426 3.°54 3.38o 4,146 9 641 587 361 712 637 407 402 891 693 838 863 4.0S3 3,616 3.403 3,338 3, QI 7 3.4i6 3.615 3,567 3.061 3.097 3.797 10 773 452 662 985 613 291 533 702 794 653 3,386 3,203 3. J S2 2,647 3.767 3.301 3,745 3.767 3,017 3.445 11 734 885 602 764 581 701 548 844 747 636 4,507 2,836 3.35i 2,514 3.993 3,648 3.410 3. J 75 3.240 3.488 12 753 821 534 613 816 544 351 640 1,126 666 4,376 3.661 3,201 3.274 2,590 3.905 3,701 3,730 3.304 3,427 13 737 875 669 858 740 577 658 766 1,042 780 734 4,058 3.614 3.193 3,007 2,842 3,319 3.313 3783 3,172 2,858 3.79S 14 849 877 650 530 413 428 953 804 1,000 4.049 2,956 3,075 3,916 3,110 3.264 3,94i 3,227 3.779 IS 748 760 629 778 525 502 597 1,224 623 697 883 3,959 3.800 2,882 3.109 2,898 4,000 3,211 3,481 3.225 2,914 3.637 16 592 813 726 748 547 524 1,203 610 549 675 3.874 3.772 2,421 94 3.655 3.619 3,532 3,303 2.75° 3,35i 3,253 17 729 867 490 496 731 645 692 1,146 639 467 3,251 2,760 2.417 2,812 3,492 2.593 3.329 3,162 3,304 3,360 18 747 836 991 547 708 789 967 '486 482 482 3,819 2,984 2,679 2,563 3443 3.533 3.304 2,873 3,54o 2,927 19 874 772 694 "3 530 750 675 776 539 508 3.921 3.136 2,752 504 3- OI 3 3.199 3.585 3,230 2,991 3,33i 20 999 535 38i 791 936 662 789 941 653 651 673 3.803 2.742 2,775 3.051 3,545 4,078 3,723 3.661 3,120 2,903 3,048 21 983 737 876 747 768 636 948 708 813 3,97o 4,025 3,570 3,062 3,886 3,814 3.553 3.070 2,866 22 1,068 617 390 795 993 786 923 555 686 932 3.795 3,320 3> 12 S 4,406 3.673 3,669 3.168 3,026 3,163 2,809 23 421 832 573 75i '568 752 415 886 568 659 774 3,868 3.377 3,39i 4.982 3- IQ 9 4,007 3,683 3.452 2,996 3,216 2,590 24 1,126 804 595 804 772 5i8 465 755 722 756 3,3i3 3.554 4,768 3,108 3.405 3.843 3,599 3-883 3.377 2,327 25 '484 853 976 814 827 464 782 499 881 4,282 3.4i8 3,489 3,006 3.463 3448 3,085 3.47o 3,226 26 549 802 757 596 488 394 730 725 688 4.33o 3,i9i 3.244 4,124 3.492 4,296 3,426 3,439 2,723 27 513 841 745 788 961 449 606 890 758 715 4.558 3.440 3.271 4.036 2,690 4,188 3.55o 4,204 3,480 3,o55 28 612 753 1,016 553 652 577 964 775 '564 4,062 3,868 2,719 3.587 4,230 3.479 3.821 3.326 3,667 29 539 570 827 1,039 577 582 979 752 896 756 4.105 3.347 3,463 2.457 3.557 4,058 3.404 2,767 3,640 4,410 30 582 760 743 505 737 660 1,031 605 958 854 3.898 2,718 3.397 3439 3.966 3.3*3 2,803 2,829 3,262 4,101 3i 757 2,616 '781 3-499 659 3.45o 692 3.345 486 3.99i Total | 18,203 18,840 17,721 17.045 19,240 15.102 15,912 15,058 22,847 18,187 17.513 17,916 101,570 80,551 84,072 80,956 76,975 85.997 95.977 88,712 90,256 Si.735 84,964 85,835 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 2 39 Table XLI. — Year 1898. Total Dockers Employed (in light figures) and Total Stevedores (in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 458 619 890 533 605 514 184 575 572 943 822 3.528 3,o43 2,953 3.348 4,028 3,664 136 2,532 3.134 2,755 2,711 2 623 913 347 597 808 562 692 686 804 772 3.215 3.029 2,872 3.643 4,148 3.219 2,435 2,765 3,069 2, 608 3 550 643 659 673 480 707 688 564 883 786 3,829 3.098 3.014 3,847 3.962 2,831 2,639 3.032 3.347 3. 119 4 758 545 589 475 837 407 556 746 746 915 3-773 3.156 2,959 3.234 3- "2 3.704 3.J04 3,338 2,686 3.235 5 978 508 592 467 646 766 652 674 952 715 512 3.30° 2,958 2,605 3.189 3.670 2,878 3,060 3.229 2,570 2,901 3,903 6 626 448 409 556 797 549 876 1. 177 632 3,7i5 2,976 3,6o6 3,826 3,000 2,534 2,957 2,961 3,793 7 700 491 410 513 491 850 796 798 959 616 733 3.468 3,012 3,687 2,962 3,562 3.717 2,681 3.631 3,000 2,977 2,677 8 477 647 629 891 655 619 846 944 786 847 3,656 2,841 4,070 3.292 3,402 2,786 3.494 2,972 2,938 4,495 9 612 002 582 6l7 859 625 603 754 964 551 3,207 3,983 2,717 3,598 3.439 3.367 2,846 3.415 3> x 47 4,660 10 418 548 532 69O 518 626 767 860 695 472 4.165 3.253 3.598 2,986 3.329 3,286 3.561 2,917 3,010 4,229 11 573 671 500 857 521 '583 514 670 686 4,033 3,293 3,9™ 3.281 3,589 3. 211 3.717 3,016 2,640 12 820 611 584 759 773 529 637 589 770 614 420 4,i53 3,080 3.720 3.665 3,148 3,226 3.603 3.236 3.230 2,258 4,45! 13 880 867 598 '788 600 613 585 676 576 4,089 3.719 2,844 3.208 3475 3.314 2,975 3.3 61 4,508 14 619 602 630 598 528 1,040 475 784 686 398 617 3,872 3,171 3.669 3.765 3.053 3,39o 3.438 2,930 3,265 2,620 4,251 J S 719 735 538 656 1,062 466 638 633 710 376 751 3.896 3,219 3-773 3,543 3,094 3.526 3.285 2,713 2,981 3,088 3.635 16 734 717 588 467 849 853 817 502 391 674 2,832 3.557 3."3 3,068 3.385 3.383 3.369 2,482 3.146 3.137 17 597 723 701 615 503 669 342 720 444 672 3.933 3.135 3,726 2,932 3.503 3.54i 2,178 3.304 2,941 2,947 18 691 5io 802 730 767 637 977 600 714 445 3.946 3.029 3,759 3,681 2,636 3.071 3.496 3.835 2,888 3.058 19 766 478 688 845 894 1,112 658 495 930 415 698 3.76o 3.083 3-473 3,481 2,670 3.192 3.546 2,787 3.004 3.029 2,657 20 783 922 699 562 985 406 508 817 706 3.515 .'.'.' 3.338 3>!96 2,948 2,767 2,989 3,264 3,006 3.977 21 616 566 757 703 474 658 778 774 562 261 967 3.39o 3,018 3,933 3,406 1,910 2,555 2,721 3,329 3.509 2,684 4,479 22 558 563 767 863 952 937 '488 913 590 490 1,068 3,179 3. "4 3,482 3.250 2,527 2,735 2,713 3.30 6 3,282 3.029 4,279 23 584 735 665 845 849 721 452 558 590 1,129 3.091 3.348 2,939 4,009 2,728 2,909 2,766 3,223 2,747 3.954 24 620 491 78i 926 618 631 627 642 527 786 3.215 3,182 3.779 4,166 2.556 2,684 2,680 3.777 2,995 3,210 25 552 522 419 707 1,048 614 423 482 690 694 3,082 3, "5 3.523 3.338 3,956 2,407 3.317 2,999 3.663 2,726 26 769 527 530 839 959 525 462 667 606 560 3.639 2,913 3-833 3.403 4,268 3.370 3,134 3,161 3. x 72 2,585 50 27 738 1,000 701 489 619 512 617 482 638 3.So6 2,986 3-579 2,651 3.238 3,233 3,204 3. 12 7 3- l6 4 28 534 795 ■712 839 177 578 534 747 693 687 902 3. "7 3,242 3.548 3.348 3,i45 2,861 3.55o 2,998 3.386 3.59o 3.720 29 544 780 704 810 522 587 807 894 821 1,006 2,893 4,048 3.387 2,851 3.S08 3,073 2,948 2,646 3.34o 3.39° 3° 768 622 659 569 797 754 846 1,074 3,47o 3.331 949 3,566 3,440 2,741 2,770 2,489 3.425 31 610 494 380 685 697 730 2,819 3,5i9 3,349 2,459 2,823 2,801 Total | 16.954 14,348 17.719 16,272 16 ,668 18,163 17.569 16,026 17,566 19.323 16,566 19.631 93.471 74,300 95.968 78,991 84.183 84.335 83,817 80,253 78,407 80,712 76,344 94,230 240 WEST HAM Table XLII. — Year 1899. Total Dockers Employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 713 713 507 818 1,078 770 803 358 640 847 3,067 2,986 3.994 3,108 3,764 3.065 4. 151 3.492 4.504 4.327 2 744 657 988 978 1,019 858 376 912 735 712 3.067 3.J59 3.207 3.484 4,020 3.783 2,924 3-493 4.512 4,411 3 803 654 969 894 760 818 1,122 862 3.475 3.258 2,882 3,768 3.402 4,076 3.632 4,116 4 827 632 778 "507 905 1,155 861 '564 1,089 748 894 3.434 3.279 2.495 4,067 3.78i 3.158 4.368 3.304 3.383 3,816 3.652 S 860 724 775 465 1.373 849 729 866 898 3.727 4,110 3.519 3.46i 3.055 4.077 3.576 3,457 3.497 6 593 913 662 672 529 540 969 625 787 "797 1,107 3.701 3.721 2,683 4,121 2.953 3.68s 3,068 3,5Si 3.953 3.333 3.598 7 651 1.095 688 722 572 948 772 619 1,064 1,279 3.368 3.677 2,529 3.658 3.588 3.263 3.913 4,002 3.949 3.448 8 1,183 638 573 551 563 888 514 648 1,216 1,296 3.092 2,847 3.404 2,987 3.592 3. "3 4,107 3,766 4,136 3.983 9 669 864 745 662 664 754 579 671 068 1,029 4,026 3.250 3.362 3.934 3.342 5. 103 3.652 3.946 4.368 4."3 10 701 926 718 683 855 795 977 729 879 822 3.996 3.128 3.536 4,004 2,962 3.681 3,482 4,622 3.948 4.299 11 757 772 826 732 808 090 714 945 1,186 592 1,138 3.641 2,897 3,061 4.043 2,685 3,5i8 4,iSo 4.070 4,211 3.947 3.858 12 572 677 590 628 1,161 388 883 1,283 1,280 3.487 4,086 2,428 3.853 3.421 3.821 4,165 3, 8 37 4.43 2 x 3 596 759 675 842 658 790 1,203 968 846 785 1,344 3.3 8 9 2,719 3.242 3.496 2,428 3,618 3.644 4,191 40,15 4,118 4.475 14 484 666 690 752 883 1,319 632 867 749 952 1,099 3.291 3.036 3.235 2,910 3,621 3,576 3,978 4,064 4.034 4.199 4.368 IS 817 624 582 641 697 1. 193 784 1,024 994 1.239 3.090 3.361 2,85s 2,997 3.682 3.234 3.73o 4.203 3-804 4.050 16 392 717 712 766 532 670 1,121 812 903 1,089 3.349 3.042 2,887 3,726 3.568 4,001 3.547 4,212 3.57i 3.985 17 473 565 623 '389 866 475 1,065 679 942 900 4.045 3,220 2.7S 2 2.725 3.625 3.387 3,089 3.724 3.799 3.548 18 659 607 741 682 796 1,119 408 896 1,007 654 932 3.618 3.425 2.398 3.237 3.497 3.079 3.789 3.921 3.843 3.425 4.230 19 790 716 872 608 1,032 489 991 1,098 1,068 3.644 3.I9S 2,939 3.647 2,567 3.479 4,116 3,866 4.382 20 836 540 732 682 716 742 746 727 968 826 1,094 3.526 3.647 2,768 2,848 2,605 3.328 2,940 3.948 3.719 4.o99 4,246 21 614 677 8ll 545 869 719 "489 865 1,081 763 852 3,266 3.382 2,635 2,650 3.067 3.095 3.409 3,811 3-397 4.220 3,678 22 763 794 520 737 764 563 770 885 1,042 3.058 3.182 3.251 2,869 2,904 3-474 3,505 4,226 3,296 23 644 703 793 '717 999 781 704 '588 923 063 2,864 3.273 3.384 3.239 2,957 3.322 3.578 3.237 3.935 3. 211 24 536 59i 740 520 704 737 '899 479 540 675 3,166 3. QI 7 3.512 3,461 3.436 2,976 3,iS3 3.388 3,187 4.145 25 804 598 688 354 784 950 579 631 870 785 3,168 2.835 3.353 3.393 3,818 3. 191 3.448 3,434 4.037 4,202 26 758 436 734 641 826 649 800 1,015 3.044 3.S46 3,662 2,962 3.050 3.247 3.985 4,412 27 759 491 685 489 633 789 708 473 930 873 1,134 2,580 2,646 3.652 3.672 3.463 3. "i 3.570 3.960 4.901 3,722 3.623 28 678 410 777 657 776 867 '507 450 964 878 1,306 2,471 2,841 3.592 3.563 3,062 3.8S5 3,757 3.835 4.455 3,618 3.890 29 743 589 886 826 860 493 490 929 1.304 3.628 3.o54 3.709 3,280 3.671 4.322 3.44i 3,503 3.804 30 '585 636 1.073 759 796 457 "637 807 1,241 3.073 3. 2 47 3.894 3.168 4.290 2,716 3.882 3.042 3.544 3i 593 1,049 954 512 752 3,081 3,653 3,33o 3.960 3.977 Total { 17.378 17.313 19,189 14.552 20,260 18,184 25.215 16.888 18.713 23.219 22,036 26,187 78,497 75.759 80,416 83.343 85.300 85,289 84,493 101,576 96,668 100,835 102,357 94,101 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 241 Table XLIII. — Year 1900. Total Dockers Employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 1,056 605 666 870 814 966 593 898 622 461 3.933 3.5o6 3.304 3.623 3. 211 3.302 3,53i 3,973 3,828 3.757 2 1,227 701 819 719 913 829 1,027 841 1,016 788 4.124 3.3io 2,790 3.614 3.360 3.273 3.578 3.743 3,4i7 4,066 3 1. 139 816 719 709 887 1,194 793 595 1,216 713 467 4,187 3.636 2,834 3.5oo 3,"9 3.723 3.328 3.669 3,402 4,58o 3.862 4 877 715 956 744 1,160 646 806 859 436 3.907 3,227 3,016 1,461 4.055 3,060 3,539 3,699 4,016 s 1,163 836 705 508 600 899 1. 157 665 806 747 606 3.9" 3.672 4,084 3,006 3,438 3.324 4,114 3.487 3,9i6 3.819 3.668 6 1,205 717 705 614 710 I.I97 483 484 878 539 3.926 3.S6i 3.428 3.!72 3.560 4,i39 3.512 3.547 3.879 4,i44 7 778 674 677 945 914 1,006 782 469 938 646 3.46i 3.528 2,968 3,5oi 3,3i8 3,827 3,608 3.387 4,333 4,160 8 880 763 937 904 912 876 479 745 835 576 4.138 3,212 3.284 3.720 4,054 3.630 3.645 3.697 4.517 4,i95 9 000 798 823 771 1,088 891 1,153 899 827 570 4,061 3.035 3.277 3.690 3,426 3,455 3.549 3,642 3.952 3,884 10 925 426 402 752 1,127 95i 795 604 873 395 614 3-5°9 2,894 3.154 3.436 3,4o6 3.513 3.402 3,691 3,932 4.105 4,103 11 985 925 1,075 724 1,019 855 765 797 721 3,592 3,455 3,142 2.913 3,429 2,989 3,793 4.125 4,033 12 986 674 616 814 717 627 1,130 791 857 652 682 3.944 3,122 3.475 3.56i 2,863 2,824 3.793 3.8os 3.706 4. 131 4.319 13 939 721 836 577 1,040 670 868 509 686 735 3.642 3. 2 77 3.715 2,704 3.877 3.553 3.780 3.650 3,652 4,316 14 887 1,001 512 940 604 1,029 770 821 730 712 3.337 3,807 3,226 2,552 2,862 3.673 3.7io 3,724 4.319 3,820 IS 878 793 988 1,189 852 775 582 437 732 536 3.269 2,844 3.959 2.524 3.194 3.97i 3.55° 4.058 4. "5 3-597 16 889 822 1,077 1,164 809 1^028 743 688 787 3.133 3.189 3.513 2,580 2,732 3.402 3,75i 3.592 3.909 17 763 777 609 758 953 913 373 704 836 704 '485 3.287 3.148 3.373 3.242 2.655 3,267 3,854 3,262 3.37o 3.S6i 4.575 18 903 871 643 '844 933 249 840 690 804 3.957 3.244 2,595 3,012 3.533 3.382 3.J24 3.402 4.232 19 916 886 597 899 649 794 637 885 644 740 853 3,721 3,54i 3.782 2,822 2,421 3- I2 4 3,455 2,882 3,262 3.76s 3.785 20 769 689 682 791 743 634 391 719 594 440 1,015 3. 8 S7 3.809 3.719 3.421 3.502 3.58i 3-241 2,773 3.072 3.639 3,946 21 727 871 678 874 687 676 657 638 548 935 4.U5 3.450 3.397 2,859 3.259 3,605 3.040 3,32i 3.973 3.891 22 661 869 968 1,001 680 641 546 '815 S89 1,089 3-794 3,822 2,992 2,940 3- OI 7 3,102 3.094 3.5S 6 3.444 3,883 23 1,004 880 778 544 6ll '753 636 904 631 3,8o S 3.804 2,858 3.927 427 3.275 3.817 2,948 3.855 3.557 24 1,080 560 503 697 1,047 894 638 838 988 460 882 4,210 3,250 2,585 4,271 3,152 3.474 3.407 3,376 3.848 3.502 3.554 2 5 1. 194 829 1,038 506 968 598 984 892 4. "4 4.057 3.341 3,"5 3.272 3.517 3.288 3.899 26 992 404 704 920 1,076 678 848 I.OSI 672 609 353 3.949 3.392 2,987 3.853 3.486 3.087 3.423 3,140 3,612 3.669 883 27 787 637 810 853 774 790 '875 951 726 914 789 4.047 3.671 3.283 3.895 3,012 3.753 3.329 3.209 3.508 3.929 3.203 28 736 814 441 991 746 785 935 828 1,051 801 3.90S 3.263 3.38i 3.255 3,202 3, 8 40 3-339 3.576 3,839 3.741 29 797 845 776 611 1.034 813 659 856 808 3.526 3,004 3,122 3.45i 3.676 3,283 3,062 4,097 3,967 30 906 937 626 586 544 905 912 714 641 3.747 3.163 3.598 3,259 3-395 3.507 3.44o 2,932 3.669 31 848 695 501 816 906 622 852 3,541 3,i59 2,910 3.3SO 3. 6 4i 3.179 3,801 Total | 25.759 17.502 20,781 16,623 23,510 19,124 24.643 19.256 18,318 20,768 18,256 17,397 102,831 82,543 89,770 79.963 80,692 81, 33° 94.549 89,605 85.441 97.223 101,772 95,451 242 WEST HAM Table XLIV.— Year 1901. Total Dockers Employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 916 1,074 731 708 1,070 770 740 1,070 811 663 3,956 3.432 3.472 3.495 3.46i 4-159 3.404 3.942 3.063 2.759 2 942 611 744 1,011 864 977 "788 765 58l 854 4,086 3.733 3.429 3.437 3.274 3.980 4,322 3.024 2 .295 3.995 3 829 806 869 944 969 730 1,013 802 1,012 3.844 3,208 3.520 4.542 3.573 3.584 3.893 3.557 3.672 4 593 999 800 836 532 813 1,004 068 861 '718 1,219 3.954 3.398 4. "3 2.774 3.675 4,586 3.695 3.852 3. J 79 2,967 3.329 5 567 1,044 762 628 917 192 951 671 600 965 3.!4 2 3.948 3.705 4,349 3,665 91S 3.735 3.737 3,050 3.379 6 939 965 '338 707 671 648 917 787 532 598 3.849 4,084 2,252 3.771 4,408 3.834 3,598 4,140 2,660 3. 181 7 740 1,072 998 855 1,002 1,011 522 '741 554 578 3,616 3.540 3.524 4,127 3.890 3.863 3.902 3.890 2,364 2,884 8 698 859 895 140 920 797 646 1,002 738 440 4.152 3.286 3.767 500 3.970 3.158 3,643 4,166 4.234 2,218 9 669 870 706 658 820 614 878 696 743 310 662 4.596 3,066 3.553 3.398 3.870 3,776 4,040 4,056 4,429 2,693 3.336 10 646 675 616 756 810 56i 808 614 695 4.779 3.291 4- 131 3.502 3.713 4.044 3.819 4.627 3.527 11 625 659 584 853 703 782 807 792 602 621 786 4.269 3.848 3.58i 3.322 4,111 3.538 3.420 4,i49 4.074 3.237 3.749 12 459 846 748 856 630 778 543 852 683 823 925 4,005 4.247 4,58o 3.798 3.603 3,166 3,658 4,444 3.369 3.219 3,505 13 970 1,030 958 846 500 650 667 576 971 1.035 4.3 6 5 3.997 3.973 3,801 3.920 3.038 3,682 4.394 2,990 3.787 14 664 1,042 799 1.073 600 836 526 816 836 008 4.303 4.194 3.5 2 9 3.872 3.775 3,824 3.907 3.621 3.287 4,161 J 5 670 886 783 825 1. 341 446 882 798 827 653 4,066 4,181 3,443 3.941 3.814 3.367 3-333 3.768 3.707 3,216 16 559 694 817 1,082 891 922 410 834 639 780 985 4,103 3.624 3.147 4.058 3.740 3.037 3.852 3,241 3.269 3.419 4,064 17 677 1,020 861 607 825 430 927 748 1,071 3.934 686 4.035 3.630 3.205 3.052 3. x 42 2,771 3,276 4.190 18 464 724 740 756 853 848 992 696 883 1. 159 3.663 3,724 3.433 4,560 3.328 3,668 3- 211 2,919 2.947 3.714 3.999 19 713 647 532 680 I.06S 1,066 595 949 639 708 1,070 3.389 3.839 3.328 4.307 3.798 3.687 3.467 2,901 3.149 3.600 4. 141 20 934 603 626 824 944 827 674 920 763 897 3.296 2,664 3,286 3.34o 3.709 3.212 3,365 2,926 3.714 4.040 21 617 921 683 974 895 643 887 658 650 1.547 3.694 3.43i 3,338 3.476 3.876 3,727 2.833 3,089 4,122 4.032 22 698 852 734 632 1,208 793 960 627 894 629 3.715 3.424 3.753 3.441 3.443 3.704 3,662 3,673 3,292 4.395 23 622 872 693 773 1,361 985 688 1. 159 866 671 617 3,840 3.598 3.103 3.893 3. 611 3.869 3.734 2,809 3,77o 4.559 3,816 24 905 876 550 792 082 647 1,028 900 772 4.030 3.75o 1.554 4,063 3.644 3,672 3.03 1 4.049 3.480 2 5 80 879 626 1,100 1,185 906 874 002 609 831 3.831 3.446 3.650 3.964 3.565 4,222 3,772 3.356 3.609 3.814 26 747 750 820 572 859 877 658 738 588 1,001 3.723 3.355 3.692 4,046 4,069 3,495 3,733 3.532 3.598 3.624 27 862 813 626 '488 526 625 746 773 963 '750 3.434 3.889 3.476 651 4.37i 3,251 3.732 2,955 3.95 1 3.501 28 '768 766 701 1.435 475 685 765 800 879 703 3,807 4,069 4.233 3.522 4,136 4.123 3.075 3.195 3.635 3,669 29 1,027 558 625 1,392 480 826 683 889 614 3.880 4,402 2,877 3.SI9 3.713 3.908 4,358 2,947 3.503 30 1.037 559 5i8 1,151 791 614 '786 978 575 757 3.558 3,616 3.267 3.595 4,148 4,412 3.295 3,!47 3.557 3.828 31 1,012 995 795 628 968 852 3.445 3.231 3.432 3,975 3,108 4,348 Total | 19,982 19,901 19.275 18,267 25434 18,624 22,532 18,910 20,939 20,636 18,339 21.417 105,380 84.594 95.239 86,341 93.765 97.33 1 94,914 100,029 88,257 94.956 86,562 89,613 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 2 43 Table XLV. — Year 1902. Total Dockers employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 797 412 664 598 689 533 600 752 923 714 795 4.254 3,689 3,453 3.349 3.454 3,300 3.303 2,825 3,H3 2,971 3.3i8 2 697 763 637 459 710 391 711 889 880 4,286 3.503 3.667 3,774 3.142 3,126 2,998 3,492 2,977 3 468 60S 658 565 488 476 707 708 843 1. 159 760 4,274 3,223 3.263 3,469 3.646 3,95i 2,999 3,042 3,52i 3.127 3.102 4 63S 851 667 639 472 795 910 817 1,150 597 3,968 3.019 3,495 3.03c 3,983 2,889 3,344 3,090 2,971 2,968 5 1,186 890 446 '561 520 671 "541 858 792 429 2,859 3. 2 25 2,600 3.638 3,55o 2,990 2,706 3,572 2,996 2,691 6 '57i 1,052 645 557 548 539 870 985 741 348 3.9*4 2,725 3,006 3.444 3,392 3,286 3.377 3.048 3. J 7i 2,219 7 626 994 693 688 615 280 790 507 893 660 3,99 6 2,894 2.358 3> I 46 3.277 3.222 3.5 r 7 3,394 3,027 3,353 8 793 894 570 751 55i 731 572 769 920 778 540 4,089 2,857 2,694 2,860 2,864 3.719 3,424 3.!90 3.38i 3,169 3,369 9 772 843 538 '538 799 9i 796 740 646 3,692 2,950 2.944 3.663 4,364 460 3.343 3.560 3,600 10 577 975 831 574 556 528 620 716 669 "862 794 3,745 4,017 3,405 2,662 3.641 3,897 3,993 3,654 3.792 3,443 3,248 11 575 1,104 783 649 485 644 514 786 702 803 664 3,032 3.947 3,681 2,485 3,767 3,679 3, x 45 3,3i8 3.178 3,533 3,453 12 942 661 512 826 540 728 668 352 857 574 3,743 3,871 2,548 3,668 3-37 1 3,855 3,56i 3,315 3,176 2,989 *3 648 872 867 980 629 634 409 945 1,030 586 3,831 3,39i 3,603 3.5o8 3,216 3,297 3,056 3,025 2,952 2,785 14 648 809 724 509 867 624 821 668 853 876 4,420 2,930 3.531 2,913 3,704 3,064 4,429 3,257 2,646 2,618 IS 5i6 467 670 580 764 947 470 532 1,015 886 553 4.493 2,429 3.178 3,086 2.756 4,180 3.148 2,861 2,291 2,464 3,54o 16 596 730 375 541 734 398 544 1,150 736 4,654 2,794 3,721 3,!oi 4,694 3> I2 3 2,714 2,544 3,683 17 461 693 '770 603 327 507 833 642 1,248 1. 143 663 4.179 2,830 3.33 8 2,702 3,112 3,005 4,474 2,990 2,751 2,405 3,761 18 506 706 947 433 459 764 520 696 I.II3 1.237 766 3,828 2,850 3-33° 2,938 3.248 4,124 3.534 2,843 2,761 2,678 3,483 19 782 1,060 418 160 505 820 585 664 1.250 785 2,905 2,999 2,977 278 2,892 3,848 3.698 2,882 2,688 3,482 20 652 862 777 478 459 735 724 1,437 1,218 883 3,748 2,681 2,825 2,881 2,745 3.775 2.353 3,236 2,856 3,773 21 750 862 692 600 614 414 1,021 816 1,449 1,049 3,86s 2,817 3.055 3."3 2,922 2,712 3,136 3,5i3 3,397 2,608 22 659 757 787 566 726 851 849 820 1,288 967 795 3,4i5 2,927 2,745 3,148 2,979 2,874 3,647 2,837 3,636 2,676 3,689 23 656 660 652 '348 986 819 853 1,212 977 3,397 3,635 3.218 2,971 2,919 3411 2,93° 3,420 3,765 24 534 615 945 680 743 387 1,091 974 1,343 '844 761 3, I2 3 2,939 2,979 4,270 2,860 2,988 2,737 3,165 3,73i 3,101 3,284 25 520 842 871 703 410 1,210 943 1,019 816 902 3.237 3,473 3.055 4,320 2,734 2,884 2,976 3.092 3,612 2,796 26 1,146 918 619 606 913 877 754 912 112 3,Si6 3,032 4,084 3.4i8 3.094 3.851 2,969 3,064 27 606 1,180 792 448 908 828 i',o88 913 504 3.504 3,707 2,800 3.227 3,374 2,935 3,896 3,234 2.897 28 725 882 745 506 347 934 710 1,192 1,055 3,660 3-946 3,569 3.300 2,683 3,050 4,011 3,!93 2,666 29 803 463 981 618 754 721 002 1,194 1,040 810 4.193 2,732 3,542 3.090 2,777 4,022 3.284 2,865 2,877 3.073 30 828 1,144 336 427 747 368 928 1,062 1,000 4,112 3.259 1,107 3.486 2,758 3,4i9 3.285 2,995 3,032 31 513 "28 449 577 1,064 092 4,167 120 3.187 2,716 2,883 3-379 Total { 17,132 20,490 i8,373 16,999 15.667 10,903 21,731 15.444 19.517 27,850 23,838 17,900 105,076 76.314 75.773 82,952 83.5" 75,4i5 93. J 4i 82,461 80,174 86,084 73.593 81,560 244 WEST HAM Table XLVI. — Year 1903. Total Dockers employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 1. 159 781 813 366 405 166 520 771 926 3.099 2,555 2,850 3 6 4 3,671 1,236 3.767 3.207 2,696 2 968 '498 754 903 840 770 428 748 883 1,146 861 2,910 3,226 2.995 2,594 2,843 3,277 3,788 3,271 2,888 3, "5 2,726 3 722 708 895 947 793 457 '288 842 828 893 823 2,508 2,803 3,234 2,918 3,629 3,257 352 3.647 3,082 2,943 3,188 4 541 899 966 1,064 558 196 472 895 750 841 2.592 3, J 4S 2,795 3,280 3.93 6 2,852 2,889 3.318 3<*97 3.30 6 5 651 726 800 722 392 686 778 749 659 575 2.359 2,250 2,611 3.778 3.836 3.647 3.132 3,010 4.204 2,948 6 593 671 714 1,002 596 359 529 674 707 723 2,788 2,236 2,554 3,703 4.149 3.304 2,720 3.568 3.103 4.155 7 545 512 762 911 442 529 626 '727 742 709 370 2,988 2,400 2,809 3,826 4, "9 2,532 3,607 3.4oo 3' x 93 3.566 2,981 8 685 799 529 '466 601 784 892 8ll 634 2,814 3,3 62 3.5 J 6 3.o54 2,617 3.°97 3.051 3,194 3.245 9 848 843 1,043 835 692 450 704 726 641 '415 625 2,964 3.247 2,994 2,980 3.272 3,^6 2,705 3,224 3,283 3,803 3.256 10 794 922 I,l6l 693 59i 675 622 542 556 746 2,548 3,180 3, 72 54 2,618 2,995 2,962 2,894 3,128 3.344 3. 151 11 986 1,098 679 616 604 458 816 678 636 796 2.903 3,020 2,75 6 3,213 2,361 2,571 3.073 2,349 2,976 3,3i6 12 710 1.057 740 776 574 761 625 566 814 769 2,604 2,984 2,781 3,166 2,424 3' 2 33 2,407 2,716 2,976 3,079 *3 620 I,0l8 531 418 749 711 513 674 437 799 2,640 2,597 2,915 321 3,240 2,380 2,642 3,090 3,150 2,936 J 4 554 676 372 710 684 578 1,008 665 372 609 596 2,906 2,234 2.549 3.326 2,761 3.025 3- I 7i 2,341 2,837 2,994 2,762 15 557 775 664 219 650 930 719 440 640 3.382 3,277 2,204 1.643 3.396 3,554 2,076 2,482 2,944 16 548 '566 495 860 584 602 634 666 590 '647 753 3.387 2,260 2,673 3.030 2,050 2,842 3,767 2,164 2,675 3.074 2,905 1 7 393 762 622 891 522 858 630 828 585 732 802 3.232 2,245 2,665 3,421 3.072 3.889 3,853 2,080 2,756 3,120 3. "2 18 766 575 726 660 618 572 615 821 789 9O4 2,492 3.051 3.244 2,941 3.453 3,oo6 3.596 2,080 3.094 3.247 *9 502 632 649 719 749 684 722 '770 900 980 3.°4i 2,397 2,917 3.124 2,961 3,104 2,194 2,511 3,268 2,807 20 760 639 633 984 963 496 767 750 874 770 3. 211 2,615 2,695 3.224 3.374 3.320 3.359 2,768 2,588 3.854 21 844 577 597 1,055 864 754 760 727 758 56i 732 3.393 2,471 2,280 3.183 3.375 3,165 2,790 2,357 3.554 3.075 3.159 22 830 962 1,040 1,042 828 599 800 610 869 3,288 2,924 2,986 3. "7 3>!97 2,625 2,733 3,578 3.781 2 3 953 775 '787 920 1,069 1,145 782 817 672 "775 99I 2,782 2,777 2,508 2,652 2,389 2,996 3>°39 2,983 4.137 3.310 3.334 24 772 884 932 609 1,097 802 733 934 636 768 907 2,329 2,766 2,733 2,614 3.247 2,562 2.423 3,206 4,186 3,296 2,836 2 5 797 1,077 662 '998 1,011 890 893 820 680 2,925 2,718 2,994 2,727 3. 181 2,440 2,740 3.056 3.043 36 1,167 789 1,020 1,056 408 774 836 703 933 140 2,722 3.03 r 2,927 2,321 312 2,885 2,965 4,384 2,921 I36 27 1,289 682 800 '798 1,168 895 "687 889 938 1,046 2,864 2,926 3,026 3,34i 2,304 3.363 2,33° 3-744 4.536 3,189 28 1,141 516 696 876 1,252 631 921 661 849 859 905 2,986 2,494 2.905 3.349 2,786 2,216 4,128 2,834 3.800 2,569 2,894 29 1,298 846 1,188 '747 635 654 786 1,151 092 3.223 2,832 2,749 3.410 2,274 3.707 2,856 3.797 3-495 3° 1,097 916 1,086 1,222 549 722 869 1,123 901 1,050 3,405 2,815 2,604 2,393 3.512 2,539 2,707 4,171 2,615 3.763 3 1 654 805 726 496 852 1. 133 3,47i 2,549 2.538 3.816 3.646 3.690 Total { 21,654 17.543 20,373 21,091 21,070 16,836 16,927 17.958 19.724 19,600 19,070 20,360 79, 8 44 64.051 73,i4i 73,879 77,880 74,768 79,092 79.658 73,092 89,592 80,637 78,757 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 245 Table XLVII. — Year 1904. Total Dockers Employed (in light figures) and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 853 i 903 835 724 780 830 684 920 486 3.573 3.983 3,010 3,202 2,903 2,282 3,662 2,545 2.675 2 S62 973 837 806 702 874 753 690 590 610 667 3.376 3.484 3,204 3.184 3.394 3.650 2,616 2,048 2,577 2.695 2,760 3 1,012 765 818 768 794 770 "790 596 480 3.236 3-447 3.720 3.717 2,503 2,185 3.4i6 2,601 2,721 4 458 1,099 578 196 664 506 650 707 819 591 3,4°° 3,210 3,572 166 3.835 3.754 2,922 3.144 3.292 2,501 S 585 1. 139 634 993 616 689 820 682 638 491 712 3.040 3,108 3,510 3.135 3.619 2,925 3.424 2,405 3,271 2,270 2,658 6 588 704 1.095 618 599 736 812 668 476 685 3.048 2,814 3.301 3.369 3.858 3,078 3.019 2.243 2,836 2.IQO 7 SOS 731 917 474 567 633 569 550 444 8l8 3.205 3,180 3,609 3.243 2,921 2,821 2,631 2,425 ^654 2,863 8 695 444 891 800 462 619 '417 476 528 501 712 3.004 2,888 2,874 3,386 2,922 2,397 2,729 2,419 2,863 1,848 2,659 9 743 488 912 670 334 513 443 526 562 58i 795 3. J S4 2.833 2,509 2,891 3.599 3."3 2,097 2,555 2,216 1.449 2,574 10 665 841 594 606 634 572 540 709 588 3.669 2,683 3,660 3.58i 2,559 2,263 2.435 1,684 2,487 11 683 683 671 '788 474 590 535 611 770 769 4.535 3.638 3.132 3,43o 3,354 3.291 2,161 2,316 2,214 2,021 12 831 648 644 824 614 436 553 664 864 685 342 3.962 3.468 3. JI 3 3.627 3.279 2.555 2,803 2,482 1,978 1,867 2,680 13 794 38i 861 673 540 366 454 668 856 477 3.748 3.067 3-959 2,940 3.54o 2,700 2,712 2,478 2,182 3.45 1 14 544 691 1,032 438 713 570 776 818 471 564 3-5 8 3 3.098 4.321 2,692 4,009 2,849 2,254 2,297 2,486 3.393 IS 479 374 762 960 855 540 614 892 697 537 669 3. 8 35 2,959 3,o57 4.263 4,111 2.994 2,256 2,310 1,920 2,801 3.538 16 487 414 870 824 '489 830 421 703 674 448 672 3,120 2,770 2,617 3.996 3^5° 3.824 2,747 1,920 3.128 3,622 3.541 17 554 701 568 702 911 452 805 648 424 3.096 2,967 3.324 3.536 1.741 3,023 1,877 3.851 2,980 18 602 742 702 "616 547 548 353 785 008 617 3.797 2,854 3,201 4.123 3.432 2,841 3.039 2,406 2,289 3.289 19 690 927 763 707 677 574 858 662 746 550 653 2,884 2,677 2,561 3,628 2,679 3.179 2,728 2,608 2,673 2,719 2,108 20 871 886 864 649 418 639 789 670 701 748 2,848 2.757 3.487 2,642 2,805 2.954 2,369 2,571 2,676 1,768 21 896 551 737 487 382 782 836 615 409 772 2,840 2,466 2,887 2,402 2,564 3.045 2,516 3,147 3.594 1,647 22 832 739 647 693 444 776 077 550 516 442 770 3.*39 3.443 3- x 57 2.953 2,309 3.258 2,685 2,614 2,882 2,883 1,601 23 891 884 801 762 554 424 649 656 634 703 2,494 3.365 3,276 2,657 2,274 2,872 2,950 2,421 2,792 1,490 24 882 847 "849 158 815 569 "815 796 544 3.832 3,739 2,220 126 3,067 2.703 3.270 2,651 1.43° 25 815 783 767 701 875 310 625 718 895 876 2,419 3.645 3,724 2.558 2,601 2,237 2,942 2,798 3.824 2,874 26 1,012 883 892 798 986 835 804 631 621 812 3-375 3.734 3,264 2,449 2,622 2,899 2,763 2,564 3,495 2,506 27 914 626 826 878 722 857 522 744 800 1,040 3.746 3.3 10 2,283 2,902 2.935 2,688 2,680 2,590 3.323 2.553 28 881 765 921 822 803 990 681 1,067 547 914 3.943 3,221 2.383 2.593 2,827 2,887 3.057 2,709 2.531 3,566 29 944 570 749 893 763 1,011 '414 882 913 645 905 4,009 2,805 3,280 2,971 3,097 2,924 2,373 3.252 3.479 2.358 3.472 3° 926 652 999 878 813 822 595 746 647 890 3.46i 3)3 2 5 2.73 1 3.257 2,958 2.556 2,005 4.185 1,887 3,806 3i 602 3.386 718 2,901 567 2,186 629 3.49o 392 2,996 Total { 19. 131 18.335 19,990 20,283 16,442 15,820 16,909 17,439 17.326 19,297 15,602 17.789 87.538 80,645 84,573 78,378 77.429 80,002 73,008 66,739 67.977 73.925 6S. 979 69,607 246 WEST HAM Table XLVIII. — Year 1905. Total Dockers Employed {in light figures) and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 608 1 677 771 848 614 626 669 300 1,093 1,125 1,908 3.702 2,928 3.177 2,586 2,203 2,608 2,327 2,675 2,395 2 671 752 880 5" 727 380 813 863 1,178 769 3.287 2,197 3,400 3.419 2,396 2,656 2,084 2,264 2,803 2,053 3 761 870 1,042 640 643 594 502 592 859 1.295 3.236 2,042 3.646 3,206 3.879 1,776 2,051 2,859 2,399 2,662 4 894 863 1,109 655 648 601 786 897 780 1,222 '772 2.875 1,887 3.196 3,268 3.684 2,070 3.285 1,836 2,054 2,627 1,718 5 792 746 552 '516 668 601 819 951 756 2,942 3,090 3,120 ^583 1,979 2,218 2,807 2,228 1.705 6 840 811 662 755 512 453 814 558 1,061 506 876 3.085 2,797 3,010 2,682 2,633 1.738 2,071 2,333 2,489 2,478 1,829 7 574 548 728 784 5" 579 683 466 437 1,099 2,650 2,979 2,878 2,127 2.233 1,992 2,267 2,392 2,307 2,176 8 466 602 834 438 590 639 923 788 414 1,112 2,894 2,840 1.963 2,876 2,468 1,927 2,266 2,515 1,623 2,325 9 431 646 654 528 698 996 503 '550 440 866 3.317 2,885 2,336 2.979 2,488 2.455 2.542 2,766 1.425 2,945 10 392 572 609 600 493 54i 579 1,074 440 534 3,682 2,987 2,621 1,914 2,878 2,074 1,870 2,473 3,363 1.536 11 533 542 497 837 480 629 910 412 542 419 578 3.44i 2,566 2,162 2,526 2,845 2,110 2,327 2,453 3,686 1.332 3.507 ia 592 1,029 560 "98 638 612 283 655 699 3.069 2,517 2,881 160 2,742 2,241 2,909 2,873 3.438 J 3 862 348 350 865 560 512 546 508 669 438 1,008 2,982 2,488 2,208 2,599 2,224 2,865 3.035 2,798 2,622 1.937 3.480 14 689 620 494 801 649 456 SIS 711 746 660 888 2,408 2,218 1,891 3.063 3.3 12 2,876 2,051 2,483 2,083 1,974 3.143 T 5 680 594 606 860 612 48l 432 755 876 1,010 16 2,358 1,706 3.221 2,741 2,576 2,575 1,956 2,518 2,281 2,900 60S 889 590 941 676 569 794 840 893 880 2,646 2,599 2,366 2,461 2,045 1,769 1,988 1,838 2,837 2,410 *7 531 954 1,000 428 1,026 595 8ll 729 933 881 2,586 2,812 2,633 3.8i5 2,716 2,262 2,259 1,710 1,854 2,921 18 601 780 744 686 1,074 862 642 940 810 740 908 2,753 2,680 2,884 3.407 2,433 ttftS 1,890 2,147 1,886 2,670 2,341 "9 661 023 1.389 779 829 753 944 1,050 1,060 2,509 3. J 47 2,620 2,805 1,973 1,914 2,473 1-754 2,287 20 734 634 629 738 1,193 544 915 1,068 992 557 1,206 2,898 3-172 3.047 2,748 2,396 2,764 2,066 2,359 1.755 2,857 2,397 21 634 770 740 730 775 '656 1,102 378 745 971 2,459 2,738 3.357 2,633 1,895 1,898 2,565 1,680 2,490 2,360 22 740 751 570 898 670 580 750 1. 147 874 1.095 3.299 3,127 2,392 2,531 2,368 1,614 2,209 2,424 2,562 2,732 2 3 626 1,030 071 923 780 787 1. 157 587 1.243 906 3.3°9 2,980 3.230 2,346 2,235 2,589 2,684 1.763 2,764 2,518 24 686 882 795 679 615 502 875 706 1,412 2,825 3.043 3.008 2,146 2,560 2,407 2,561 2,165 3.278 2 5 831 656 744 606 841 572 766 895 955 1,242 26 3.205 2,620 2,660 2,417 2,339 2,687 2,332 2,594 2,142 2,763 799 887 871 540 624 509 725 935 3.465 2,301 2.437 3.198 2,949 2,078 2,713 2,720 27 493 508 660 726 639 655 633 705 986 430 1,030 28 3. rI 5 2,835 3,089 2,164 2,514 2,543 3,061 2,633 2,682 2,319 2,644 376 544 691 815 720 502 710 842 974 643 978 2.305 3,106 3,"o 2,865 2,509 2,876 1.852 2,364 2,430 2,496 2,726 29 926 669 456 656 500 855 98l 629 1.254 2,944 2,582 2,414 2,473 2,245 2,255 2,276 2,025 3.334 3° 470 887 410 230 1,109 956 1,032 656 1,002 2,3 2 3 2,848 2,272 384 1.987 2,092 3.099 2,530 3.179 3 1 624 956 546 270 1,022 1,130 Total { 2,347 3.414 2,306 2,397 2-153 2,960 16,702 16,782 20,166 17,048 19.285 15.317 16,176 19,036 21,079 20,890 20,489 22,331 75.779 64,090 77-3*3 62,942 73,267 59.034 59.654 58,592 63,184 61,947 62,172 62,542 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 247 Table XLIX.— Year 1906. Total Dockers Employed {in light figures), and Total Stevedores {in dark figures). Day of Month. Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 I,Ol8 1,156 848 780 1,035 944 1,104 1. 091 1,189 929 3- l6 7 2,297 2,422 2,473 2,645 2,809 2.253 1.758 2,812 1.652 2 920 1.093 684 '766 660 900 690 962 1,265 1,102 3."5 2,398 2,875 3-395 2,931 2 .435 2,254 2.995 1,782 2,857 3 1,003 898 858 836 648 710 1. 159 952 1,060 1,043 548 2,882 2,418 3,H3 2,592 2-935 2.335 2,872 2,283 2,092 2,359 1,851 4 1,103 865 850 102 668 924 1,063 1,161 818 2.651 3,607 3.053 64 2,042 2,301 2,217 2,368 1.975 5 1. 059 637 786 859 844 711 730 1,002 959 576 782 3.iSi 2.535 3,S7o 3.409 3.233 2,463 2,291 2,215 2,184 2,041 1,944 6 1,021 756 880 848 576 841 B. H.i 711 921 926 718 2,869 2,533 3,093 3.139 2,291 2,070 1,721 2,220 1,767 1,625 7 842 803 619 509 620 1,041 869 60I 1,000 670 2.571 3,458 2,850 2,680 2,437 1. 631 2.304 2,552 1,793 2,027 8 575 1,059 834 862 742 1,040 748 778 900 762 3.237 2.453 3,656 2,257 2.576 2,449 1,980 2,283 1,489 2,398 9 532 909 723 696 772 196 1,191 906 904 958 3.188 2,848 3.498 2,999 2,156 2,616 2,065 2.537 2,434 1,940 10 744 1,007 630 808 691 1,178 999 666 866 958 879 3,060 2,571 3,266 2,822 2,790 2,506 2,640 1,986 2,472 2,123 2,562 11 829 728 520 700 1,114 1,176 752 776 798 3.329 2,628 2,405 2,862 2,577 2,576 1,857 2,362 2,218 12 798 675 1,306 786 508 796 992 666 906 743 882 2,954 3.376 3.301 2,571 2,238 3.014 2,449 2,016 2,447 2,100 1.938 T 3 1.054 882 1,198 Good 972 754 979 814 786 950 793 2,502 3. "4 2,810 Friday. 2,354 2,449 2,255 2.579 2,071 2,362 2,087 *4 I,006 896 657 575 932 753 1.055 686 1,029 754 3.068 2,880 2,098 2.934 2,616 2,53° 2,692 3.041 2,606 1,824 15 916 020 796 776 780 945 598 806 1. 185 609 3.023 2,846 2,678 2,988 2,827 2,862 2,584 2,289 3,163 2,115 16 789 891 851 B. H. 1 703 752 698 664 702 1,178 2,789 2,308 2,630 2,869 2.485 3,028 3,o39 2,341 2,911 17 970 651 926 711 640 783 748 707 723 1,208 496 2,840 1,818 2,3 2 7 2,965 2,682 2,911 2.463 2,644 2,474 2,394 2,630 18 1,183 752 947 620 655 894 936 871 472 2,468 3-337 2,207 3.079 2,752 1,961 2,582 1,899 2,494 19 1,201 540 1,034 622 760 522 880 915 879 692 884 3.05S 2,639 2.451 3,161 2,201 3.134 2,946 2,948 1,671 2,581 2,341 20 974 530 1,086 645 714 857 616 1,018 778 714 736 2,815 2.565 2,245 2,709 2,924 2,984 2,336 2,892 1,191 2,767 2,921 21 471 822 732 814 810 850 596 997 794 634 2-549 2.563 2,198 2.334 3,279 2,561 2.S51 2,484 2,635 2,825 22 812 596 514 830 962 630 1,028 546 964 504 2,711 2,650 2.555 2,212 2,910 2,760 2,098 i, 606 2,753 2,606 23 684 796 432 792 604 1,151 833 735 734 1,068 2,497 2,798 2.383 2,507 2,3*9 2,882 2.531 2,977 1,670 2,868 2 4 762 1. 130 597 876 865 850 871 777 881 888 477 2,392 2,303 2,076 2,309 2,863 2.447 3> l6 i 2,101 1,892 2,73° 2,563 2 5 878 723 1,156 920 612 911 764 858 Xnias 2,174 2,604 2,486 3, J 39 2,622 2,684 2,098 2,049 Day. 26 892 972 539 727 912 1,078 624 1,198 738 765 B. H.i 2.574 3,010 2,279 2,576 2,543 2,924 2,852 2,109 1,697 2,381 27 I,26l 746 751 970 786 704 '786 1.594 623 982 952 2.357 2,804 1,721 2,453 2,955 2,924 2.537 1.851 1,847 2,004 2,807 28 758 700 994 916 1,092 665 1,140 1,300 1.059 1,100 2,635 I »77i 2.34 1 2,876 2,502 2,270 2,729 1,694 1,796 2,930 29 916 068 1,038 560 988 1. 158 1,286 1.376 979 2,256 2,047 2,690 278 2,519 i. 6 35 2,608 1,780 2,783 3° 817 928 762 1,200 928 764 1,184 1,302 1,127 2,133 2,067 2,582 2,820 2,461 2.691 2,577 2,618 i,7S7 3i 882 1,124 960 924 1,032 1,218 494 2,227 2.513 2,840 2,863 2,706 3,042 2,673 Total/ 24.593 19.987 22,514 17,774 21 ,440 19,997 21,361 23,893 22,755 24,418 25.354 17,670 74.332 63,107 72,248 63,852 70,915 66,152 65.S83 68,392 55.400 57,367 60,769 55.789 Bank Holiday. 248 WEST HAM Table L. — Wages Earned by Casual Docker. Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. s. d. s. d. s. d. April 16 ,.23 . 9 " 18 8 July 2 9 • 32 2 15 9 Oct. 1 . 8 . 5 10 21 6 .. 30 • Average 5 10 10 16 . .. 23 . 30 3 11 8 „ IS • • • 22 30 5 May 7 ., 14 • 33 9 3° 4 ., 30 • Average Aug. 6 S 3 17 6 26 3 .. 29 . Average Nov. 5 14 12 6 16 11 ,, 21 ,■13 • 16 11 ., 12 ,, 28 . Average . . IS ,, 20 ., 27 . Average 5 3 5 9 12 6 ,, 19 • ,, 26 . Average 22 9 11 1 12 6 June 4 Sept. 3 . 16 4 Dec. 3 29 7 >> 11 5 9 ,, 10 11 10 8 7 ,, 18 . 28 ., 17 • 22 ., 17 • 25 7 .. 25 . Average 7" 6 ., 24 . Average 9 10 10 „ 24 . ., 31 • Average 31 17 6 IQOS- Jan. 7 . 22 2 May 6 30 O Sept. 2 24 ., 14 ■ 22 7 .. 13 • 32 9 • 38 6 ,. 21 18 8 ,, 20 43 9 ,, 16 . 21 3 ,, 28 . 35 11 M 27 . 67 9 .. 23 . Average 22 6 Average 42 6 .. 3° • Average 11 17 6 Feb. 4 . 4 8 June 3 . 15 4 • • ii 20 3 ■ 1 10 15 9 Oct. 7 . 7 0* ,, 18 • 11 M 17 • 14 9 ., 14 17 8 .. 25 . 23 6 ,. 24 . 3 9 11 21 25 9 Average 12 6 Average 12 6 ,, 28 . Average 30 20 Mar. 4 24 6 July 1 . 18 6 11 24 8 . 24 Nov. 4 8 * ,, 18 . 24 .. 15 • 24 n 11 5 6* ., 25 . 24 3 ,. 22 ,. 18 . 8 8* Average 22 6 ,. 29 . ,. 25 . 10 * Average 12 6 Average 7 6 April 1 25 6 8 . 30 Aug. s . 24 Dec. 2 18 9* ., 15 • 24 11 12 19 9 9 • 13 8 (8/8*) ,,22 21 .. 19 • 24 ., 16 . 8 8* >> 29 . 21 9 ,. 26 . 24 .. 23 . 14 10 (8/-*) Average 22 6 Average 22 6 ,. 30 • Average 8 12 6 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 249 1906. Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. s. d. s. d. s. d. Jan. 6 38 4 May s . Sept. 1 . 5 3 .. 13 • 5 10 ,, 12 10 * 8 . 13 11 ■ 1 20 " 3 ., 19 • 13 6 „ 15 • 16 3 ., 27 . 7 3 „ 26 . 1 9* ,, 22 27 9 Average 12 6 Average S ,■29 . Average 12 6 Feb. 3 . June 2 13 6 ,, 10 9 • 27 4l Oct. 6 . 24 6 (5/- *) ., 17 • 42 9 >, 16 . 31 ° ,, 13 • 19 9 ,, 24 . 4 ,, 23 . 36 4 ,, 20 15 7 * Average 10 .. 3° • 5 10 ,. 27 . 4 0* Average 22 6 Average 15 Mar. 3 15 10 n 10 8 6 (4/6*) July 7 . 10 6* Nov. 3 35 1 ,. 17 • 43 2 ,, 14 • 35 3 (30/-*) ,, 10 6 0* ,, 24 . 16 10 ,i 21 3 6 9 ., 17 • 21 11 .. 31 • IS ,, 28 . 10 6 ■ ■ 24 . 12 9 Average 17 6 Average 22 6 Average 17 6 April 7 24 9 Aug. 4 • 20 9 Dec. 1 ,. 14 • 18 ,, 11 II 7 8 . ,, 21 19 9 ,, 18 . 35 o 1 ,,28 . 8 6 ,. 25 . 5 10 1 Average 17 6 Average 17 6 1 Canvassing work. Summary of Average Weekly Earnings by Months} 1906. 2 Months. 1 Month. 4 Months, 12/6 15/- 17/6 1 Month. 10/- 1 Month 5/- Jan. and Sept. . Feb Mar., April, Aug., Nov 12/6 10/- 17/6 Oct. . May June, July 2 Months. 22/6 • is/- • 5/~ . 22/6 1005- 1 Month. 4 Months. 7/6 12/6 Jan., Mar., April, Aug. Feb., June, July, Dec. May .... 1 Month. 7/6 April, Sept. May . June . 1 Month. 1 Month. 4 Months. 17/6 20/- 22/6 . 22/6 Sept. .... . 12/6 Oct . 42/6 Nov. .... 1004. 2 Months. 3 Months. 1 Month. 2 Months 10/- 12/6 15/- 17/6 1 Month. 42/6 • 17/6 . 20/- • 7/6 10/- iS/- 7/6 July, Dec. Oct., Aug., Nov. 17/6 12/6 1 In the Summary wages are tabulated to the nearest half-crown, as in the tables in Chapter I. of this section. 250 Jan. IS ,, 29 Average Feb. s 11 12 .. 19 ,, 26 Average Mar. s 11 12 .. 19 ,. 26 Average April 2 .. 9 .. 16 .. 23 I. 30 Average WEST HAM TABLE LI. — Coal-porter. 1 397- Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. s. d. s. d. s. d. Jan. 2 22 2 May 1 42 10 Sept. 4 27 3 9 • 61 7 8 . 56 3 M n 55 2 ., 16 . 55 10 ., 15 • 5° 9 ., 18 . 59 3 .. 23 . 45 5 ,, 22 60 2 ., 25 . 4i 9 ., 3° • 90 4 ., 29 . 55 8 Average 45 Average 55 Average 52 6 Oct. 2 . 76 8 Feb. 6 . 26 2 June 5 . 47 9 9 • 43 ° ., 13 • 52 10 11 12 48 1 ,, 16 . 61 2 ■ • 20 63 5 ,. 19 • 43 9 ., 23 . 68 7 ,. 27 . 45 5 ,, 26 . 53 10 ., 30 • 31 Average 45 Average 47 6 Average 55 Mar. 6 43 J July 3 • 25 " Nov. 6 70 1 I, 13 • 33 5 10 80 2 M 13 • 37 5 ,, 20 29 6 ,, 17 • 43 IO It 20 65 2 ,. 27 . 56 7 ,, 24 . 42 8 ,. 27 . 52 1 Average 40 ,, 31 • Average 55 47 6 Average 55 April 3 . 5° 9 Dec. 4 42 5 , , 10 32 2 Aug. 7 . 32 3 • • 11 6 3 3 .. 17 • 43 3 „ 14 • 52 2 ,, 18 84 4 ,.24 . 67 2 >> 21 65 9 .. 25 . 46 2 Average 47 6 ,, 28 . Average 35 5 45 Average 50 1898. 40 8 69 1 4i 3 45 3 54 9 50 48 3 49 9 38 11 57 1 47 6 54 57 49 30 47 49 1 29 2 35 ° 63 10 50 2 45 May 7 .. 14 ■ ■ 21 ,, 28 Average June 4 .. 25 Average July 2 9 „ i° .. 23 „ 30 Average Aug. 6 .. 13 n 20 .. 27 Average 83 3 34 7 43 1 58 7 52 6 37 o 53 5 42 1 46 2 42 6 49 10 12 7 36 2 36 ro 55 ° 37 6 38 53 56 5° 47 Sept. 3 .. 10 .. 17 .. 24 Average Oct. 1 ,, 8 .. 15 • > 22 .. 29 Average Nov. 5 ■1 12 .. 19 26 Average Dec. ■? .. 17 ,. 24 .. 3i Average 60 o 41 7 38 n 63 2 50 o 55 31 3' 25 55 37 5i 68 7 49 11 45 o 50 11 45 4 6 3 3 39 8 11 8 40 EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 251 1905- Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. Date. Amount per Week. s. d. s. d. s. d. Jan. 7 . 34 5 May 6 47 4 Sept. 2 57 6 ,, 14 • 27 11 .. 13 • 41 9 • 46 5 n 21 66 >> 20 30 6 ,. 16 . 57 6 ., 28 . IS 2 .. 27 . 20 4 ..23 . 5i 7 Average 35 Average 32 6 .. 30 • Average 47 3 50 Feb. 4 25 2 June 3 . 37 7 ,, 11 24 2 11 10 12 1 Oct. 7 . 23 2 ,> 18 . 47 6 ., 17 • 17 4 .. 14 • 39 10 .. 25 . 65 11 ,, 24 . 30 10 .1 21 27 Average 40 Average 22 6 >, 28 . Average 27 11 27 6 Mar. 4 54 7 July 1 . 16 3 ,, 11 26 8 . 93 6 Nov. 4 41 6 18 . 38 1 ,. 15 ■ 79 8 >■ 11 27 2 .. 25 • 42 11 22 32 4 ,i 18 . 31 6 Average 40 ,, 29 . 40 11 ,. 25 . 56 11 Average 47 6 Average 37 6 April 1 49 9 .. 8 . 47 9 Aug. 5 . IS 4 Dec. 2 34 6 .. IS • 40 S ii 12 53 9 9 • 46 2 >. 22 9 4 ., 19 • 5i 8 ., 16 . 61 3 ., 29 . IS 6 ,, 26 . 25 8 .. 23 • 55 6 Average 32 6 Average 35 .. 3° • Average 3 6 3 45 Jan. 6 .. 13 ■ i 20 .. 27 Average Feb. 3 ■ • i° .. 17 .. 24 Average Mar. 3 11 10 .. 17 ,. 24 .. 3i Average April 7 .. 14 ii 21 ., 28 Average 1906. 13 10 63 6 35 4 106 9 52 6 26 11 32 3 45 6 40 o 35 52 11 37 8 54 11 17 6 10 4 32 6 41 7 36 11 31 6 37 2 35 May 5 11 I 2 .. 19 ., 26 Average June 2 9 .. 16 .. 23 ■ > 30 Average July 7 .. 14 11 21 ,, 28 Average Aug. 4 .. 25 Average 26 o 31 o 27 5 8 2 22 6 22 8 28 3 71 IO 76 o 16 10 42 6 30 2 M 4 18 1 1 24 27 27 2 i-1 8 37 2 56 1 32 Sept. 1 8 .. 15 • • 22 ,, 29 Average Oct. 6 .. 13 ,, 20 I. 27 Average Nov. 3 ., 10 .. 17 ,. 24 Average Dec. 1 8 .. 15 • > 22 „ 29 32 7 24 11 35 3 59 6 30 40 7 41 8 35 7 50 o 40 o 50 33 45 3° 37 42 5 252 WEST HAM Summary of Average Weekly Earnings by Months} 1897. 1 Month. 3 Months. 3 Months. 40/- 45/- 47/6 Jan., Oct., Nov. . . . 55/- Feb. , Aug. , Sept. . . . 45/- March 40/- 1 Month. 1 Month. 5°/- 52/6 April, June, July May Dec. 3 Months. 55/- • 47/6 • 52/6 • 50/- 2 Months. 37/6 1 Month. 40/- 3 Months 47/6 Jan., Sept. .... 50/- Feb., Mar., Aug. . . . 47/6 April, Nov 45/- May 52/6 1 Month. 42/6 2 Months. So/- June luly, Oct. Dec. 1 Month. 52/6 2 Months. 45/- 42/6 37/6 40/- 1 Month. 22/6 Jan., Aug. Feb., Mar. April, May June . July . . 1 Month 22/6 Jan. . Feb., April Mar. , Aug. May . June . 2 Months. 40/- Month. 27/6 1 Month. 45/- 35/- 40/- 32/6 22/6 47/6 1905- 2 Months. 32/6 1 Month. 47/6 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2 Months. 35/- 1 Month. 37/6 Month. 5o/- 5°/" 27/6 37/6 45/" 1 Month. 27/6 1 Month. 37/6 1906. 1 Month. 30/ Month. 40/- S2/6 35/- 32/6 22/6 42/6 2 Months. 2 Months. 32/6 35/- 1 Month. 1 Month. 42/6 52/6 July ...... 27/6 Sept. ..... 30/- Oct. 40/- Nov. 37/6 TABLE LII. — Worker in Timber-yards (1905). January 5 12 19 26 Average February 2 9 „ 16 23 Average 42/6 £ s. d. 201 2100 2 3 5 1 19 7 35/- 1 16 1 1 1 14 8 116 4 1 16 4 March 2 9 16 ,1 23 3° Average April 6 >. J 3 „ 20 „ 22 ,» 27 Average £ s. d. 1 15 1 13 8 1 16 1 J 9 1 6 19 1 l 9 1 6 4 1 19 1 17 1 9 35/- 1 In the summary the wages are tabulated to the nearest half-crown. 2 Tabulated to nearest half-crown. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 253 May 4 ,, 25 . Average June 1 „ 8 » i5 „ 22 „ 29 Average July 6 ,, 14 ,, 20 ,, 22 (1 ni ,, 27 . Average August 3 ,, 10 17 24 3 1 Average ght) £ *■ * 1 19 o 1 19 o 1 19 8 200 40/- 22/6 42/6 27/6 Total . 1 17 1 19 1 19 o 10 2 1 1 18 8 1 9 8 1 19 236 1 1 o 1 18 O 044 1 7 8 September 7 16 23 27 Average October 14 19 21 28 3° Average November 3 11 18 25 3° Average December 9 11 16 21 22 29 £ 1 1 2 32/6 22/6 »5/- 17/6 s. d. 7 8 6 6 1 13 1 13 2 10 15 A^i?. — j£i 19s. od. is ioi hours Saturday ; i.e. 58J hours at 8d. Average . • ,£81 17s. 3d. at 8d. for 5 days and d\ h o 4 4 « 7 o x 3 4 3 4 15 10 17 o 5 4 5 ° 11 4 ours on Summary of Average Weekly Earnings by Months. 2 Months. 1 Month. i Month. i Month. 2 Months. 22/6 25/- 27/6 32/6 35/- 1 Month. 1 Month. 2 Months. 37 /6 40/- 42/6 June, October 22/6 August 27/ 6 September 3 2 /6 November ...... 25/- • • 17/6 1 Month. 17/6 January, July 42/6 February, April 35/~ March 37/ 6 May 4°/ _ December Weekly averages throughout the year have been :— 1904 1905 1906 1907 (first six months) 33/- 3i/5 31/1 25/2 1 Deal-portering. 2 From a club share out. 254 WEST HAM c > id V «5 •M • • COM M C)t( CINM Ol : . . m co c E _3 "o U bo . .S 1 ■a bo D c 1) JO .E E c/i 3 ■1 « E-£ p ** 1) o •suioo^j fc uBqj 9joui uj fOHO'f^O'tMi'MHTt M lOOfl \D ONOvd SO "1 i W M IT) •uiooy B oj i UBqj ssaq O * IN OnOO N*M rOTf-i^ir) co ►4 m (M invO "1 O ON M M M M N 00 ■moo^j B O} z japun puB i NCO lOOONOOiOCl'OfO ■* 00 0» N M M M M 00 CO NO •iuoo^j B oj £ J9pun puB z on Q m ci ho uin coh m COO m ; COCO NCOH CI t W M COO O ON M M M CN1 in •UlOOy B Ol aioui jo £ N n co no m on -*• coco m i-i - i . : • invo o m ON o CM •uopuoq oco*co co M M M Tj" M M Q < bo 3 O i* O m >, e 3 O U £ X 1) o 0) > in T3 C cd New Town Forest Gate High Street Broadway Park Upton . West Ham Plaistovv . Hudson's Canning Towr Tidal Basin Custom House > • Ni H * Q £ o < >S i- < Q 5 I— i S Total of Heads of Families and Persons Living with them. m CO in ■ in "i Servants. 7 -6 '3L 3 o CJ O a in On ci co co g'3. SI O 1- "^ co °o on Heads of Families. 1094 1. 00 _>N 1 t~ u ex 1) bo a V > < CHAPTER III Relation of Casual Labour to Home Work — Summary of Present Law Affect- ing Home Work — Irregularity of the Work — Evasion of Responsibilities by Employer who gives out Work — Disadvantages of the System for the Workers — Particulars of Work and Wages in Separate Trades. The prominence of casual labour in West Ham made the question of home work l appear of special importance, because home work is itself to a large extent a form of casual labour, and because casual male workers are often dependent on the earnings of their wives and daughters at home work to eke out their own irregular earnings. The original idea of the sub- committee was that it would be possible to investigate the conditions of home workers with the assistance of residents at settlements, clergy, nonconformist ministers, parochial and other social workers. It was thought that they would be acquainted with the people, and would already know general facts about the family, such as the ages and occupations of different members, and that this would make it possible to get more details without any appearance of inquisition. This plan was given a full trial, but it was obviously impossible to accomplish the bulk of the work under these conditions, as the visitors who were willing to help knew so few people in the lists furnished to them, and did not know of home workers to add to the lists. To many of them, too, the whole indus- trial question was such entirely new ground that they were scarcely fitted to deal successfully with the details of the inquiry. It was necessary, therefore, to appoint special visitors, and the bulk of the inquiry was undertaken by a 1 The trades with which this chapter is concerned have not been described, as many descriptions of them have appeared — for instance, in the Catalogue of the Sweated Industries Exhibition. The Report of the Select Committee on Home Work (290) was issued after this book was in the press ; therefore no comparison of results was possible. 255 256 WEST HAM qualified sanitary inspector, who was well used to visiting and by a resident in the neighbourhood whose former work had given her special knowledge of local conditions. The questions put by the visitors were necessarily of an intimate character, and it is remarkable that they should have been so well received from perfect strangers. The workers visited seldom objected to giving information about their own work, but, especially in the case of the better class, sometimes pre- ferred to say nothing of the occupations of their husbands or fathers. The visitors used their discretion about putting the full number of questions in each case, and therefore the returns given in the tables referring to a particular point do not always correspond to the total number of observations. Under the Factory Act : any employer of home workers, in trades for which a special order has been made by the Home Secretary, must furnish the local authority with lists of their names and addresses. Orders have been made for the cloth- ing trades, which is the most usual form of home work in West Ham, and with which, therefore, this chapter is mainly concerned. The employer is required to supply the factory inspector with any information he asks for from these lists, and they must be sent regularly twice a year to the sanitary authority, whose duty it is to forward the names and addresses of any whose homes are not in their district to the sanitary authority of the place where they live. The medical officer in West Ham kindly furnished his list as a basis of inquiry, and 67 other names obtained from various sources were subsequently added to the list by the visitors. These lists contained 1786 names, but 459 of the addresses were outside the borough, and 137 workers were employed by two or more firms, and were therefore entered more than once. The remaining workers were visited, with the exception of 90 shirt-makers, about whose trade sufficient information had been obtained. But, unfortunately, the lists were found to be very unsatisfactory : 444 workers could not be traced ; others had moved out of the borough, or given up 1 A full account of Laws Relating to Home Work will be found in the Evidence of Mr. Delevingne before the Select Committee. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 257 work more than two years before ; some had given up work more recently, and a few refused information. Thus, out of 1 167 cases investigated, reports could be made in 520 only. The amount of time wasted was, under these circumstances, considerable, and if West Ham is a fair example, it would appear that this provision of the Factory and Workshop Act is not properly enforced. The accuracy of the lists is of great importance, because without it inspection is almost impossible. Unfortunately, the workers who could not be traced were probably those whom it would have been most desir- able to visit for the purposes of an inquiry largely dealing with casual labour, since it is likely that a considerable pro- portion of them belonged to the class of irregular workers, who constantly change their address. Thus it is probable that the returns give too low a proportion of casual labourers' wives engaged in home work. The provisions of the Act which are designed to improve the condition of the homes are of little or no effect, partly on account of the inadequate observance of the provision with regard to lists, 1 and partly because the powers given are insufficient. An employer is not allowed to give out work to be done in any house in regard to which he has received notice from the local authority that it is in- jurious or dangerous to the health of the persons employed. A house in such a condition should have been dealt with under the Public Health and Housing Acts ; and if these had been carried out, the later interposition of the Factory Act would have been unnecessary. The medical officers' returns show that it is almost inoperative, for according to the latest home work returns, which refer to 1904, only 99 prohibi- tions and not a single prosecution took place in the whole country. In West Ham no prohibitory notices were given, and no defects found in premises. If this section were 1 It should be noted that this list, even if correct addresses be furnished by all the home workers concerned, is only a census taken on two days of the year, and is there- fore by no means exhaustive, especially in those trades where the home work is casual and irregular. Further, the lists include only those persons in whose names the work is taken out, but not other home workers who assist them. R 258 WEST HAM strengthened, 1 the consumer would have the same guarantee that articles were made under cleanly conditions that he now has in the case of factories and workshops. Under existing circumstances there is nothing to prevent work from being done in dirty houses and in small over-crowded rooms. The visitors noted that in several cases they had found clothing being made by dirty people in dirty houses ; and some of the home workers were living in houses which had been allowed to fall into disrepair. An employer 2 can be fined if he gives out work to be done in houses where he knows there is infectious disease. Section 116 of the Factory and Workshop Act — the " particulars section " — which makes it obligatory on the employer to supply the worker, before the work is begun, with written particulars of the work to be done and the price to be paid for it, applies to certain home work trades, among others to the clothing trades. The evidence obtained about outwork in the clothing trades in West Ham shows that the obligation to furnish particulars is not always adequately carried out. Sometimes only the number of the articles and the price, e.g. so many shirts at 2s., so many at 3s., is stated on the ticket given or in the wages-book. This is intelligible to the worker if the articles are familiar, but is insufficient if a new pattern is given out. In such cases she is liable to make a mistake which she is obliged to repair at her own cost, or pay for the work spoiled. She may not discover the alteration till she gets home, and may find it necessary to go back to the factory and ask for an explanation. In one instance a tennis-shirt maker, to whom the use of certain small pieces of stuff had not been explained, made them into straps instead of pockets, and had to do that part of the whole order over again. At A's they will explain an alteration to the worker, if she notices it and asks. In another case, a middleman does not give the price of shirts beforehand, although legally 1 It is desirable that it should apply to dirty as well as to unwholesome houses. 2 Including the occupier of a factory or workshop, or of any place from which work is given out, and any contractor (i.e. middleman). EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 259 obliged to do so, but will tell it if asked. Underclothing and tailoring wages are not always specified ; and in a case in the shoe trade, the worker was not told what she would be paid. It is the duty of the factory inspectors to enforce the " par- ticulars section," but systematic visits to outworkers are not in the ordinary course possible with the present small staff. The attention of medical officers, who were not in all cases aware of this provision, has been directed to it by a Home Office circular. 1 If legislation affecting wages in sweated trades is re- commended by the Select Committee of last session, this would doubtless facilitate the enforcing of the " particulars section." If persons other than members of the family are em- ployed, or if the work is carried on regularly, and forms the whole or principal means of living for the family, the rooms where the work is carried on become respectively workshops and " domestic workshops," and are open to inspection under the Public Health Acts. If the local authority does not carry out the law, action may be taken by the factory inspector under the Factory and Workshop Act. The difficulty of enforcing the ill-defined regulations as to hours which apply to domestic workshops is very great, and the law is practi- cally inoperative. Legal regulation of the hours worked at home by adults is hardly possible or desirable. But if out- workers' lists were accurate and complete, the small work- room where an outworker employs a few girls would come under the usual administration of the Factory Act. Without reliable lists there is danger that such a place may escape registration. The Truck Acts which prohibit the payment of wages in kind and regulate fines and deductions have been regarded as applying to home workers in England, 2 until a recent decision (Squire v. Midland Lace Company) that sec. 2 of the Truck Act, 1896, did not apply to certain women who had done some work at home in the lace trade, on the ground " that they were not workwomen within the meaning 1 It would be possible for medical officers to notify breaches of the order to the Home Office, though they have not power to enforce it. 2 In Ireland the path was blocked by an adverse decision some few years ago. 260 WEST HAM of sec. 10 of the Employers and Workmen Act, 1875." The judgment of the High Court in dismissing the Home Office appeal ended with the words : "... we venture to express the hope that some amendment of the law may be made, so as to extend the protection of the Truck Act to a class of workpeople practically indistinguishable from those already within its provisions." The question is one of those on which the Truck Committee now sitting will report. The instances of deductions met with in this inquiry included a case in which the worker said she had been charged is. for a spoilt shirt — more than cost price, which, had the Act applied to her, would presumably have been held to be illegal. The retail price, she believed, would have been is. 4jd. A tie-maker has to buy slightly scorched ties for 6s., and sells them at a loss ; she is fined 6d. for a spot on a tie. When Mrs. L spoilt three shirts, the firm finished them with buttons and buttonholes and made her buy them for 2s. 6d. She sold them for 8|d. each, losing only 3|d. It is said that poor workers sometimes damage shirts pur- posely because they can sell them at a profit. If this is the case, it is another proof that the practice of compelling the workers to buy damaged articles is undesirable. The tables of wages and particulars of employment and hours show that the salient and general characteristic of home work is its irregularity, both of times and of other conditions. It exists because it is convenient to the manufacturer to supply an irregular demand by labour which can be set in motion when required for as few days or even hours a week as necessary, and discontinued at any moment ; and because in the case of irregular work it is specially convenient to him to avoid the expense of providing accommodation and super- vision. In some instances, lack of consideration for the workers adds to the intermittent character of the work ; for example, two cases were met with in which shirt-workers could only earn a halfpenny on the work given out, and had to take it back before they could get any more. In other instances, poverty is a bar to getting employment ; one woman stated that she was too poorly clad to obtain work from City firms, EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 261 but obtained small jobs from a local firm when her husband was out of work. Or again, the decay of a particular industry is apt to cause hardship, and two old ladies were visited who were once employed at embroidering bridal veils, but who seldom obtain a job now. At the other extreme are some instances where work is sufficient and continuous. This is the case where skill is required and is possessed by the worker, as in the costume trade ; or where organising power and other fortunate circumstances enable a woman to get into a sort of sub-contractor's position, working all the year round herself, and employing others during the busy season. Some employers have a " home work season." For example, a firm of artificial flower makers gives out work for export from May to August, and also employs indoor hands all the year round. Seasons vary in different trades, e.g. the season for making gentlemen's felt belts is from August to November, for another kind of belt from March to August. It might perhaps be expected that this would often enable the workers to get something like a full year's work, by fitting in one trade with another, but it seems that workers rarely have the good fortune to gain admission to two industries. One instance was noted, in which a woman successfully carried on work for two trades, with a summer and winter season respectively. Complaints of lack of work are common, and the num- ber of cases of very low earnings in all the trades investi- gated shows that this is frequent. In most cases the earnings are irregular. The number of hours worked — when work is obtained — varies from three or four a day to such a spell as that recorded by the maker of wash-leather carriage-sponges, who once worked from 9 a.m. one day to 3 A.M. the next, and only made eightpence. The casual labour of the husband is often the reason of these long hours. Mrs. I, for example, worked sixteen hours a day when her husband was out of employment, making about 15s. a week. The time Mrs. M spends on work depends on whether her husband is in good work or not, and this is not an uncommon case. 262 WEST HAM Cases of acknowledged Sunday work are not very common, though several have been noted, but probably there is more than is admitted. One woman, a trousers finisher, said she sometimes worked on a Sunday, as the middleman was in the habit of giving out work late on Saturday and saying it must be returned early on Monday morning ; and Sunday work, like long hours, is probably undertaken in cases where an order has to be completed in a short time, or where the worker is very poor and anxious to get her pay as quickly as possible. Sunday work for special orders was admitted by the workers in the tailoring trade. Besides bearing the consequences of irregular demand, the home worker has to provide accommodation and to meet expenses and carry out duties which fall to the em- ployer in the case of factory work. First of all, there is the provision of the house room in which the work is done. Many of the expenses which are considered necessary and which the law requires in a factory or workshop are not incurred when the work is done in the home. An outworker sometimes employs others and keeps a workroom, but the work is usually done in the kitchen, or sometimes in the single room which is used also for sleeping. It will be understood from the account already given of the houses, that home work in the poorer parts of West Ham is often done under unwholesome conditions, which would be avoided in a factory or workshop, where the law enforces a high standard of cleanliness. In a factory, it is the employer's duty to provide ventil- ation, heating, and light. In the case of home work these necessaries are either foregone, or are paid for out of wages. The expense of light and heating is considerable. A costume- maker, Miss A, who keeps a separate workroom, spends is. 6d. a week on coal for heating it, and 6d. or 8d. on oil for a lamp. Another woman, a maker of dressing-gowns, does not find it worth while to have gas and fire when she is alone, but has the advantage of both for her work in the evening, often till twelve o'clock, as she has a lodger who requires them. The lamps used vary from a common article EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 263 at 6Jd. to a good lamp with a duplex burner. Economy in light, which is likely to be practised by home workers who do needlework, is notoriously bad for the eyes, and in all these things the factory conditions are more favourable to health, and to the efficiency of the work. Complaints of injury to sight are heard among shirt-workers. In the needlework trades machines are required, and the women have to buy or hire them. They cost .£8 or £9, the price of a very good one being £10 15s., and they are generally bought on the weekly payment system, the machine being delivered when a first payment of 3s. is made. After that most women manage to pay is. or is. 6d. every week, and 3s. or even 5s. in some weeks. As a rule, the whole price is paid up in two years, but there are many cases in which it takes three or four years. Miss A, who makes " very good money," contrived to pay off ^10 15s. for a machine in one year, and was allowed 10s. od. for doing it so quickly. The middlemen have buttonhole machines at their shops, and all shirt buttonholes are made there. The home worker's machine is liable to have to compete with improved machinery at the factory, and a machine run by mechanical power has a very much greater output than a machine worked by hand. This is one of the leading in- fluences in determining wages for home work, and a cause of the reduction in the rates paid. Various incidental expenses of manufacture also fall on the home worker. In the returns concerning tailoring, it is common to find the entry : " Must have clear, good fires for pressing ; " and " Oil for light and machine, is.," is in the weekly list of expenses to be deducted from the earnings of a costume-maker who employs two girls. A mantle-maker spends on cotton 2S. for every 15s. she earns, and complains that she now has to give 2jd. for what used to be a ifd. reel. On small earnings such charges fall heavily. A matchbox maker making 9s. ojd. per week has to spend is. yd. for hemp, string, and soda ; and a costume-maker, who makes two rather elaborate dressing-gowns a day for 6d. apiece, has to use Jd. worth of cotton and hooks on each. 264 WEST HAM The absence of supervision of work is another economy which tells against the worker. There can be no doubt that time lost through having to do work over again, fines im- posed for spoiling goods, and the compulsory purchasing by the worker of spoilt goods are largely due to this cause. Goods are given out hurriedly, often with incomplete in- structions, and the workers have to discover as best they can which side out the material is to go, how it is to be made up, and so forth. A number of cases of this kind have been noted. A blouse-maker is fined 6d. for putting on a cuff wrong. A tie-maker, after consulting with the neighbours as to which is the right side of a certain silk, decides wrong, and has to make up the whole order afresh. A maker of boot-pads has a quantity of work returned twice. The forewoman omits the fronts of two dozen blouses from a parcel of work, and as they cannot be finished, payment is delayed. A maker of children's sailor costumes has to do the work over again — possibly a large part of an order — if it is not done to the employer's satisfaction. However bad the class of work, there is some standard, and even " slop work " is liable to be sent back to be done over again. In all such cases, loss of time, trouble, and money would have been prevented if there had been a forewoman at hand whom the worker could consult. Working at a distance from the factory puts a consider- able tax on the worker. Parcels, often large ones, have to be brought to the home and taken back in the worker's own time and at her expense. A fare of perhaps as much as 8d. return by train and omnibus to the City once or twice a week, or of 2d. or 3d. if the factory is in a distant part of West Ham, bears a high proportion to the wages earned even by the more successful home workers. The worker must lose the time, too — perhaps as much as four hours in the day — or else she must employ some one else to fetch the work. Often she employs a child, or even her husband, if he is out of work. As a rule the worker or her representative is expected to come to the factory, and competition and the fear of EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 265 losing employment are so severe that she is afraid to make any objection. Even quite prosperous wage-earners are obliged to go or send to fetch the parcels of work, though in a few exceptional cases — for instance, of makers of superior underclothing, who are accustomed to work regularly for the same employer — permission is given to send packages by carrier. Still more rarely, the employer pays carriage. Where goods are allowed to be sent by carrier, the sums spent on carriage are considerable. A shilling a week is given as the expenditure of one blouse-maker ; and a costume- maker, who worked with two other women, spends 2 s. a week on fares, and 4s. 9d. on carriage. She complained very much of loss of time in packing and delivery of goods, saying it wasted half the day. Such things may be necessary to the system of home work, but it seems also inevitable that the manufacturing firms, having outworkers ready at call, should dispense with the habits of organisation which are essential inside a factory. 1 Workers may be required to call not once or twice a week but three or four times, or often every day, and twice on Fridays, when they are paid ; and many find when they call that there is no work for them. The amount of time, money, and trouble expended in this way are shown in such entries as " Often kept waiting at the factory for two hours with no- where to sit down " ; " Has to go to the City three or four times a week at 6d. each time, and often gets no work " ; " Often has to send to the factory twice a day to fetch work which is not ready." The shirt-finishers already mentioned, who had to call again after finishing halfpenny orders, make another case in point. In one instance a costume-maker goes only when a new pattern is in question ; and a certain maker of underclothing is paid her wages by cheque. But these are the exceptions. 1 One firm is said to employ a lady inspector to visit the outdoor hands about once a year. She inspects the rooms they work in, and the general condition of the houses. In the case of another firm there is no written agreement, but it is an under- stood thing that no one shall give out the work to people living outside the home. The prices indeed are so small that it would hardly be possible to do so at a profit, and the work is " getting worse." It is said that the firm has set up power machines, is reducing out-work, and will abolish it. 266 WEST HAM Besides the direct employment of individual outworkers, various methods prevail, where the employer leaves the organi- sation of industry to other people. Giving out work through a middleman or middlewoman may be a considerable saving to the employer, as it avoids any further concern with the management of the orders. Some of the large West End drapery firms get a very considerable portion of their goods made in this way. A middlewoman often designs such things as blouses and dressing-gowns, and submits designs and prices to more than one City or West End firm, in competition with other middle men or women. She makes all payments to the workers, and they often do not know for what firm the work is done. In one case a maker of costumes recognised her own work — an elaborate tea-gown with lace-edged frills — in the illustrated catalogue of a large draper's sale. It was being sold at "half-price" for 19s. nd., her pay for making it having been is. 3d. The middleman, as he has the expense of carriage, almost invariably pays lower rates of wages than the factory owner. One of the middlewomen whose workers were questioned by the investigators was said to be very con- siderate. She tried to give regular work to Miss B, who was very much in need of it, and Miss C, another very poor woman, was paid by her daily. Sometimes a home worker regularly employs indoor hands, often young girls, who come as learners. Many women get their knowledge of the trades in this way, and others learn in the middleman's own workshop, or as indoor hands in a factory. 1 It is not uncommon for a factory hand to continue to work for the same employer in her home after marriage. In a good many cases home workers give out work to be done at home by neighbours. This is often done irregularly, when a woman has more work than she can do alone, as in times of seasonal pressure, or where an order has to be finished in a short time. In this connection note may also be taken of the fact that home work enables the employer to obtain the product of a 1 The people generally hear of work from friends, or read the notices posted up in the employer's window. Occasionally firms advertise for hands. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 267 very considerable amount of unpaid or at least not directly paid labour, given by the worker's family. The husband often works at the machine, an aunt helps with ironing, sisters and nieces take part, and children are employed to sew on buttons and help in little ways, as well as in the fetching and carrying already mentioned. Among the shirt-workers, nine- teen cases were found in which daughters were helped by their mothers, or mothers by daughters, although the work was nominally done by one person only. As a means of giving the employer some hold over them, the workers are sometimes required to find security. When this is the case, it is usually because they do the final stage of the work, or because the materials are valuable. Mrs. P, a shirt-maker, found .£5 security. On one occasion she spoilt a dozen shirts, on another eight, and had to pay is. each on them. The firm, however, allowed her to pay it off at is. a week, instead of calling on the security. A certain firm gives the worker a printed paper, stating that the person signing it holds himself responsible for £t> m case * ne shirts are damaged, sold, lost, or stolen. One of their home workers, Miss A, got a neighbouring tradesman to sign it for her. In the blouse trade, a reference or security, or both, are usually required if the work is taken out from a factory ; or the worker is required to sign a paper stating that she is responsible for the work herself ; or the employer sometimes writes to a girl's father to obtain his formal con- sent to his daughter's taking out work. It is very generally stated that middlemen do not require security to be given, no doubt because they come into closer contact with the workers. Contrasts have often been drawn between the position of the girl who works for "pocket-money" and that of the wife or widow who has temporarily or permanently to support a family, or of the unmarried woman who has to support her- self, and partly or wholly to maintain others. The inquiry has shown that such differences are found in many degrees. Home work is undertaken for a great variety of reasons. Miss B lives with her sister, and is given board and lodging 268 WEST HAM in return for her help in housework, while she earns the rest of her living by making collars for three or four hours daily for five clays a week. A tie-maker works because her husband, a clerk, is delicate and out of work ; an umbrella coverer, because her husband is ill. Mrs. D works regularly in the season as a kind of insurance against unemployment. Her husband is a labourer, and her savings are drawn upon when he is out of work. In another case, a whole family makes shirts and mantles, because the father cannot get work at his own trade. Mrs. F supports herself and two children by making butchers' coats. A sack-maker works ten hours a day, because her husband can get work for only three hours. Mrs. B's husband, a casual labourer, is a good deal out of work. She makes about 6s. a week at underclothing, working eight or ten hours a day on six days a week. In another case, a woman supports herself and her old mother by making various kinds of underclothing, earning about 7s. a week when well. In 13 cases out of 516 (2.5 per cent), the earnings are supplementary to or supplemented by Poor Law relief ; for instance, one of the underclothing workers makes 4s. by about forty hours' work a week, while her blind husband sells matches and kettle-holders, and the Poor Law adds 5s. a week. In several cases the families of pensioners take out work. The usual occupations of husbands were given in 294 cases. Clerks .... 14 Dock labourers • 43 Tradesmen . 7 Carmen 11 Artisans 42 Mariners • »7 Corporation employees . 13 Miscellaneous . 16 Building trades 16 Unable to work . 16 General labourers . 99 The proportion of general and dock labourers and men employed in the building trades, who are mainly irregular workers, amounts to 53 per cent, of the whole, and many of the artisans and others were either out of work or were employed irregularly. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 269 Undoubtedly in the great majority of cases the cause of taking in work is that the husband's work is casual, or ill paid, or that he is in some trade, such as a carman's, where he is liable to work short time. But among the supplementary earners is a woman whose husband was in regular work at 30s. a week. She makes on an average 15s. iod. a week at children's millinery, paying a girl to take care of the baby. In a similar case, a carpenter's wife works four hours a day making ornamental curtain-loops. A girl with a father in a good position makes underclothing for pocket money and to buy a piano ; and two sisters make an average of 15s. a week (taken over thirteen weeks) at the same work, though they are not obliged to earn their living. In two cases, married women whose husbands are in regular work at 27s. a week make underclothing to keep their mother, who does housework in return. Many women work to meet some definite part of the family expenditure, such as children's clothes or boots, and a considerable number of girls in Forest Gate and Upton Park make underclothing in order to pay for their dress. In order that the information with regard to wages might be as accurate as possible, the wages-books of workers were borrowed and tabulated. This was not always practicable. In many cases, wages-books were not used ; in some they were at the factory and could not be inspected by the visitor. If no wages-book was forthcoming, the worker was asked for an estimate of her average earnings. The two sets of returns have been in all cases separately tabulated. Where it was possible to check the estimates the results showed that they may be considered reliable. In reading the particulars of wages, it must be remembered that they do not represent the net earnings. Deductions, in some cases very heavy, have to be made for travelling ex- penses, and for fire and light, as already explained ; also for materials, such as cotton, silk, and paste. Nor do they always represent a single person's earnings, because help is given by other members of the family. They are, besides, not com- parable with one another, for they represent an uncertain 270 WEST HAM amount of time-work. The tables have therefore been sup- plemented by giving the circumstances as fully as possible in a large number of individual cases. The absence of standard rates is remarkable. It will be observed that one employer does not pay the same rate as another for similar work, and that reductions are frequently but irregularly made. The conditions of home work remove a certain check which the publicity of the factory imposes on the lowering of the rates by giving the opportunity for a public protest, or even for the formation of a permanent union ; and there is overwhelming evidence that rates are lower than they were, or remain the same while work becomes more elaborate. In an extreme case, a maker of pyjamas was paid 1 is. 3d. for entirely making a dozen suits, but gave up the work and took to shirt-making, because the employer found some one who would do it for 6s. 3d. A woman who makes girls' reefer jackets remembers getting 17s. 6d. a dozen fifteen years ago and now gets 5s. 6d. a dozen for exactly the same work. Another tailoress has traced a gradual large reduction in the wages for coat-making. In shirt-making, again, "extra work without extra pay" is complained of, and the same story comes from nearly every trade. No doubt the great increase of recent years in the demand for elaborately made and much trimmed garments at low prices has had much to do with this. A typical case of low pay on somewhat delicate work in the clothing trade was found among the costume-makers. Mrs. X, a very superior woman with three children, and no means of support but her work, made dressing-gowns and tea-gowns. For making a dressing-gown with circular insertions, frills trimmed with ribbon, lined body and sleeves with cuffs neatly finished inside, she gets 6d., out of which she spends |d. for cotton and hooks. She makes two of these in the day, with the help of her children. In some trades the coarse, and in some the superior work pays best. The rates appear to be arbi- trary, and in this as in other things there is no rule. The wages and conditions in different trades have been treated separately in detail. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 271 Tailoring. Sixty-six married women, 25 widows, and 17 single women on the list were tailoresses, of whom 71 worked for factories, and 33 for middlemen, while information as to the employer was not forthcoming in 4 cases. Twenty-eight of the firms were in the City, 57 in the borough, and 20 elsewhere. The majority of the tailoresses visited live in South West Ham, mainly in the Plaistow and Canning Town Wards. Those who do the cheapest kinds of work live in some of the poorest streets in the borough. The families in several cases only occupy two rooms. Others may be found in better class streets in South West Ham, and a considerable number, who do better work, or who only work occasionally, live in the north of the borough in houses rented at 10s. to 12s. a week, but they either share the rent with relations or are living with their parents. Among the husbands whose occupations were ascertained (64 in all) are 11 dock and 14 general labourers 14 of whom are casual, 8 sailors, 5 tailors, and smaller numbers in other trades. Two were invalids, 2 were employed by the Distress Committee, 2 were out of work, and 1 was a pensioner. The number in good employment was apparently very small, probably not more than 10 or 12 of the whole. As usual, help is given by other members of the family in a good many cases. The rates paid are as follows : — Machinists. Trousers. is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. a dozen, usual price. 2s. 6d. to 7s. a dozen, best price. Metis Coats. 2s. 6d. a dozen, usual price. 4s. gd. to 5s. a dozen, best price. Juvenile Suits. is. to 2s. 6d. a dozen, usual price. 2S. 6d. to 6s. 6d. a dozen, best price. Boys' Reefers. 2s. 3d. a dozen. Knickers. 6d. to is. 3d. a dozen, usual price, is. 3d. to is. gd. a dozen, best price. Boys' Blouses. is. 3d. a dozen. 272 WEST HAM Finishers (Hand Work). Juvenile Suits. is. 2d. a dozen. Knickers. 7d. a dozen. Lined, is. 3d. a dozen. Trousers. 6d. to is. a dozen, usual price. is. 3d. to 6s. a dozen, best price. Waistcoats. Boys' plain waistcoats as low as id. each. 6|d. to is. od. each, usual price. 2s. to 3s. each, best price. In one case they were paid by the dozen at 6s. to 9s. Every tailoress who was visited has her own department of the trade and keeps to it — coats, or trousers, or waistcoats. The seams are done by machinists, and the garment is finished by hand. In all departments prices vary with the class of work, and even good hands are liable to get slop work ; but women who finish their work up to time get the first chance of better and more regular work. All the coat hands on the list were machinists ; there were no coat finishers. The trouser machinists do no hand work as a rule, but occasionally they machine and finish the trousers. Making Dungaree trousers is disliked, because it is coarse work. The waistcoat-maker is rather a superior hand. Sometimes she only machines the waistcoat ; in other cases she also makes the buttonholes and puts on the buttons. Buttonholes are, however, sometimes made before the stuff for making a garment is sent to the machinist. Finishers sometimes "press for shop"; in other cases they only do ordinary pressing. Waistcoats are said to pay best, trousers next, "juvenile knickers" next, and finishing worst. The women say that on an average they spend id. in cottons and trimmings out of every shilling earned. Earnings are very irregular, and there are a good many complaints that the work is intermittent. In one case the wages earned by a mother and daughter together varied during a period of eleven weeks from 4s. to £2 os. 8d. a week. Work made to order is better paid than ready-made work. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 273 Mrs. K is paid 8d. for ready-made trousers, and iod., nd., and is. a pair for trousers made to order. Mrs. R gets 2S. 6d. for a waistcoat made to order, and though the work is irregular, she sometimes gets as many as six or eight to do in a week. But it is said that there is less money to be made in this class of work than some years ago. In one case where the rate of some work had been reduced from 2s. to is. id. it was raised to is. 3d. on complaint of the worker. Such an incident is very rare. A history of reductions is furnished by Mrs. R, who has worked for forty years at the trade, making coats and boys' reefers. She now gets 2s. 6d. a dozen for coats, and 2s. 3d. a dozen for reefers, and says that ten years ago she got 5s. a dozen from middlemen for just the same work ; eighteen years ago is., is. 6d., and 2s. a coat from a factory, for which all her work was done, as at present, by machine ; and in her early days, when most of the work was done by hand, 5s. a coat. Mrs. F, again, has worked for one firm for over thirty years. At first she got from is. to is. 4d. for a waistcoat, but the pay has gradually decreased to 6^-d. and 7^d. Unless the worker has some other resource, which is unusual, it is practically impossible for her to attempt to resist a reduction, except where it is a case of superior skill. Mrs. O, who had been paid ifd. and 2d. per pair for finishing trousers, was offered |-d. per pair, which she refused. She left the firm, and went back as an indoor hand to the employer for whom she had formerly worked, and whom she had left on account of distance. In the trade generally, com- plaints of getting less money for the same work are frequent. The arrangement between Mrs. F and her employers, to whom she is well known, is very unusual. She is " odd woman " for a firm of naval tailors, who send her work and pay her what she asks on the understanding that the rate is 4d. an hour. Payments for spoilt work are sometimes heavy, on account of the value of the material. Mrs. A has to pay about 6s. if she spoils a pair of trousers, but is allowed to pay it off weekly. In other cases the payment was 5s. 6d. and 3s. 4d., said to be S 274 WEST HAM the price of the material. On the other hand, Mrs. L, a trouser machinist, says she has to pay is. for a pair of knicker- bockers when she spoils them, and can always sell them to neighbours for id. more. One shilling is supposed to be the cost price. This firm is mentioned as particularly reasonable in its charges for spoilt work. In several instances tickets are used to set out the particulars of the work. One such gives, under printed headings, the numbers by which the cutter and piece of material are identified, the quantity of material, the description of garment, its size, number of buttons, manner of finishing edges, instructions as to pockets, other particulars, and the date for returning it finished. Others are pencil scrawls ; and in some cases no particulars are given. Security is some- times required, but not always. Mrs. A had to give security for £$, as a condition of receiving a trial order of three suits to finish. In one case a deposit of ios. 6d. was required, which is repayable when the woman, a waistcoat finisher, leaves the firm. Expenses for thread and other trade accessories are often heavy in proportion to the wages. Mrs. X, who earned 5s. 1 id. as a weekly average over fourteen weeks at trouser finishing, work- ing eight to ten hours on six days of the week, estimates that her weekly outlay on wax, thread, cotton, soap, and firing is iod. to is. Sometimes a worker has to " put out " part of her job. Mrs. F, a waistcoat-maker, has to pay a buttonhole machinist 3|-d. per dozen holes, supplying gimp and twist which costs from -|d. to i^d. for each dozen. Two women working for the same firm gave an instance of the variety of earnings. Miss A, a trouser finisher, works for eight hours on six days a week, and the average earnings shown by her wages- book are 4s. 8d., out of which she has to provide thread, cottonwad, soap, and firing for pressing. Miss B, a machinist, working for the same firm, machines trousers without lining them, sewing on buttons, &c, and makes ios. regularly, working six or seven hours on five days a week. She is paid 4s. a dozen pairs, and does half-a-dozen in the day. It is a striking example of the lack of standard rates paid EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 275 for home work that a certain tailoress gets id. more per dozen for trousers from a middleman than she got when she went to the factory. The weekly wages earned are shown in the two follow- ing tables : — A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 30. is. 6d. 2S. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 4s. 6d. 5s. 5s. 6d. 6s. 6d. 1 2 221 414 2 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d. 9s. 1 os. 10s. 6d. us. 6d. 13s. 22s. 1 2 121 1 111 B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observations, 7 1 . is. 3s. 4s. 4s. 6d. 5s. 5s 6d. 6s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s I 2 4 23463 4 4 3 8s. 6d. 9 s. 9s. 6d. 10s. 10s. 6d. us. 12s. 12s. 6d. 13s 1 1 1 5 J 4 1 1 2 13s. 6d. 14s. 14s. 6d. 15s. 15s. 6d. 16s. 6d. 17s. 6d. 19s. 1 2 121 2 19s. 6d. 20s. 22s. 50s. 1 111 4 1 Some typical instances are given below : — 1. Miss N works from 7 A.M. to 8 P.M. on five days a week, keeping Saturdays for housework. Her book shows an average of 21s. 6^d. over thirteen weeks. She makes waistcoats at 6|d. each, without sewing on buttons or making buttonholes. Her expenses for cottons are is. a week, and for fares is. 2d. 2. Mrs. S works ten hours a day, and her sister almost as long, as trouser finishers. They sew in linings, make button- holes by hand, and put on buttons. Their books show an average for sixteen weeks of 9s. 8d. between them. 3. Mrs. H complains of the reduction of wages. She makes children's sailor vests at qd. and 5d. per dozen (4d. plain, 5d. with a small ornamental badge). Her book shows an average of 12s. iofd. over six weeks. She used to be 276 WEST HAM paid 6d. instead of 4d. for the plain vests until 1905, and could then earn much more. She can do six dozen in a day. 4. Mrs. R's husband is a sailor, paid £4. per month, of which she gets 30s. and anything he brings back. He generally brings back money at the end of his six-weekly trips, but he always has to be kept for a week between trips, when he is earning nothing. There are four children at school and one earning about 8s. a week. Her book averages 4s. 6|d. over four weeks, and for that she works six or seven hours on four days a week. 5. Mrs. A makes boys' sailor blouses finished with ribbons and drawn in at the waist with elastic. Her husband is a sailor and she gets half his pay, amounting to £2 10s. a month. Her book shows an average of 7s. 5-|d. over twenty- two weeks, for about eight or ten hours' work on four and a half days a week. Some weeks she makes more — for instance, one week she earned 10s. i|d., but that meant very late and long hours. 6. Mrs. P, a trouser finisher, is paid 2|d., 2|d., and 3id. a pair. She spends i|d. a day on travelling and 6d. a week on cotton and soap. A fire to heat the pressing iron is another expense. She works from eight to ten hours a day, and less on Saturday. Her earnings are fairly steady, except for a slack time in the summer ; she makes about is. 3d. on ordinary days and c;d. or iod. on Saturdays, amounting to about 7s. a week. 7. Mrs. M makes a few trousers at a time for a local firm, often going two or three times a day to get half-a-dozen pairs. She complains of being kept waiting an hour when they owe her a few pence. 8. Mrs. D's husband is a casual dock labourer. She does trouser finishing for seven or eight hours on four days a week. Her average per week for the month before she was visited was 5s. io^d., and she has to spend 6d. or 8d. a week on cotton. The earnings for five weeks in the early part of 1907 of a tailor who worked at home have been copied from his wages- book and are set out below. Mr. G did " very best work," e.g. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 277 dress clothes, hunting and riding breeches ; but he only has work at certain seasons. These garments were all " bespoke," and many of them were ordered by well-known people. First Week. s. d. Third Week. ;£ s. d. Dress trousers 2 3 Altering — at IS. >5 )) 2 3 per job . 8 Serge 2 Dress trousers 2 9 Dress „ 2 3 Military trousers- Serge 2 striped 5 Dress „ 2 3 Trousers 3 6 >> j> 2 3 Riding breech 2S . 5 )> >) 2 3 ■» >) 3 6 Serge 2 )> j) 3 6 )> )> 5 1 9 6 Fourth Week. 1 £ 16 3 d. Second Week. £ s. d. White drill hunting Riding breeches . 3 6 breeches . 3 9 >> >) 3 6 White drill hunting 5) )> 3 6 breeches . 3 3 Alteration . 1 White drill hunting Trousers 3 3 breeches . 3 9 Hunting breeches 8 6 Khaki breeches — >) )> 8 6 strapped, &c. . 7 >) >i 8 6 Dress trousers 3 Breeches 3 6 1 9 2 3 9 Fifth Wt 'ek. s. d. Huntii lg breeches 8 6 Trouse rs . 2 9 i> 2 9 Militar y trousers 2 6 16 6 Cotton and thread cost is. 6d. per week, and in addition fires for heating irons and soap for stretching breeches have to be provided. The man does not finish off breeches himself, but pays a woman is. or is. 6d. for each pair, according to the quality, and this has to be deducted from his earnings. 278 WEST HAM Shirts. The visitors noted that shirt-work was on the whole carried on by a lower class of workers than any of the other trades, and the number of dirty houses was greater. About nine-tenths of the work is done in the southern part of Plaistow, in the part of Canning Town south of the Barking Road, in Old Canning Town, Tidal Basin, and Custom House. The lower class of work is to be found mainly in some of the worst streets of that part of Canning Town known as the Hallsville area. In many cases the workers live in a group of streets near the middleman or the factory. Poplar firms giving out work seem to employ very few workers who do not live in the poorer streets of Old Canning Town or in the streets south of the Barking Road that are near to the Iron Bridge. Even the superior work seems to be done in the majority of instances by people who live in the poorer parts of South West Ham, though in a few cases the workers are to be found in the rather better streets of these neighbourhoods. In such cases they are the wives of men earning fairly regular wages. Ten of the workers live in the northern part of the borough, three of these in the same road as their middleman, the others in a very poor district. In 98 cases the workers obtained shirts direct from the factory, and in 93 cases from middlemen. 128 of the places from which work was taken out were in the borough, 13 in the City, 37 in Poplar, and 3 in other districts. 116 of the shirt-workers were married, but of these 4 were deserted wives, 31 were widows, and 34 single women. 18 of the husbands were casual dock labourers, 3 permanent dock labourers, 16 casual general labourers, 25 permanent general labourers. The remainder followed a variety of different occupations, but some workmen employed {e.g. in the iron and building trades) had irregular employment, and others EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 279 were frequently on short time. The latter remark is also true of some of those who described themselves as permanent labourers in factories. In several cases, workers had invalid husbands who had small pensions. There are many and various classes of shirts. The home workers visited were employed mainly either on cheap " slop " shirts or on the following varieties : — Fancy coloured flannel shirts, with turn-over collars and pockets. White canvas shirts. Coarse coloured cotton shirts, with diagonal fronts, lined tops, and collar-bands — double stitched throughout. The following analysis will give some idea of the rates earned by shirt-workers of various grades : — No. of Observations. Rate per dozen. 17 44 36 16 6 5 1 7d- to nd I Slop-workers. 7a. to is. 7a. j r is. to 2s. 6d IS. tO 2S. nd. Medium workers, who do i _ 1 , , ( some slop-work. 2s. to 3s. od. ) r 3s. 4d. to 4s. 2d. ) Specially good workers, who 5s. 6d. to 8s. J refuse slop-work. All shirts paid over is. iod. per dozen are double stitched, i.e. have two rows to each seam. Women learn shirt-work as indoor hands in factories, from middlemen and from friends. It is usual to make a payment of 5s., and give a fortnight's or a month's work for nothing. Women who have learnt the work in factories are usually more proficient than those who have learnt from friends. Generally they prefer the better class of work, because they can make more by it ; but sometimes the cheaper work pays best, e.g. some shirts at is. 9d. a dozen may be so much less elaborate than some shirts at 2s. id. a dozen that it is possible to make considerably more at the lower rate. Often, however, the contrary is the case ; there is more work in the cheaper shirts, but less is paid for the work because the material is cheaper and the shirt will 280 WEST HAM sell for less. Some workers do not machine shirts, but only finish them. They rarely get enough work to make a living on finishing. In one case, Miss T made from ios. to 12s. a week, but she worked fourteen hours a day. The following rates were paid : — ijd. to 2^d. per dozen = 7 buttons and barring. 1 2|d. to 4d. „ =S „ „ 1 id. to is. 7d. „ = 1 buttonhole, buttons, silk herringboning, &c. 3d. to 4|d. „ = 1 „ The coarse slop-work is disliked by the better workers. One reason for this is that the cheap material is often full of lime, which causes the eyes to smart and running at the nose. Slop-workers complain that their rooms become covered with white dust. It is obvious that if such material is to be made up at all, the best conditions as to space and ventilation are required, and the work would be better carried on in the factory than in the home. „ Buttonholes are made in the middlemen's workshops, or at the factory, where work is obtained direct. The visitors did not find in any instance that the home workers possessed the elaborate buttonhole machines. Home workers made buttonholes by hand in two cases only. In the shirt trade frequent complaints were made by the workers that shirt-making was less well paid than formerly. This is no doubt partly due to the introduction into the factories of machines worked by power, so that the home workers are competing with a larger output from indoor workers. One middleman was said to have reduced his payments quite recently from 2s. 5d. per dozen to 2s. 3d. Women who have been at the trade for some years also state that more elaborate work is now required for the same money. The prices paid for certain kinds of work are considered to be specially unremunerative, e.g. yd. per dozen for boys' flannelette shirts. There would appear also to be a good deal of diversity between the rates paid for the same work by 1 Barring is the buttonhole stitching which prevents tearing where the seams are open at the cuffs and tail. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 281 different employers. One middleman paid 9A a dozen for shirts paid at is. 3d. by another firm. In another case the middleman pays yd. per dozen and a factory iod. Mrs. F has worked for two factories and five middlewomen. She found that the better firm paid 3s. 3d. per dozen for shirts with a small collar-band (paid at 6d. per dozen if given out separately), while another firm paid 2s. i|d. a dozen for shirts without the band, making the considerable difference of 7|d. per dozen. She worked for a time as an indoor hand for a middlewoman, to whom she paid 2d. a day for the use of the room, working from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M., and receiving piece- work rates. Her wages-book during that period shows an average of 6s. iod. per week. Another worker for the same middlewoman found that she paid is. 4d. per dozen for shirts paid at is. iod. per dozen by the less good of the above- mentioned factories. In another case two middlemen paid is. 8d. and is. 2d. per dozen respectively for the same class of shirts. The weekly wages earned are shown in the two following tables : — A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 93. 9 d. is. 2s. 2s. 6d. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 4s. 6d. 5s. 5s. 6d. I 2 2 2 3 5 1 3 11 7 11 6s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d. 9s. 9s. 6d. 1 os. 1 os. 6d. 7 5 5 3i 4 3 2 2 1 IIS. us. 6d. 13s. 13s. 6d. 14s. 16s. 6d. 17s. 17s. 6d. iSs, 4 112 1 1 1 1 1 B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observatio?ts, 87. is. 6d. 2s. 6d. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 4s. 6d. 5s. 5s. 6d. 6s. 6s. 6d. 1 47 2 3i9375 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d. 9s. 9s. 6d. 10s. 10s. 6d. us. us. 6d. 8 3 5 3 7 1 1 1 1 2 12s. 12s. 6d. 13s. 13s. 6d. 14s. 15s. 16s. 6d. 20s. 4 12 121 1 1 1 One of the^e women formerly worked as indoor hand in same place ; she then made (by wages-book) 9s. weekly. 282 WEST HAM The following are typical instances of earnings in the shirt trade : — i. Mrs. K's book shows an average of 4s. 9c!. over twenty- two weeks, the entries varying from 9s. iid. to is. i|d., as the work is so irregular. If she has work, she will begin at 5.30 a.m. and work on till 9 or 10 o'clock. Her husband is an invalid with a pension of us., and does the house-work. She can manage to do two dozen shirts at iod. in the day with hard work, but she is old, and probably not a very quick worker. 2. Mrs. P supports herself and her boy at school by shirt- finishing. Her wages-book shows an average of 7s. 5£d. over twenty-seven weeks. She works for a middlewoman, who tries to give her work as regularly as possible, as she is de- pendent on it. In the weeks during which she earned over 9s. 6d. she worked from 5 A.M. till midnight, and the middle- woman could not believe she had accomplished so much without help. 3. Mrs. L receives about 5s. a week from a sailor son ; otherwise she supports herself and her boy at school on cheap shirt-work — her book shows an average of 5s. 9d. over ten weeks ; she works from 7 A.M. to 8 p.m. 4. Mrs. B and her daughter support themselves on shirt- work. The mother is a shirt-finisher, and the daughter a machinist. There is a boy who has left school, but he is not yet in work, and has to be supported. They work seven or eight hours a day — the daughter's book shows an average of us. 3§d. over four weeks — the mother's, 9s. id. over nine weeks. When the mother earned over 10s., it meant working from 5.30 A.M. till 10 or 1 1 P.M. She gets 2d. per dozen for finishing, i.e. 72 buttons and 48 bars. 5. Miss N does the best double-stitched shirt-work only. She works for a middleman, and is paid 2s. 4d. and 2s. 6d. per dozen. Her book shows an average of us. i^d. over forty-eight weeks. 6. Miss T can make three to three and a half dozen of the best shirts weekly at 3s. 2d. or 3s. 5d. a dozen when she can get them, but she estimates that she does not earn more EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 283 than 8s. to 10s. per week. Last year she kept an account of her earnings, and they amounted to £20. 7. Miss F, who used to work as an indoor hand in the same factory, does good-class work. She is paid 2s. 4d., 3s., and 3s. 6d. a dozen, and considers that she can make a good living at it. Her book shows an average of 17s. 4fd. over fourteen weeks. She works factory hours, and lives with her sister, paying her 8s. a week. 8. The Misses X work for a City firm, whose name they never reveal lest they should be undersold. They have no travelling expenses, as the firm send work and pay by cheque. They are not paid by the week, but when a batch of work is finished ; the firm may send as many as twenty dozen at a time. They work almost continuously for twelve hours a day. They kept accounts for the last three years. Last year they made between them £1 a week on an average, taking two weeks' holiday and being unable to work for two weeks. The year before they made 25s. a week, and the year before that 15s. At present, they estimate that they together make an average of 28s. to 30s. per week. Blouses. About 75 per cent, of the workers employed in blouse- making live in the better parts of Plaistow, West Ham, and Stratford, and in certain streets in Forest Gate and Upton Park, where the rent is often 12s. to 14s. a week. It is noticeable that of those who live in Forest Gate and Upton Park, a considerable number live with their parents, while others have several brothers or sisters living with them, who are occupied in various ways, often as clerks. A great many of these outworkers, who live in the better neighbourhood, are the tenants of whole houses. Of the small number who live in poorer parts, such as inexpensive streets in Stratford, West Ham, or Canning Town, about one-third are tenants of whole houses, but several inhabit one room, and just support themselves by the work. These poorer blouse-makers are mainly employed on the cheaper class of work. In seventy 284 WEST HAM cases the work was obtained direct from the factory, and in eleven cases from middlemen. Thirty-two of the places where the work was given out were in the borough, forty in the City, and two elsewhere. Thirty-nine of the workers were married, seven were widows, and thirty-eight single women. Two of the widows were in receipt of Poor Law relief. Four of the husbands were dock labourers, four were general labourers, and the remainder followed various occu- pations. In some cases the husband's work was very irregular. Mr. X, for example, who is connected with the building trade, earned 30s. to 35s. weekly in the summer ; in the winter he was much out of work, and helped his wife, who worked all the year round at blouses. They averaged at blouse-work 32s. id. for the seven weeks recorded in their wages-book. A number of the single women were girls, living with parents in a comfortable position, who preferred to work at home. They often did not contribute to the household expenses, or, if at all, very irregularly. Some of these girls were delicate, which was a reason for their working at home instead of at the factory. In a few cases blouse-making was supplementary to private dress-making. Blouses vary very much in quality, and in the amount of work required. The rates paid for cheap blouses run from is. id. to 5s. 6d. a dozen. The majority of the women visited were engaged on work of this class. For better work, from 6s. ad. to 1 os. 6d. per dozen was paid, and for the best from 8s. to 1 6s. per dozen. One worker was paid is., is. ^.d., and 2s. for single blouses. Some even of the cheaper blouses entail a considerable amount of work. For example, certain blouses paid at 2s. ad. per dozen had ten tucks down each side, one box-pleat down the front, five tucks down the back, and tucked cuffs and collars. It would be a very hard day's work to make six of these. Other blouses paid at the rate of 4s. per dozen had twenty tucks in front, ten at the back, a box-pleat edged with piping, insertion, and tucked collars and cuffs. It would be a hard day's work to make four. The middleman is paid 8s. per dozen for these blouses. The EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 285 prices paid by different firms for blouses requiring an equal amount of work are by no means uniform. The middlemen, as a rule, pay less than the employers of labour direct. Miss A, for example, was getting 8s. per dozen from a factory, for much less elaborate blouses than those which a middleman was paying Miss B 4s. per dozen for making. Miss B is a very good worker. She used to make sample blouses for a firm which has now failed, naming her own prices. She now makes elaborate net blouses with tucks and insertions for is. to is. 46.. each. The wholesale price for these blouses is 8s. iid., and the retail price 12s. to 15s. The cheaper work is sometimes found to pay best. Mrs. B, for example, makes quite plain shirt blouses, without collars or cuffs, at is. id. per dozen, and blouses with tucks and insertions for 2s. 6d. per dozen. She prefers those at is. id. Sometimes the home worker does not make blouses from beginning to end, but only prepares part of them, the rest being done in the factory. Mrs. C, for instance, made tucked fronts with embroidery let in, at ^d. per dozen, tucked backs at 3d. per dozen, and cuffs and collar-bands to match at 2d. per dozen and i£d. per dozen respectively. She, like many other blouse-makers, complained of the pay. She can only make from 3s. to 6s. per week, working from six to eight hours a day, and she uses about is. worth of cotton, which she has to provide. The workers complain that the prices paid for blouses have lately been reduced. This is probably due in part to the recent demand for elaborate cheap blouses. Miss X, who lives alone in one room and is entirely dependent on her earnings, complained that the firms she works for used to give 12s., 15s., and 19s. per dozen for making net and silk blouses which they now pay at the rate of 5s. and 9s. Some workers, however, are satisfied with their earnings. The sisters D had earned an average of 30s. 5|d. in the eleven weeks before they were visited, one of them working constantly, and the other less regularly. Girls are sometimes taken on as learners or assistants and are paid from 4s. to 1 os. weekly. 286 WEST HAM The tables printed below show the weekly wages as taken from wages-books, and as estimated by the workers. A. Wages-Book. Nuniber of Observations, 34. 4s. 6d. 5s. 6s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d. 9s. I OS. 10s. 6d. 3 1 1 1 2 2 4 4 1 1 us. 13s. 14s. 6d. 15s. 1 6s. 6d. 17s. 18s. 20s. 25s. 39s. 6d 11 12 2 1 1 3 1 1 B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observations, 43. 2s. 6d. 4s. 6d. 5s. 5s. 6d. 6s. 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d. 9s. 1 231142213 10s. 10s. 6d. us. us. 6d. 12s. 12s. 6d. 13s. 13s. 6d. 21521212 14s. 15s. 16s. 16s. 6d. 17s. 131 1 1 The following are instances from wages-books of earnings of individuals : — Miss F works 6 hours 5 days a week and averages 6s. 4d. Miss C ,, 8 hours 5 days ,, „ ,, 14s. 7d. Miss D „ 6 days 8 to 10 hours ,, ,, 8s. 8|d. Miss E „ 5 days 5 to 6 hours ,, ,, 5s. 7d. In cases where the work is very irregularly given out, and is demanded by the firm by a particular time, long hours are sometimes worked at a stretch, e.g. 4 A.M. to 9 p.m. There was no case recorded of Sunday work in this trade, but that does not necessarily mean that it does not occur. Mrs. Y is a widow with three children, of whom two are at school and the third is an idiot. Her brother lives with her and pays 12s. per week. She pay 6s. for half a house with three rooms and has 4s. parish relief. She estimates that she works six or seven hours a day for five days a week. Her wages-book shows an average of 5s. 4fd. for eighteen weeks, the sums earned in different weeks varying from is. 9d. to 8s. 7£d. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 287 The following is a set of rules given to outdoor employes by a firm in this trade : — Any worker who shall make goods inferior to pattern will not be paid full making price, and if such badly made gar- ments have to be altered by another worker, the cost of such alterations will be charged to the worker at fault. Any worker damaging or losing any material belonging to the Firm will be charged with the cost of the material. Every worker is expected to count all parts of garments, and measure all trimmings, as soon as they are given out, and to notify any errors at once to the Forewoman. Otherwise, if a machinist is short of materials, such material will be treated as though lost or damaged by the machinist. Every worker must be on the lookout for any flaws or damages or variations in shades, in materials, &c, and must not go on with the work, if there is any difficulty, without the assistance of the Forewoman. If a worker makes up any garments in damaged materials or wrong shades, the cost of remedying the defects will be charged to such worker. Superior needles, sewing cottons, and sewing silks of same number and quality as used in the patterns must be provided by the workers at their own expense. These and any other necessary articles or materials may be bought from the Fore- woman at cost price. Work books l must be provided by the workers, which can also be purchased at cost price. The Forewoman will give receipts for all payments. No worker must take out more work than she can com- plete in from three to five days. All work must be returned within that time after having been taken out. The work must be returned unmade at once, if for any reason it cannot be finished within that time. If any worker keeps work out more than five days, and it is sent or telegraphed for by the firm, the cost of fares or telegrams will be charged to the worker at fault. 1 Books in which particulars of work and wages are entered. 2 88 WEST HAM Underclothing. The women employed in this form of home work live mainly in the poorer parts of the best wards of the borough. Nearly 80 per cent, have their homes in the Forest Gate and Upton wards, and very many live with their parents in whole houses. Only one worker on the list lives in the south of West Ham, and she has a whole house at 9s. 6d. in a poor street in Canning Town. The others live in respectable streets in West Ham ward and Stratford. Out of 34 workers, 1 2 were married, 17 single, and 5 widows. All but two worked for factories or shops, of which eighteen were in the City, eleven in West Ham, and three elsewhere. Four lived in one room, but two of these worked in a separate workroom. Two worked for middlemen. In three cases the husbands were out of work ; one husband was at the Distress Committee's Farm Colony, one was a blind street-seller, one was a casual dock labourer in temporary work, four were general labourers in work, and the list of twelve was made up by a boxmaker and a hairdresser. The following rates were paid for the different kinds of work : — Combinations, 4s. to 8s. per dozen. „ 8s. to 16s. ,, Chemises and drawers, is.perdozen. Petticoats, is. 6d. to 2s. per dozen. ,, 4s. 6d. to 6s. ,, Camisoles, 2s. to 3s. per dozen. 3s. to 5s. gd. „ Nightdresses, is. to 2s. 3d. perdoz. ,, 2s. to 6s. gd. „ In some cases women have been employed as indoor hands in a factory before their marriage, and continue to work for the same employer. Sometimes a skilful worker will make her own designs. Several of the workers were allowed to send and receive goods by carrier, paying the carriage. In point of pay, this is one of the most variable of trades. As much as 3s. a day can be made in good work such as camisoles, a dozen of which can be finished in a day. But in another case, is. 3d. a dozen was offered for making EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 289 ladies' pinafores. There was, too, a square yoke with a frill to be made and gathered on it, a 5-inch frill to be gathered, hemmed, felled, and joined. There was also a hook and a button to sew on, and a loop and buttonhole to make by hand. A woman whose wages-book showed an average of 4s. 3d. a week refused to take this job, as she found, after a week's trial, that she took three days to do two dozen, working almost continuously, and each dozen took a thousand yards of cotton, for which she had to pay 8d. or od. Her usual hours she estimates at eight, on six days a week. Two sisters working together average between 20s. and 30s. a week. They make combinations, paid at 8s. to 16s. a dozen, and are not required to go to the factory, but spend is. 6d. a week on the carrier, and receive their wages by cheque. Below are tables of weekly wages earned by workers in this group as taken from the wages-books, and as estimated. A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 10. is- 7S. 8s. 9s. 6d. I OS. IIS. 14s. 15s. 17! I I 1 1 I I I 2 I 9s. 6d. us. 12s. 13s. 14s. 1 1 3 2 1 19s. 20s. 21s. 6d. 31s. 11 1 1 B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observations, 21. 4s. 5s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 8s. 9s. 11 1 111 15s. 6d. 17s. 17s. 6d. 111 Particulars of individual workers' wages are as follows : — The Misses A, who do not work very long hours, averaged 15s. each over thirteen weeks. They were making combina- tions, for which they were paid 4s. to 8s. per dozen. The house and surroundings were comfortable, and they were not obliged to work. Two other sisters, who were evidently well off, said they averaged 20s. to 23s. Their father was out of work the week they were visited, but it was not generally necessary for them to work except to pay for dress. T 290 WEST HAM Mrs. A, whose husband is in regular work, earning 27s. a week, works to keep her mother, who does house-work in return. She works from 6 A.M. till 9 P.M., with ten minutes for each meal. Her weekly earnings come to 13s. 6d. on some work, such as babies' clothes, dropping to 6s. 5d. on chemises. Mrs. B has worked for two City houses. She used to work for a firm which paid her 4s. to 6s. 9d. per dozen for nightdresses. She made her own designs for them, but they paid her nothing for the sketches. Her book shows an average of 19s. zj^d. over twenty weeks, during which she worked for this firm, which has now left off business. The second firm paid her 2s. to 3s. 6d. per dozen for nightdresses, and her wages-book showed an average of us. z|.^d. over thirty-two weeks. Mrs. C, a widow, entirely dependent on the work, does underclothing of various kinds in a one-roomed lodging for which she pays 4s. Her book shows an average of 14s. i-|d. over a period of rather more than sixteen weeks. She esti- mates that she works ten hours daily, including Saturday. Cotton costs her is. per week. She makes, among other things, ladies' fancy calico chemises at is. 6d. per dozen. The seams must be hemmed and finished neatly, and the back must be gathered ; there are ten tucks eight inches long, and three rows of insertion in the front, embroidery round the three rows of insertion and round the neck and sleeves, a button and a hand-made buttonhole. Mrs. D's husband is a casual labourer, who has been a good deal out of work. There are four children to be kept. She estimates that she works from eight to ten hours a day on six days in the week, and her wages-book shows that she earned an average of 18s. id. over eighteen weeks. Her work is making petticoats at 4s. 6d. to 6s. per dozen, and she has to pay is. a week for a machine, and from 8d. to is. a week for cotton. The 6s. petticoats have a plain flounce, and an elaborate flounce with tucks, gathers, embroidery, insertion, and ribbon. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 291 Costumes, &c. Very few of the workers in this group live in the south of the borough. The majority were found in better class streets in Stratford, Forest Gate, and Upton. One or two rented their houses by the month ; but, on the other hand, one woman was living in a single room. The work is, how- ever, mostly of a good class, and is only entrusted to a rather superior type of home worker. It is not taken in order to supplement casual earnings, but for some special reason, or for pocket-money. Fourteen of the women were married, two were widows, and twelve were single. One of the married women had an invalid husband receiving Poor Law relief. The work was obtained in twenty-four cases from factories, and in four from middlemen. In five cases the places from which the work was given out were in the borough, in twenty cases in the City, and in three elsewhere. The rates for different kinds of work were as follows : — Skirts. Bodice and Skirt. Mantles. Dressing-gowns. 8s. to ios. 2s. 3d. each. 6s. to 8s. 5d. to is. 3d. each, per dozen. 8s. 6d. to 21s. each per dozen, (one case). Children's Sailor Costumes. Milliners. 2|d. to 8|d. each. is. iod. to 4s. 6d. per dozen (sun bonnets). All the workers in this group appeared to own their machines. In some cases materials and models are sent by West End firms, and the work is largely done by hand. The costumiers sometimes do private work, and are practically private dressmakers, who eke out their means by taking work from shops. One of them, for instance, was living in a house rented at £2 16s. 4d. per month, and kept a servant and a house boy. There were the usual complaints that the work is paid less well than formerly — Mrs. K, for instance, said that she used to get 4s. per dozen for machining white drill coats, which were now paid 3s. 6d. per dozen. 292 WEST HAM The tables given below show the weekly earnings as given by wages-books and by the estimates of the workers : — A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 7. 9s. 6d. us. 6d. 14s. 6d. 15s. 6d. 17s. 27s. 29s. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observations, 2 1 . 5s. 6d. 6s. 6s. 6d. 10s. 10s. 6d. us. 12s. 13s. 6d. 1 1 1 21 11 1 15s. 16s. 17s. 18s. 18s. 6d. 2 is. 6d. 37s. 6d. £3 IOS 4 1 1 2 111 1 The following individual cases may be cited : — Mr. X and his daughter make shirts at 8s., 9s., and 10s. per dozen, and mantles at 7s. per dozen. Occasional help is given by the wife and younger daughter. The former also goes to the City to fetch the work daily, and sometimes twice a day. The journey costs her 6d. each time. They estimate that they can only make £1 a week on an average. One week recently they made .£1 17s. by working very long hours, but 3s. must be deducted from that for fares and 2S. for hooks, eyes, and cotton. The house was very clean, and the family evidently respectable people. Mr. X was unable to get work at his own trade. Mrs. Y is able to make a good living by making babies' cashmere cloaks lined with silk and trimmed with lace, paid at 10s. to 24s. per dozen. She estimates that she can make 35s. to £2 weekly. She says, however, that trade is now bad, and that she used to be able to make more formerly. Mrs. Z is also fortunate in her work. She makes butcher's coats, and can always make 17s. to £1 per week. Miscellaneous Clothing. Under this group come the makers of various articles of wearing apparel, of whom only a few were found in each EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 293 trade — makers of ties, belts, corsets, and collars, plain and fancy braces, artificial flowers, boots and shoes. The majority of the workers live in the north of the borough, in respectable streets, and in many cases are tenants of whole houses. The tie-makers are often pocket-money earners, and live with their parents, sometimes in houses rented at 12s. to 13s. a week. The worst paid work, such as fur work, and the cheaper kinds of flower-making, seems to be done by women living in the poorer districts in both the north and south of the borough. The husbands of many of these are out of work. Some of the best machine work and buttonhole making is done by workers who live in streets that can be called neither good nor bad, in the better parts of Canning Town and rather poor parts of Plaistow. Most of the regular outwork of this group is done in the north of the borough. Among 40 workers there were 22 married women, 5 widows, and 13 single women. Only one worked for a middleman, and of the employing firms, 31 were in the City, 1 in West Ham, 6 elsewhere ; in two cases information on this point was refused. Three of the workers lived in one room, but one of these went elsewhere to work. Two widows and an aged single woman were receiving Poor Law relief. In many cases, members of the family help in the work. Rates of pay are as follows: — Tie Workers. — nd. to is. id. per dozen for silk ties ; 3fd. to od. per dozen for white ties, and coloured cotton ties. Expenditure on cotton, 2S. per week. Corset Machining. — 2s. 3d. per dozen, 6|d. a week having to be spent on cotton. Ladies' Belts. — 5d. to 2s. or 3s. per dozen. Gentlemen's Belts. — 4d. to 7d. per dozen ; fancy belts, 7s. 6d. per dozen. Artificial Flower-making. — Best price per gross, is. to is. 9d. ; best price per dozen, i|d. to 9d. Inferior work, id. to i|d. a gross. Bootpads. — 3s. a gross. Feather Curling. — 3s. od. per dozen plumes. The workers in certain of these trades are required to go very often for work, in several cases daily, and they complain of being kept waiting. A good many of the trades in this group are seasonal, and 294 WEST HAM there seem to be more cases of short hours than in other groups, probably because of the irregular character of the work. In some of these trades, such as artificial flower-making, the character of the work varies a good deal, and some work pays much better than other. The following weekly earnings have been tabulated from the wages-books, or compiled from the estimates of the workers : — A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 18. 6s. 6s. 6d. 12s. 13s. 13s. 6d. 14s. 6d. 16s. 6d. 17s. 17s. 6d. 19s. 12712 1 1111 B. Estimated Earnings. Nu7nber of Observations, 2 7 . 4s. 4s. 6d. 5s. 6s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s. 9s. 10s. 6d. ns. 211222122 1 2 12s. 13s. 17s. 6d. 19s. 23s. 6d. 27s. 6d. 13 21 1 1 Particulars of individual workers' earnings are as follows : — 1. Mrs. X, a tie-maker, estimates that she makes 18s. to £1 weekly. When she is busy, she employs two outdoor hands to make ties, which she finishes, but at other times she does the whole work herself. Her husband, who is a clerk, is delicate and out of work. She can make one dozen ties, for which she is paid nd. per dozen, in two hours, and says that for the same work some firms give 6d. She goes to the City every day. 2. Miss F makes -£1 7s. 5d. (average over n weeks) with help from her sister, but has to spend from 2s. to 4s. 6d. on cotton and silk. She goes early by workmen's train to the City every day, and the fares come to is. old. a week. 3. The Misses S and their mother work at ties. They employ three outdoor workers, and their aunt helps with ironing. The wages-books for the seven workers, if divided equally, show 12s. 4d. each over 25 weeks. Miss S has to go to the City daily, and twice on pay-day. She spends EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 295 2S. 6d. a week on fares, and is often kept waiting. On cotton she spends about is. a week. 4. Miss M works at the belt trade, the season for which lasts from March to August. She spends from eight to ten hours a day at it when she has work, and her book shows an average of 13s. 5-ld. over nine weeks. She spends is. 6d. and sometimes 2s. a week on fares, and from is. 6d. to is. 9d. on coloured cottons. She is paid is. 6d. a dozen for silk belts, which have three bones to be cut and pierced for sew- ing, tucks to be made, and the buckle to be fixed. The pay for elastic belts with four or five slides sewn on is 6d. a dozen. More elaborate belts are 5s. a dozen. She also makes ladies' ties, at 5d. to 2s. a dozen, and boot-pads. She says that pay has gone down for the same work, and more elaborate work has to be done for the same money. 5. Mrs. D works regularly during the season (August to November) at gentlemen's felt belts strapped with leather, for making which she gets 2 s. a dozen, and also at making braces, for which qd. to yd. a dozen is paid. She makes a dozen belts in a day of seven or eight hours. She saves her earnings, in case her husband, a labourer, should be much out of work. 6. Mrs. C can earn from 25s. to 30s. all the year round, but the season for her work — patent belts — only lasts from March to October. During the season she employs about six indoor and six outdoor hands on piecework, uses two rooms as workrooms, and employs a girl to go to the City daily. Belts have to be pressed with irons, and she pays 3s. a week for gas to heat the irons and light the work- room. 7. The Misses P, two sisters, are boot machinists. They work eleven hours a day on five days a week, and four on Saturdays, and averaged 34s. 5d. a week between them over twelve weeks, spending every week 2s. on fares and 2s. on cotton, paste, ink, &c. 8. Miss H makes artificial flowers for a firm whose home work season lasts through the three autumn months. She is paid i^d. to 9d. per dozen. The superior work pays 296 WEST HAM very much the best, as it does not take much longer to do than the poorer kinds, and is paid at a higher rate. 9. Mrs. K also makes artificial flowers when she can get work. When visited, she was working at sprays with twenty- four small flowers, leaves and stem, at i^d. per spray. 10. Mrs. F makes rosebuds at is. 9d. per gross, a gross taking fourteen hours. Her employers' home work season is May to August, for export trade only, though they have in- door hands all the year round. 11. Mrs. Y is a feather curler. She was apprenticed in a factory, where she earned 2s. a week for three months, 3s. for nine months, 4s. for the second year, and 5s. for the third. Some years ago she earned 26s. a week as an indoor hand making aigrettes, but the work given out is very badly paid and irregular. She has seldom earned as much as 7s. or 9s. lately, but has occasionally had private orders which paid much better. She earned 2s. 6d. curling a single feather boa for a private order, whereas the firm for whom she usually worked would give 2s. 9d. per dozen for feather boas. With work of this kind the firms sometimes send an agent to several of their workers, and give it to whichever woman offers to do it at the lowest price. Matchboxes. Nearly all the workers in this group live in some of the very poorest roads off Stratford High Street. The reason of this is probably that these streets are near Bow, where two match factories are situated. There are also a few matchbox makers who live in the poorest parts of Canning Town. Eleven of the workers visited were married, and in six cases their husbands were casual labourers whose earnings were esti- mated as falling between 7s. and 15s. per week. Five were widows, one of whom received Poor Law relief, and three were single women. The work was all obtained direct from factories ; in one case from a factory in the borough and in ten outside. A few cases of other boxmaking paid at 9d. to is. 9d. per gross are included. Matchboxes are paid at 2jd. to 3|d. per gross, and particu- EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 297 larly large ones at is. i-|d. The outworkers are expected to supply flour for the paste, soda and hemp string. It is esti- mated that these expenses amount to about 6d. on fourteen gross. The workers complain that fetching work and waiting for it to be given out may waste half the day. One firm is said to give out only seven gross at a time, and the worker may not be able to obtain fresh work at once when she takes it back. Written particulars are not always supplied to the worker. The following tables show the earnings of nineteen match- box makers : — A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 10. 2S. 6d. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 5s. 5s. 6d. 8s. 6d. 9s. 6d. 1 l B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observations, 9. 3s. 6d. 5s. 6d. 6s. 6d. 7s. 6d. 9s. us. 1 3 x 211 Mrs. N, whose husband is a casual labourer whose earn- ings average 8s. a week, showed her wages-book to the visitor. She had made an average of 8s. 3d. for the previous six weeks. She is paid is. ild. a gross for large matchboxes, and can make one gross in seven hours. She aims at making il gross per day, but does not always manage it. In one of these weeks she made 10s. io^d, but that meant very hard and continuous work. She spends about 6d. weekly on gum and id. on string. Mrs. N manages to secure a regular supply of work. She makes seven lots of small boxes consisting of seven gross each every week, and earns 9s. o^d., spending is. 7d. on materials. Miscellaneous Trades other than Clothing. This group comprises sackmakers, brushmakers, paper bag makers, and makers of various articles, e.g. curtain loops and umbrella tassels. 298 WEST HAM The sackmakers, of whom particulars are given, live in two or three of the poorest streets off Stratford High Street, and the families rarely inhabit more than two rooms. Some of the brushmakers live in the same area or in roads off West Ham Lane. The majority have only two or three rooms, but there are three instances in which workers live in rather better roads and are tenants of whole houses. The bagmakers inhabit poor streets, both in the north and south of the borough, but umbrella finishers are found in fairly good neighbourhoods. Of the thirty-six workers in this group there were twenty- two married women, seven widows, and seven single women. Of the twenty-two married women, twenty gave the estimated earnings of their husbands. Eight were casual labourers, whose earnings were between 7s. and 15s., while four had regular work, and were put down as earning be- tween 30s. and £2. The eight others ranged between 18s. and 27s. Thirty-two received the work from factories and four through middlemen. In seventeen cases the work obtained was from factories or middlemen in the borough, and in seventeen cases from out- side ; of the latter four were in the City and one in the West End. One third of the workers lived in less than three rooms, and two in one room. In a few cases help was given by husbands or by children after school hours. One widow was in receipt of Poor Law relief. The rates of pay are as follows : — Sackmakers, is. 8d. per 100 sacks. Toothbrush makers, 4s., 4s. 6d., and 5s. a gross, according to the number of holes. Hairbrush makers, from is. 8d. to 2s. nd. a dozen, according to the number of holes. Umbrella tassel makers, is. to 8s. a gross, according to size and quality. With the exception of umbrella tassel making in which wire and cotton has to be paid for, and flour for paper bag making, the only expenses of workers in this group are for travelling. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 299 The weekly earnings tabulated from the wages-books and from estimates of the workers are given below : — A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 10. 2s. 6d. 3s. 6d. 4s. 6d. 5s. 5s. 6d. 7s. 6d. 9s. us. 1 i 211 121 B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observations, 25. 3S- 4s. 5s- 5s. 6d. 6s. 6d. 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d 2 3 3 1 9s. 6d. 1 1 IOS. 1 2 IIS. 3 3 18s. 1 2 2 Sacks. The sack-workers are usually women of a very poor class, and in a considerable number of instances their husbands are, or have lately been, irregular workers. The visitors several times made the note : " Room very poorly furnished but very clean." Wages-books are not generally used, but tickets with the price to be paid for the work are fastened on to the bundles of sacks, and they are paid by the ticket. It is not usual to ask for either security or reference ; probably because the materials are of very little value, but before taking on a woman as a home worker, the employer gives her a sack as a trial, and sends her more work if it is done satisfactorily. Sackmakers often complain that the work is very hard, and that their hands are cut by the tar rope and by the coarse needles. Examples of individual earnings are given below : — Mrs. B, a widow, estimates that she makes from 8s. 4d. to 9s. 2d. on sacks paid at the rate of is. 8d. per 100, work- ing eight hours a day for six days. Her married children allow her 4s., and she lives on this and by what she earns at sack-making, paying 4s. rent for two rooms and the use of a scullery. 3 oo WEST HAM Mrs. C, a widow whose son and daughter are in regular work and give her 16s. 6d. towards housekeeping, does 250 sacks regularly per week, bringing in 4s. 2d. to supplement their earnings. Mrs. D and her husband, who is out of work, do 500 sacks weekly, making 8s. qd. She estimates that she gene- rally works ten hours a day, and her husband about three. Sack-repairing would appear to be better paid than sack- making. Mr. H is a sack-repairer whose wife supplements his earnings by charing and washing. He is paid is. 8d. a score, and estimates that he makes 10s. to 12s. per week. The employer supplies hemp and old sacks which are used as material for patching. Brushes. Brush-making is apt to be dangerous when carried on as home work. As the kitchen is often used as a workroom, the bristles may come into contact with food, and all the mem- bers of the family are thus exposed to the danger of anthrax without any of the safeguards which could be adopted where the work is done in a factory. Mrs. F has been working at putting bristles into hair- brushes for the same firm for twenty years. She makes from 6s. to 8s. per week, working six or seven hours on five days in the week. She says that if she worked continuously she could make 13s. 5d., but the work is very hard. Brushes are paid for at the rate of -|d. per 100 holes, and they vary in the number of holes, e.g. common brushes have 300 and those of better quality 500 or 600 holes. She says that some years ago the rate was 3d. per 100 holes. Miss F is a hair-brush worker. Her wages-book shows an average of 9s. 3^-d. over fourteen weeks. Mrs. M puts bristles into tooth-brushes. She earned a regular wage of us. a week for ten weeks, which represented two bundles at 5s. each and is. bonus which is paid if two bundles are done in a week. It is a very rare occurrence to find a wages-book which shows the earnings to be uniform. EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 301 Paper Bags. Miss K's wages-book showed an average of 7s. iold. for thirteen weeks. She works eight and a half hours a day for five days a week. Her travelling expenses amount to 3d., and she pays 5d. per week for flour to make paste. Umbrella Tassels. Mrs. L makes tassels for umbrellas. She is supplied with cord, moulds, and silk. The moulds are knitted over and the silk ends left to form the tassel. Large tassels are paid for at the rate of 8s., smaller at 6s., and the cheapest at is. a gross. She has to provide thread costing id. a gross and wire 3d. a gross, and her travelling expenses amount to 4d. weekly. She works five or six hours a day for six days in the week. Her wages-book shows an average over thirteen weeks of 5s. 3d. She was an indoor hand at the factory before marriage. Umbrella Covers. Mrs. F, who has an invalid husband, makes covers for umbrellas. Each cover has fastened to it a ticket with the price to be paid. She works for eight or nine hours a day four or five days a week, and estimates her earnings at from 1 6s. to 20s. She used to work as an indoor hand for the same firm before marriage, and says that the prices have been cut down each year. Her expenses are 6d. a day for travelling, and from 4c!. to 6d. a week for cotton. This is high-class work, which accounts for the possibility of good wages. The earnings of all home workers in the different trades taken together are given in the following table : — 3° 2 WEST HAM Weekly Earnings of Home-workers in all Trades. A. Wages-Book. Number of Observations, 212. gd. is. is. 6d. 2s. 2s. 6d. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 4s. 6d. 12144610720 5s. 5s. 6d. 6s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d. 9s. 11 17 9 10 6 7 6 10 11 9s. 6d. 10s. 10s. 6d. us. us. 6d. 12s. 13s. 13s. 6d. 5 5 3 7 3 7 4 4 14s. 14s. 6d. 15s. 15s. 6d. 16s. 6d. 17s. 17s. 6d. 18s. 3241 4522 19s. 20s. 22s. 25s. 27s. 29s. 39s. 6d. 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 B. Estimated Earnings. Number of Observations, 304. is. is. 6d. 2s. 6d. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 4s. 6d. 5s. 5s. 6d. 11 5 11 3 13 6 20 13 6s. 6s. 6d. 7s. 7s. 6d. 8s. 8s. 6d. 9s. 9s. 6d. 10s. 17 14 21 15 15 7 15 4 11 10s. 6d. us. us. 6d. 12s. 12s. 6d. 13s. 13s. 6d. 14s. 5 18 4 11 4 10 5 6 14s. 6d. 15s. 15s. 6d. 16s. 16s. 6d. 17s. 17s. 6d. 18s. 1 10 2 2 4 3 7 3 18s. 6d. 19s. 19s. 6d. 20s. 21s. 6d. 22s. 23s. 6d. 27s. 6d. 1 3 1 3 2 1 1 1 31s. 37s. 6d. 50s. 70s. 1 111 BOOK III LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAPTER I West Ham Parish in 1801 — Turnpike Roads Trustees — Church and Abbey Land Rates — Committee on High Rates in 1819 — Local Board of Health — Rapid Growth of Population — Borough Council — Accountant's Report on Rates — The Socialist Regime and Municipal Undertakings — Unification with London — Table of Rates. In i 80 i the parish of West Ham consisted of three wards, Stratford, Church Street, and Plaistow, which corresponded to the small villages of Stratford, West Ham, and Plaistow. The rating authority, the Vestry, levied two rates — a Poor Rate and a Church Rate ; and in addition to these a rate on the Stratford Langthorne Abbey lands was raised by the landholders. Out of the Poor Rate were paid the relief and maintenance of the poor, the police, and the county rate. The Church Rate, which was abolished in 1868, was used for the maintenance of old and the building of new churches. The Abbey Land rate was levied on the proprietors of land and houses built on land which formerly belonged to the Stratford Langthorne Abbey. Lands for the purposes of an abbey were given to Cistercians by Montfichet in 1135, and, as the result of privileges granted later, a condition was imposed that they should keep in repair the bridge over the Lea (now Bow Bridge), the bridge over the Channelsea, the causeway between them (which now forms part of Stratford High Street), and the road for a hundred yards beyond each of the bridges. The subsequent owners of these lands were responsible for the repair and maintenance of this road and bridges and were empowered to levy rates for the purpose on themselves. In 1824 the roads were taken over by the Trustees of the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike Roads. In 1828 the abbey landowners, who paid the Road Trustees for repairing 3°s u 3 o6 WEST HAM the roads, were empowered to pay a yearly sum. In 1835 it was arranged that they and their successors should pay £300 annually. In 1856 the Local Board of Health was created, and the duties of supervising the highways fell to them ; but the Turnpike Trustees were not dissolved till 1866. In 1868 it was settled that the abbey landowners should pay the expenses incurred during the years 1 866-1 868, and also should make a composition for the payment in future of a " certain sum of money annually or otherwise." In 1876 it was arranged that the abbey landowners should, on payment of .£1000, be relieved from all present and future liabilities on account of the bridges and road. These owners paid the usual Poor and Church rates in addition to the special rate. In 1856 the local Board of Health assumed all the functions of the Vestry except Church management, until, in 1886, West Ham became a borough. In 1888 it was raised to the status of a county borough. Tables LV. and LVI. show the rates from 1802 to 1907. Before 181 1 the records are imperfect. It will be seen that from 181 2 to 18 18 the Poor Rate rose steadily from 2s. 6d. to 8s. in the pound. This led in 18 19 to a resolution of the Vestry: "That from the rapid increase and expenditure chargeable on the poors' rate there results a paramount necessity for the most early and serious consideration of the best means to arrest and avert the evils which threaten otherwise to increase to an overwhelming magnitude." A special committee of housekeepers was appointed " to examine whatever appertains to expenditure, regulation or otherwise, relating to the poor and poors' rates." This committee reported that the rates were badly collected, and that the administration of the Poor Law was extravagant. The chief cause assigned was : " That the number of casual poor had been gradually increasing down to the year 1815, and that in the winter of that year and in the subsequent winters (particularly the last) their numbers so rapidly in- creased as to occasion an average expenditure to the outdoor LOCAL GOVERNMENT 307 casual poor of more than double the amount in any preceding year. That the great increase of poor are for the most part of the class of Irish labourers, who in the summer season go into different parts of the country to harvest work, hop- picking, &c. ; and after these works are over they return into this parish and are employed in the neighbourhood for a few weeks in getting up potatoes ; and upon the finish of that work (about the beginning of November) they with their wives and families quarter themselves upon and are maintained by the parish until the next spring." It was also noticed that the number of houses which paid no rates because of the poverty of their inhabitants was excessive, and the following table was given : — 1811. 1812. 1813. 1814. 1815. 1816. 1817. 1818. Houses which \ pay no rates. J 458 5°5 548 597 615 635 657 710 The special committee acted as advisors to the Vestry on these matters. They examined the accounts each half- year and called attention to any instances of maladministra- tion. In consequence the rates were reduced by one-half in two years, and in six years it was only necessary to levy ten half-yearly rates. The Commissioners of Inquiry into the Poor Laws re- ported in 1834, and in the same year many of their recom- mendations were embodied in an Act of Parliament. One of the objects of the new Poor Law was " to immediately arrest the progress, and ultimately to diminish the amount of the pressure on the owners of lands and houses " ; and the fall in the rates in the years immediately following 1834 ^ s un " doubtedly due to the Act. It will be seen that during the administration of the local Board of Health for 1 856-1 869 the poor rates exceeded 3s. 9d. on two occasions only. When West Ham was created a county borough, the additional duties to be performed by the new authority caused a heavy increase of rates. In Table LVI. the rates since 1888 are set out indetail. 3 o8 WEST HAM The chief expenditure falls under three heads: (i) General Borough purposes, for which the General District and the Borough rate must be taken together ; (2) the admini- stration of the Poor Law, the cost of which appears under Guardians' Rate, and (3) Education, paid for up to 1903 by the School Board Rate, and since then by the Town Council's Education Rate. On page 321 sqq. will be found a detailed consideration of rating for the purposes of education. The severance brought about by the Act of 1888 made the Council entirely responsible for many items of expenditure, of which previously they had contributed their share to the county. In a report made by the borough accountant in 1896 there is a table which compares the expenditure of the local Board of Health and of the Council, showing that at the end of 1895 there was an increase equal to a rate of is. 9-36d. in the pound. This, it is stated, was due to " Capital charges, new institutions, increase of wages of Council's employees, and other expenses consequent upon an enlarged and improved organisation." Between 1895 and 1899 there was practically no rise in rates, though there was a large amount of expenditure. In 1900 the rates began to go up, and the rise continued till 1904, since when there has been a slight drop. The remarkable increase in the population of the borough from 128,953 in 1881 to 288,425 in 1904 made a consider- able outlay on public buildings, recreation grounds, baths, and other public purposes essential. With the exception of West Ham Park, which was largely given by the Gurney family, no individual gifts for public purposes had been made to the borough. Since 1888 the only gifts to West Ham have been a museum, presented by Mr. Passmore Edwards, a library in Custom House by Mr. Carnegie, and a library in Plaistow by Mr. Passmore Edwards. The Council pro- vided sites, and is responsible for the upkeep of the in- stitutions. In view of the rapid development of the borough, the Council would have been very short-sighted had it postponed the purchase of sites for recreation grounds, housing, and LOCAL GOVERNMENT 309 baths. As it is, some parts of the borough are inadequately supplied with open spaces, &c., and the effect of this is seen in the high death rates. 1 One set of baths was built by the Town Council, and a site was purchased for another, which has not yet been built on account of the expense. A small bath off the High Street, Stratford, was built by the Carpenter's Company, and maintained by them until 1905, when the Council agreed to pay a moderate rent for it, and to become responsible for its maintenance. These are at the present time the only two sets of baths in the borough. This accom- modation is obviously insufficient for a population of 300,000, especially when it is remembered that the borough covers a very large area, and that swimming is part of the school curriculum for boys and girls. Since 1900 the growth in expenditure has been most carefully watched. In March 1901 the Council passed a resolution " that regard being had to the increase in local taxation during the last six years, the borough treasurer be directed to prepare a return (1) fully setting forth the income and expenditure of the Council ; . . . (2) the increase in the precepts levied by other local authorities (viz., school board, the guardians, and the Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police) ; . . . and (3) showing all fresh items of expenditure during the period November 1898 to November 1900, with dates when incurred." 2 In his prefatory note the Borough Accountant states that " in considering increased expenditure it is necessary to ascertain to what extent the borough's ability to pay has expanded during the same period of time. Naturally, with a rapid development — at one time absolutely without parallel — expenditure of necessity increases, and although the growth of the borough has not been so marked during the past decade, as it was in the two previous de- cennial periods, the fact, I believe, is established that the tendency to increased expenditure is due to the fact that the 1 See p. 60. 2 This last return covers the time during which the Labour group was in power ; but it is impossible from it to separate the items of expenditure which occurred during their administration. 3 io WEST HAM actual results of the borough's phenomenal growth are only now being realised. . . . " There is no doubt in my mind that the extremely rapid increase in expenditure is largely due to the fact that prior to incorporation, when the district was possibly larger than most municipal boroughs in the country, practically little or nothing was done in the way of carrying out permanent works and improvements, and in the provision of those necessities for the public benefit which have been established by the Council since incorporation. This cannot better be illustrated than by mentioning the fact that between the years 1871 and 1878 no capital borrowings took place at all, and that during the whole of the late Local Board's existence of thirty years, only .£294,249 was raised for capital expendi- ture." Of the total debt of the borough on March 31, 1902, which amounted to .£1,426,340, .£218,786 was for sewage and sanitary works, .£400,643 for street improvements, £303,478 for lunatic asylums, and £131,475 for hospitals. It is undoubtedly true that these charges were to a large extent due to the previous small expenditure under the Local Board. Some details of the expenditure due to the more energetic municipal policy initiated by the Socialist and Labour group probably involved extravagances which it is impossible to discuss with accuracy so long after the event. Opinion may be divided as to the advisability of reviving the works department, which had previously been a failure, of erecting municipal dwellings, and as to the success of the electrical and tramway departments. But there is no doubt about the vital importance of several expensive measures which have been taken. The cost of taking over the tramways and the extension of the electrical plant have been very heavy items. But it is claimed that both of these are or are becoming remunerative undertakings. Moreover, in both cases they are a public benefit. In 1870 the North Metropolitan Tramways Company obtained powers to lay tramways in the borough, and they LOCAL GOVERNMENT 311 extended their system in 1884. The Corporation in 1898 obtained parliamentary powers for the purchase and conver- sion of the five routes belonging to the company, and a further Act in 1900 authorised the construction of an exten- sion of I2i miles, which was opened in 1904. The tramways account for the year ending March 1907 shows a profit of .£21,712 after paying for all charges; of this ^9700 was applied to relief of rates, and the remainder placed to reserve or carried forward. The cost of street widening has been so apportioned between the Council and the tramways depart- ment that the latter is responsible for 44.5 per cent, of the whole expenditure. It is, however, a matter of the greatest difficulty to say how many of the street improvements made were absolutely necessitated by the laying of the tram lines. The apportioning of the cost is, therefore, necessarily some- what arbitrary. It is claimed by the electricity department that, owing to good management, the rate for electric current is lower than anywhere in the London district, and that there is an increas- ing demand by factories for electrical power. They also maintain that the low rate charged is an inducement to manufacturers to come to the district, and in support of this point to the advent of new consumers during the past year. Since 1900 the cost of generation and distribution, includ- ing capital charges, has fallen from 3.7 id. per unit to i.79d. The total revenue has increased from ^8997 at the end of 1900 to ^48,063 at the end of 1906. The number of units sold has risen from 572,792 in the year ending March 1900 to 8,013,343 in the year ending March 1907. The number of units supplied for May 1907 is about double that in May 1905. The works department was not a success, and was closed in 1907. In 1898 and the following years, during which a considerable amount of new work was undertaken, the depart- ment was able to keep its staff busy and to justify the con- siderable administrative charges (such as the salary of an efficient manager) necessary to a permanent municipal depart- ment. But as new undertakings became rarer, the admini- 312 WEST HAM strative charges made the cost of all work excessive. Although, therefore, the existence of the department may have been justifiable in 1898, in 1907 it was clearly an unprofitable concern. It is often asserted that West Ham would no longer suffer from higher rates if the borough were to become part of the London area. The question of unification with the County of London was first considered by the West Ham Town Council in April 1895. It was stated that many ratepayers believed the rates would be lightened by unification ; but the motion in favour of immediate action found only three or four supporters on the Council. The matter was repeatedly brought before the Council, chiefly by resolutions from meet- ings of ratepayers in different parts of the borough. In December 1895 it was referred to a committee, which pre- sented a detailed report from the borough accountant on the financial considerations involved. He estimated that if West Ham became part of London there would be an approximate reduction of 5-jd. in future rates ; that West Ham would gain from being included in the rating area of the London School Board, and from the equalisation of rates under the Act of 1894; but that the losses with regard to Municipal, Poor Law, and other matters would " very materially reduce any relief afforded by these rates." This conclusion, however, does not allow for certain charges estimated as equal to a rate of 8|d. in the pound, as to which it was impossible to make any definite statement ; it was even possible that they would swallow up the assumed gain of 5^d., and that the change would prove financially disadvantageous to the borough. The Committee reported as follows in September 1896 : " That having regard to the wishes of the Council, they have carefully considered the probable effects of opening up negoti- ations with a view to amalgamation with the county of London, and have compared the various charges and rates affected thereby, as detailed in the borough accountant's report, but are unable to recommend the Council to proceed any farther in the matter." The recommendation that no LOCAL GOVERNMENT 313 further steps should be taken was passed by the Council in October 1896. Since then the whole aspect of the question has changed, principally in consequence of the Education Act of 1902, which necessitates a larger expenditure than the previous Act. The figures quoted will not apply even approximately to the present day. The subject has not, however, been reopened in any definite form at the Council, though the opinion is often expressed, especially by outsiders, that West Ham would profit if the London area were enlarged so as to include it. Many critics of local government in the borough consider that further possibilities of maladministration would be avoided by inclusion ; but the opinion of both parties on the present Council seems to be that West Ham would suffer from it. High rates are attributed to large capital charges consequent on the very rapid growth of the borough and to the fact that it mainly consists of small property ; and it is asserted that the turning point has been reached. The rise in rates which began in 1900 has been attributed to a change in the majority on the Town Council from Moderate to Socialistic which took place at the municipal elections of 1898, and as this belief has been widely spread, the history of parties on the Council and their influence on expenditure requires some notice. The early councils of the county borough consisted of some of the old local board, new members of a Moderate tendency and a few Progressives ; but there were no clearly defined parties. It was not until 1895 that the first Social Democrat was elected. In the next year two, and in 1897 three more of this party were elected. These men all repre- sented wards in the south of the borough ; and it became evident that a new force was rising in local affairs. The representatives of the new party were energetic and zealous men, anxious to detect abuses and make reforms ; and they were at first well received by the other members of the Council. The Town Council elections in November 1898 were the first held after the division of the borough into twelve wards ; and the election of local men with an intimate know- 3 i4 WEST HAM ledge of special areas undoubtedly added great force to the movement for a more vigorous municipal policy. Ten out of twelve seats were gained by Socialist, Labour, and Progressive candidates, and a coalition was formed between these sections to elect progressive aldermen. All the six vacancies were filled by members of the group, including one Socialist. At the by-elections which followed the election of aldermen three more socialists were elected. The Socialists on the Council did not approach a majority at this time ; but their influence was considerable. In order to form a united party against the Moderates, who began to reorganise their ranks, a further agreement was entered into by the Socialists, Labour members, Irish Nationalists, and some Progressives, and a Labour group was formed consisting of 29 out of the 48 members of the Council. The group always met before the Council meetings to discuss the agenda and to decide their policy on particular points. The members agreed to state at the group meetings whether they intended to vote with the group or not. By means of this internal organisation the group knew before any crisis arose what tactics were likely to be most successful, and increased rapidly in power. The Moderates on the Council then found that further organi- sation was necessary, and a Municipal Alliance was formed to counteract the influence of the Labour group by choosing and helping candidates who were opposed to it. After the elections of November 1899, the two parties became almost equal in numbers, as the Moderates won several seats. More- over, they too adopted a party organisation by which they could ascertain before each Council meeting what opposition was likely to be offered from their own side to any scheme that was mooted. The organisation on both sides seems to have been analogous to that of the Parliamentary parties. The Labour group was supreme for one year only, with a majority of 10. As they were a group and not a homogeneous party, their majority of 1 in the next year did not enable them to carry on a common policy. This " Socialist regime " has been generally held respon- sible for the heavy expenditure of the borough Council. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 315 A comparison of expenditure during the years shown in the Borough Accountant's return bears on the supposed effect on the rates of the predominance of particular parties. In 1895-6 the total annual expenditure by the Council was .£160,971, and in 1 900-1 it had risen to .£240,071, an increase of -£79,100 per annum, or 49.14 per cent. If the rateable value of the borough had remained the same, an increased rate of is. 1 id. would have been necessary, but owing to the increased rateable value, an additional rate of 8d. was sufficient. This increase in rates was partly due to the increasingly progressive policy of the Council and their recognition of the needs of the growing community, and partly to the cost of undertakings (for instance, electric light installation and the erection of a smallpox hospital) that came upon the rates for the first time in 1 898-1 899. It took place under a Council in which the Socialist group only numbered six, and 3d. out of the 8d. added to the rates was accounted for by the new under- takings. 1 In view of these facts the statements made in the Times of September 16, 1902, under the heading, "A Socialist regime at West Ham," appear unwarranted and misleading. In fair- ness to the borough Council, it should be made clear that the main increase of expenditure was due to the recognition of the necessities of the rapidly growing population. It is stated in the same article that the " people said that in course of time there were drawbacks, even for them, in unre- stricted Socialism. They found that because of the increased rates, house rents were going up 12^- to 20 per cent., not- withstanding the threats of the Socialists that every landlord who raised his rents should have his assessments increased." A study of Book I., chap, iv., will show that from 1897- 1900 various districts of West Ham were suffering from a " house famine," and the rise in rent was considerable. Table LVI. shows that in 1896 the rates were 8s. 5d. ; in 1898, 7s. 8d. ; in 1900, 8s. 2d. ; that is to say, the rates 1 During the same period the expenditure which was not under the control of the Council (Guardians', School Board, and Owners' rate) increased from .£183,776 in 1895-6 to £221,604 in 1900-1, i.e. by £37,828. The increase in rateable value was sufficient to meet these extra charges and to reduce the rates by id. 3 i6 WEST HAM fell during the period of greatest rise in rents. Since that period the rents have fallen to the same level as in 1888, although the rates again rose and were in 1906 double what they had been in 1888. This result is not as paradoxical as it appears, since high rates are among the drawbacks to living in a district, and all such drawbacks tend to lower rents. The Moderate party gradually gained upon the Labour group, and in 1901 had 28 representatives against 14 Labour and 6 Independents. At the present time the Moderate party numbers 32, the Labour group 14, and the Independents 2. u O H OO m o roNO CN ^ ^ ^ t-v -■ N m -^ „ pr, ^- iy-,vC t-^. oc On O O O O 0\n vD NO NO NC NO no C N oooooooOo-ococoooooo oo occc <| ^- : - -• tco c c TJ J o y. O c <3 -y oo'' 4vC aNOK"-' N O r<* ^ o\ Onoo -+ Xi-, ^ ^ t^ "". « ro roNO - N « jf ?J « £ 2> rooo O VO O ^J- rrj to io ro m On NO t^-oo tn ^ _' _" <-i ro iA ^- iA ii-i u-.vo od 'O On On On oo ci *>j ^O tj- -+ tJ- ■* <*s *> o O O O O - 1 **j r^ "") <+N0 CcONOOOOONOOOOOO-fr ^ ro^^f^N N ro W n N «N N co co ro*o kkkk t^ ti 1^ 1^ t^oo 00 OO CO 00 CO OO CO oo oc oc oo cc ooocooooocoooocooooooooo c 3 I-inds. Sch. B LOCAL GOVERNMENT 3*7 Dirt -(S'OOOM-OOOOOIC^IOOOOONOOOINOOOO W M M M J! \n ir) \f)\D \rnO c^ t>00 CO r^ t^CO C\00 O o* O i M CO (V 0\ rj-vo M I HCT «Hi'-MMeiMH0 H >j-U)0 *H H'" ^ M M H M O O ^ M O "-t l"' W M VO N cionctciniin •(j>oifltinoci^iflionnHifl io>o m o o ^n ^ o N « mromromTj-ff)mfO*Ttuiir)NNN I >>C •Ss.s> —••a „, L ffi o. CI ■; itvo >oajoo O O h mo O O (too O ti-OKi ^ H o; « N M M M M corororororofOro-^-Tj-TtTtro O O O O O 0O0O0OCO0O0O0O0O000OCO0O OHM>OvOOiOi 3i8 WEST HAM The following table shows the rateable value for 1837 (estimated), and the increase since 1861 (the earliest date for which it can accurately be ascertained), in comparison with increase of population : — Table LVII. -Increase of Population , Rateable Value, and Rates. Date. Rateable Value. Percentage of Increase of Rateable Actual Increase of Percentage of Increase of Popula- tion. Actual Increase of Percentage Increase of Value during Population. Rates. Rates in £. Decade. £ s. d. 1837 40,000 1861 119,000 38,331 3 6 1871 211,853 78.0 62,919 67.2 3 8 2-35 1881 487,800 130.2 128,953 104.7 3 10 3-99 1891 775,181 58.9 204,903 58.8 6 56.11 1901 1,126,754 45-35 267,308 3o-4 9 50.0 1906 1,204,888 10.69 310,617 16.8 10 8 18.70 A table is printed below which shows the amount pro- duced by a penny rate each year from 1 892-1906, the only years for which such information is available : — TABLE LVII I. — The Amount Produced by a Penny Rate, from 1892 to 1906. {General District Rate.) Year ended March 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 Produce of Penny Rate. ^2807 • 2991 • 33o8 • 3327 • 346l • 35 6 4 • 3 6 52 • 3865 Year ended M arch 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 I9°5 1906 Produce of Penny Rate. ^4006 4264 4332 4471 4579 4621 4652 CHAPTER II Large Number of Children under 15 — Comparison with other Towns — Report of Accountant on Education Rate in 1896 — Scheme of Educa- tion in the Borough — Relief of School Children — Tables. One of the most striking features in the census returns for West Ham is the large number of children under 15. In Table A children under 15 are shown as a percentage of the total population in England and Wales, London, and five districts, one of which is a country town about fifteen miles from London. It will be seen that in the three East End districts taken, Bethnal Green, Poplar, and West Ham, the per- centage is the highest in 1881, and that West Ham is highest of all. The general percentage in England and Wales and in London has fallen with the falling birth-rate. In Poplar the fall is about typical ; in Hampstead the fall is remarkable ; in Bethnal Green it is checked by Jewish immigration with a high birth-rate. Epping is typical of a country town, and though the fall in West Ham between 1881 and 190 1 is con- siderable, the percentage is still higher than in any of the other districts. The next table shows the percentages at various ages under 15 of the total population in certain areas in 1901. It will be seen that West Ham has the highest per- centage in the metropolitan and extra-metropolitan area, and Bethnal Green, which stands next, has the highest in the County of London. St. Helen's, which has the largest pro- portionate child population of any town in the country given separately in the census, has 38.7 compared with West Ham 37.1. A comparison between West Ham (37.1), Poplar (34.9), and Bermondsey (35.2) is most interesting, since all three are waterside districts. The explanation of the large percentage of children in West Ham is that West Ham is a 319 320 WEST HAM newer district and has a larger proportion of young married people. Tottenham, which is also a new district, stands at 35.6. In this case there is no riverside labour, and the factories are of a higher class. It is noticeable that the percentages for the residential districts of Hampstead and Kensington are both as low as 22.6. TABLE A. — Children under 15 as Percentage of Total Population. 1901. 1891. 1881. 1. England and Wales 2. County of London . 3. Bethnal Green 4. Poplar ..... 5. Hampstead .... 6. Epping ..... 7. West Ham .... 32.3 30.0 36.3 34-9 22.6 33-6 37-i 35.o 32.6 37-8 37-3 26.7 30. 5 39-7 36.3 33-5 38.7 38.7 3i.7 36.1 41. 1 Table B- 1901, Percentage at Various Ages (0-5, 5-10, 10- 15) of Total Population in Certain Areas. England and Wales London . Bermondsey Bethnal Green Poplar Hampstead . Kensington . West Ham Tottenham St. Helen's (Lanes) 0-5- S-io. 10-15. 0-15. n. 4 10.7 10.2 32- 3 10.9 9.8 9-3 30.0 12.8 11. 7 10.7 35-2 13.6 11. 9 10.8 36.3 12.7 11. 4 10.8 34-9 7-9 7-3 7-4 22.6 8.0 7-5 7-i 22.6 13.6 12.3 11. 2 37-i 12.6 11. 8 11. 2 35-6 14-3 12.9 "•5 38.7 In 1 90 1 the number of children in the borough from 5 to 14 years of age was 57,028 (census return). The average number on the roll of the Board schools was 48,986, and of non-Board schools 8867. The latter numbers, however, include children under 5 years of age. The Board ascertained, from an analysis of ages taken in all the schools, that the LOCAL GOVERNMENT 321 children under 5 were 7.5 per cent, of the total number. If this percentage be deducted, the numbers between 5 and 14 on the roll of elementary schools was 53,514, or 93.8 per cent, of the children in the borough between these ages. The percentage for the whole of London for the same year in elementary schools was 87.4. The average number for whom accommodation was pro- vided in all the public elementary schools for the year ending March 1906 was 66,807, the average number on the books 60,606, the average attendance 53,599. It will be seen, therefore, that in West Ham there are an excessive number of children of elementary school age, and that of these a remarkably high percentage go to the elemen- tary schools of the borough. The number of houses in the borough at a low rateable value is also very large. Thus an abnormally large expenditure on education is necessary, and this falls on a population living mainly in houses of a low rateable value. The Borough Accountant, in a report written in 1896, 1 gave an alarming forecast of the results of an increase of population under the circumstances. The following paragraphs may be quoted : — " 46. Taking the present annual rate charge of £2 10s. 8d. per head as a criterion of the future cost per head, I have inquired what the effect of the future development of the borough will be in heightening, or otherwise, the School Board rate, regard being had to the fact that building opera- tions for some years past have been confined mainly to the erection of cottage property. "There are at the present time in the borough 37,561 houses, of which 32,702 represent small property up to a rateable value of ^20, the average rateable value of the whole being .£14 19s. per house. The major portion, however, is much less than this figure, and during the past few years some of the most valuable building sites in the borough have been utilised for erecting this class of property, as it is evidently 1 The report dealt with the financial considerations involved in the proposed inclusion of West Ham in the Metropolitan area. X 322 WEST HAM more remunerative to the speculator than the better and larger class. Estates have so scientifically been cut up that the greatest possible number of houses compatible with the bare observance of the Council's bye-laws have been erected on a given space, in some instances the number reaching as many as 40 per acre. " 47. I have caused a house-to-house inquiry to be made on one of these estates, and found that the average number of children per house attending the Board's schools was 1.50. The whole of these houses are assessed at ^10 each, and produce on the present rates of 8s. 5d. in the pound the following proportionate amounts to local taxation : — " In this calculation the necessary deduction has been made for losses and allowances in respect of both the Poor and the General District Rate : — " General District Rate Borough Rate Library Rate Poor Rate . School Board Rate Police Overseers Total Produce £ s. d. 1 9 3 5 3i 7* 10 u| 17 6 3 i* c 1 3 " 48. The actual cost on the rates for education being £2 1 os. 8d. per child, the sum of .£3 16s. od. is required for School Board purposes alone, or 8s. more than the total amount produced on the rateable value of the house for all local purposes, the total loss on each house being shown as follows : — £ *• d. "The actual cost on the rates of \\ children for elementary education equals Amount of rates produced on assessment of house Deficiency in cost of education Add amount required by other authorities Actual deficiency in rate income per house "50. Looking to the amount of vacant land at present avail- able for building purposes, and the class of property which is 3 16 3 8 8 2 10 6 2 18 6 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 323 being so largely erected in the borough, it becomes, I think, necessary to consider this loss in its relation to the present and future local taxation. " I have illustrated, as an extreme case, an estate where forty houses have been built to the acre, in respect of which there is on each house a deficiency of rate income for the services required to be performed on its behalf of £2 18s. 6d. per annum. This is at the rate of about ^117 per acre per annum, which has to be made good by a rate levied generally over the whole of the property within the county borough. The seriousness of this, I think, is seen when it is considered that there are yet 900 acres of undeveloped land capable of producing an annual deficiency of -£105,300. This pro- bability, of course, is very remote, but, from the extremity of the illustration, evidence is furnished of the degree to which local taxation can be increased in this direction alone, and, even if an average of as low as thirty houses per acre is taken, it shows that an immense loss to local taxation would ensue, and I am impelled to make the statement, startling as it appears, that it is greater economy to purchase and turn the land into playgrounds than to have it covered with small dwellings of the character alluded to. "51. The abnormal increase of the population in West Ham, and its effect upon local taxation, is possibly more apparent in the School Board rate than in any other portion of local taxation, and it is a matter of the most serious concern to contemplate what this charge will be should the population ever reach the figure I have stated it is possible for it to do, viz., 430,000. If in some thirty years' time the borough is populated to this extent, and taking the present expenditure of the Board as a basis of future probable expenditure, I have estimated that the School Board rate may eventually reach 3s. 6d. in the pound per annum, and even 4s. ; in fact, having considered the matter from more than one point of view, I think there is but little doubt that, unless remedial legislation intervenes, the borough will, in course of time, be called upon to raise the extraordinary rate I have indicated." It is not necessary in this report to discuss the present 324 WEST HAM method of rating on the value of houses without regard to the needs of their inmates. The foregoing comparison be- tween the rate income of ^10 houses and the average cost of educating the children living in them is interesting in another connection. It shows that the continued considerable increase of the poorer working class, to which the major part of the West Ham occupiers belong, so far from lighten- ing the burden of local taxation by a wider distribution, will actually necessitate a serious addition to the rate unless either the Treasury grants are increased or the assessments are readjusted so as to throw a much larger part of the burden on those occupiers who can least afford to bear it. Since the report of the Borough Accountant was written the cost of elementary education falling on the rates has risen from £2 1 os. 8d. to £2 13s. 8jd., giving an increase per head of 3s. ofd. This includes additional charges incurred since the passing of the Act of 1902, under which the Borough Council is the authority responsible for all education, and in addition to elementary education provides two higher elementary schools in which there are 295 places for elemen- tary school children, and a secondary school in which there are 50 places for elementary school children. On the other hand, since the report of 1896 was written two changes have been made with a view to getting more money from the small property. Formerly houses up to a rateable value of ^20 were considered as cottage property and were assessed at a lower scale and compounding was allowed. Cottage property was subsequently defined as covering cottages and cottage flats up to ^13 a year rateable value, by which change a large number of houses were transferred to a higher scale. In the present year another change has been made (April 1907) by which no allowances are made for cottage property except by special arrangements between the borough treasurer and the landlord. It will be impossible for at least a year to estimate the effect of this change. It may, however, be safely asserted that the increased amount derived from small property will to some extent compensate for the in- creased cost of education. Moreover, for the years 1907 and LOCAL GOVERNMENT 325 1908 additional grants have been provided by the Treasury on account of the heavy rate for education. For the year ending March 1907, .£46,961 4s. od. has been received, for the current year ^55,000 has been allowed for in the esti- mates, but has not yet been received. Although it is impossible to bring the figures given in the report up to date, the statement made is of so alarming a character that it is desirable that a fresh statement should be worked out by the borough officials, when the effect of the change in assessments can accurately be determined. The scheme of education in the borough may be sum- marised as comprising : — Elementary Schools — with free education in the Council Schools. Higher Elementary Schools — with free education by means of scholarships. Evening Continuation Schools — fees returnable to scholars who attend regularly. Secondary School with free education by scholarships. Technical Institute with free education in certain classes by scholarships. Pupil Teacher Centre with free education for Pupil Teachers. Scholarships tenable at the Municipal Central Secondary School or other approved Secondary Schools in the borough. In West Ham at the end of March 1906, the latest date at which figures are available, there were 45 Council Schools, comprising 132 departments, which provided for 58,211 children. There are 13 Non-Provided schools, with places for 8596 children, 2 Deaf Centres with accommodation for 80 children, and 2 Special schools, one of these providing places for 40 physically defective, the other for 80 mentally defective children. The Committee also manages a Truant School situated at Fyfield, near Ongar in Essex. Tabic LIX. shows the admissions, licences, and dis- 326 WEST HAM charges from the school for the year 1905. 1 The number of admissions for the London Truant Schools for the year ending December 1906 was 257, licences 56, discharges 2. Evening Continuation Classes were held at five schools, two in the north and three in the south of the borough. The number of scholars in attendance has increased consider- ably during the past two years. The subjects taken by the largest number were shorthand and bookkeeping, and pre- liminary classes in mathematics and technical drawing were formed in order to make the classes preparatory to the Technical Institute. The reports of the inspector show that the schools were conducted excellently. The following table shows the admissions to the five Evening Continuation Schools in the borough: — No. of Students admitted — (a) Under 15 (b) Between 15 and 21 . (r) Over 21 . Totals . Upton Lane. Water Lane. Balaam Street. Russell Road. Star Lane. Totals. 168 366 76 144 180 31 173 "3 15 112 150 14 52 13 649 900 149 1698 610 355 301 276 156 At the Technical Institute there were 54 students taking the full day courses and 2184 attending the evening classes. Of the latter, 1091 were in their first year, 441 in their second year, and 652 in their third or higher year of study. Thirty day and evening students were registered as internal students of the University of London. "Of the Science and Technical Classes, H.M. Inspector reports : — "'This Institute continues to develop in widening the scope and increasing the standard of work. It has had a successful session, and the regular attendance of the students is a most satisfactory feature.' 1 The number of truants has decreased considerably owing to the efficiency of the School Attendance Department. The school has been approved (1907) as an Industrial and Truant School. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 327 "The Inspector of the School of Art reports : — " ' The work of this school is generally excellent. The craft work is thoroughly sound and practical, and, at the same time, Design, in its application and principles, is always studied in connection with it.' " During the year a conference was arranged between the Technical Institute sub-committee and representatives of manufacturing firms, employers of labour, and labour organi- sations, in order to bring the Technical Institute into touch with the needs of the district. Thirteen organisations sent representations, and a discussion took place on the various methods by which the usefulness of the institute could be extended to meet the needs of the particular interests and industries of the district. It was suggested by some members of the committee that manufacturers might arrange for their apprentices or learners to attend the institute during the ordinary hours of work, but this suggestion was not favourably received. The conference served .some useful purpose in bringing certain employers of labour into touch with the committee, and with the principal of the institute. In addition to the subjects ordinarily taught in elementary schools, manual instruction in woodwork is a part of the curriculum, where practicable, for boys above the fourth standard. 2764 boys attended these Woodwork Centres in 1906, and the inspector states that in no instance has an adverse remark been made in the report. Swimming is taught during the summer term to both girls and boys, but in this the education authority is considerably handicapped by the small amount of bath accommodation. At present there is only one set of baths in the north, and one set in the south of the borough. There are two higher elementary schools with a capacity of 500, which were not opened until after Easter 1906, and a municipal secondary school opened in January 1906 with a capacity of 680 and 563 pupils in attendance at the end of the first term. No annual reports are available for these schools, as they have not been long enough in working order. 328 WEST HAM The question was raised some years ago of establishing a Day Training College for teachers in connection with the institute, but so far the committee have considered that any further addition to their expenditure in this direction is in- advisable. In addition to the education provided by the municipality, there are six private secondary schools, three of which are Roman Catholic. Three of them are recognised by the Board of Education for grants, and two are eligible to receive the committee's scholarship holders. The Great Eastern Railway Company maintain a Mechanic's Institute, where technical classes are held, which were attended in 1906 by 108 1 students. They have a system by which their indentured apprentices must attend classes for a certain number of hours during the week, and their learners are en- couraged to do the same. The amount expended for maintenance of elementary education, inclusive of deaf, industrial, and defective schools in the year ending March 31, 1906, was ^265,753, of which 56 per cent, was paid from rates, 42.3 per cent, by Parlia- mentary grants, 1.7 per cent, by miscellaneous receipts. The cost to the rates for elementary education was £2 13s. 8|d. per head of average attendance. There are 53 head masters and 112 head mistresses, 465 male and 880 female assistants, and 34 special teachers. The system on which the secondary school is conducted does not provide any basis for calculating the average cost per head. In the report of the Education Committee issued in 1906, covering a period of two years, the Council's inspectors state : — " The work in the elementary schools (both Council and Non-provided) is sound and good : the reports of H.M. Inspectors amply testify to this. With good, well-ventilated, and well-furnished premises, liberal staff of thoroughly quali- fied teachers, ample provision of necessary apparatus and materials, and marked absence of friction in the general arrangements, the training of the children goes on throughout the year happily and steadily, and very little trouble is ex- perienced in the management and control of the schools." In the second report for the year ending March 1906 it is LOCAL GOVERNMENT 329 stated that the annual reports furnished by H.M. Inspector speak in high terms of the general condition of the schools throughout the borough. Non-provided schools were treated liberally with a view to raising the standard of education. 11 The teaching staff in some of the non-provided schools when they came under the control of the Education Committee was considerably below the standard adopted for the Council schools, and in most cases the salaries paid by the managers to the teachers were much below the scale in force in the schools belonging to the authority. This matter received the very careful consideration of the Education Committee, and the strength of the staff in the non-provided schools was brought as nearly as possible to the level adopted for Council schools, and the salaries were rearranged so as in all cases to bring them up to the scale in force for teachers in Council schools. In some few instances, where teachers were in receipt of a higher salary than their qualifications entitled them to receive under the Council's scale, their former salary was allowed to continue for a fixed period in order to give them an opportunity of raising their qualifications. In no single instance was the salary of a teacher reduced." These extracts show the aims of the School Board towards educational efficiency and the spirit in which the Council took over their work. Until May 1904 teachers were graded according to their qualifications and were paid salaries corresponding to their different grades. In May 1904 the Town Council decided to abolish grading of teachers and pay a uniform scale for assistant teachers. Head teachers were paid on three scales according to the size of their schools. In order to safeguard the interests of their teachers, the Council passed the following resolution which was noted in the letters of appointment sent to teachers : — " That the teacher shall be paid a salary in accordance with the scale for the time being in force, such salary to be paid monthly, and on the termination of the engagement a proportionate part of the said salary down to the date of the termination of the engagement to be paid, provided 33° WEST HAM always that any modification of the scale of salaries shall not act to the detriment of a teacher already in the service of the Council." On May 12, 1907, a new scale of salaries came into force. Grading was reintroduced, and a distinction was also made between those who had been trained at a college and those who had not been so trained. Head teachers were divided into two classes according to the size of their schools. The new scale of salaries did not affect those teachers who were classed as higher grade, but a lower maximum was fixed for lower grade teachers and the amount of their incre- ments was made smaller than under the previous scale. The possible maximum of head teachers was also reduced. The new scale was forwarded to the teachers and they were asked whether they would accept it or not. If they did not accept it, their only course was to resign. Fifty-eight of the lower grade teachers sent in their resignations, and their case was taken up by the National Union of Teachers, mainly on the ground that the Council had broken faith. It was asserted by the union that many teachers were attracted to the borough by the scale of salaries in force in 1904, and that the introduction of a lower scale in spite of the minute quoted above constituted a " breach of faith " if it was applied to teachers already in the service of the Council. The union raised no question about the scale as applied to teachers engaged after its adoption. The resignation of teachers necessitated the rearrange- ment of the teaching staff in many schools and the employ- ment of emergency teachers, and as a protest against this action a large number of teachers not directly affected resigned their appointments. A conference took place between mem- bers of the Education Committee and the accredited represen- tatives of the teachers, and an agreement satisfactory to both sides was arrived at. Before the dispute arose the Committee, following the action of the School Board, had aimed at a higher standard, both in number and quality of teachers, than the Board of Education's minimum. The National Union of Teachers states that " until recently LOCAL GOVERNMENT 331 the West Ham Education Committee has been one of the foremost authorities in the country in pushing forward an efficient scheme of popular education." The recent displacement and withdrawal of teachers has undoubtedly lowered the standard of education in West Ham. No complaints were made by the Board of Education Inspec- tors, mainly because education was, prior to the difficulty, so efficiently carried on. But there can be little doubt that some considerable time must elapse before the schools are raised to their former level. The elementary schools (provided and non-provided) may be classified into four groups according to the circum- stances of the children who attend them. In 10 of the schools, 9 of which are in North West Ham, the children are mainly drawn from the better streets inhabited by persons who are in regular work, many of whom are able to contri- bute towards the education of their children. In the second class are grouped those schools which are attended by the children of labourers as well as of clerks and artisans. These number 20, and most of the wards contain one or more of them. The third group consists of poor schools where the children of artisans and shopkeepers are in the minority ; of these, 8 out of 9 are in South West Ham. The schools in the fourth group are attended mainly by children from very poor homes whose parents are labourers, mainly of the casual class. These number 17 and are situated in the poorer parts of North West Ham, of Plaistow, Canning Town, Tidal Basin and Custom House. Opinions would, doubtless, differ slightly as to the number of schools which should be placed in each group, but this division, which is based on information from the Council's inspectors, gives a fair idea of the schools in West Ham. In the following table is shown the number of children in each ward who were notified to the relieving officers as in urgent need of food, and the way in which they were dealt with under Relief of School Children Order, 1904. 332 WEST HAM Relief (School Children) Order. 1905. ■a •a •a T3 • O) c i> . . . v a S £0 18 •a "a 1 «5 a> & CO rt « s rt > 3 & c *2& S a 11 11 Ward. BT3 5.2 00 2 <« Children y who ha ealt with t Cases. S-5-o ffl & c rr. H £•0 . z -0 . •4-t G 2 rt in ^o3 No. of I thereb 1 been d 1 Urgen' No. of thereb eluded Cases. rt o> (fl U V H rt.S High Street . 143 142 56 264 173 65 315 121 Broadway 266 94 48 128 13 7 107 55 New Town 18 29 14 16 14 1 1 43 25 Forest Gate . 12 23 9 1 2 1 25 10 Park 22 18 6 2 6 2 24 8 Upton 8 13 5 22 20 7 33 12 West Ham 445 272 121 389 113 54 385 175 Plaistow . 166 125 72 90 66 28 191 100 Hudson's 273 194 91 528 210 86 404 177 Canning Town 396 353 152 812 382 158 735 3io Tidal Basin 156 201 82 119 167 77 368 159 Custom House \ Silvertown J 247 221 96 "3 77 40 298 136 2152 1685 752 2484 1243 536 2928 1288 The charitable fund known as The West Ham Poor Children's Dinner and Clothing Fund was mainly spent during the winter of 1905-6 on feeding children on whose behalf application had been made under the Relief (School Children) Order 1905, before relief had been granted. 28,829 meals were given between October 1905 and May 1906, the maximum number being 5310 in December, and the mini- mum 1926 in April. 1617 pairs of new boots were given away by the head teachers in 102 school departments, in the year March 1905-6, and 673 in the year March 1906—7. Each pair was indelibly marked, but no case of an attempt to pawn or sell them was reported to the committee. Below is given a table showing the occupation of the parents of those children who received boots. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 333 Boots. — Tabulation of Trades of Parents. Occupation or Calling. 1905-6. 1906-7. Total, 2 years. Clerks ....... 170 "5 288 578 34 9 19 10 5o 4i 25 119 263 19 2 11 10 211 140 407 841 53 1 1 30 10 60 Of the 1617 pairs, 547, and of the 673 pairs, 233 were given to children who had had boots given to them in the previous year. 171 of the parents of the 673 children who received boots in 1906-7 were registered on the Distress Committee lists as unemployed. The administration of the fund is in the hands of the head teachers, one of whom acts as secretary. It is obvious that the practice of giving meals must vary in extent with the judgment of different teachers, even in schools of the same class. There is no uniform standard by which the children's condition can be judged, and the teachers' action is often guided by impressions based on appearances. The committee have not set up any machinery for inquiring systematically into the physical condition of the children either through nurses and visitors, or by medical inspection. In 1898 the School Board ordered a report to be made on the eyesight of children in two schools. The report was not of an extensive character, and was only considered as an experiment, but the cost was disallowed by the auditor, and surcharged to the Board, though subsequently the surcharge was remitted. Some members of the Education Committee feel strongly that systematic medical inspection is most desir- able in many of the schools, and should form the basis of any distribution of meals, but lack of powers and of funds have been an effective argument against any such action. 334 WEST HAM The intention of the Education Committee has been to provide a completely co-ordinated system of education. Part of the machinery is still new, and it is, therefore, impossible to judge whether it is adequate to the needs of the district. Success in the future must depend largely on the co-operation between different grades of schools and on the solution by the committee of various urgent problems. The prevalence of casual labour in many of the districts has its effect on the schools, and the physical condition of the children, especially during the winter months, is one of the difficulties before the committee. The clauses in the Educa- tion Bill of 1906 dealing with medical inspection and school recreation were mainly framed to a great extent to meet the needs of industrial districts such as West Ham, and as these questions have been embodied in an Act it is to be hoped that the committee will take action. o H GO O E o CO Q CO O a CO g CO CO Q < o D E- W O O E o CO o o Q i- 1 ls> < m •S o H < 53 H 1 CO £ (5 X Average No. under detention during year, 34. •saquoqinv oo apiswo d U10JJ M iuojj ! « •uoijua-oa P *>> ipSusq 3§bj3av w -a Admitted during year, 41. •(looqos 3til u !) ' n p^suaoiq )°N H •papuoDsqv •psSjBqostQ •pauiujpBaa | 93UO ts pUB p9SU3DI r I | •psjliuipEaj .13A3U puB pgsusor^ CM 10 CO u rt D >> bfl a "C 3 T3 3 O -a u c u 3 •pSUIUipBSI ssuiij aajqj puB pasusoiq H 'p^UjuipBaj 30IAU puB pssusoiq H •pajjitupBaj 33UO puB pssusorj •pauiuipBa.i J3A3U puB pasuaoiq "1 ■a u bfl . 1-, 00 U H 5 •pasuaotq §uiaq jnoqit^w tv •souaorj uo aiRM M tN M en OO 0) c V 3 •pajuuipBaj puB aioui jo samp £> jnoi pasussiq | ■pa^tuipBaj ssuiij aajqj puB pasuaoiq to H •pajjiiupB -3.1 aaiMj puB pssuaoiq •psniUipBS.I 3DUO puB pasuaoiq •pajjiuipBaaj3A3u puB p3SU3Dlq 00 336 WEST HAM The following return shows the occupations of students at these evening schools so far as they are available : — TABLE LX. — Number and Trades of Male Students attending the following Evening Continuation Schools. Names of Schools . < Russell Balaam Star Upton Whitehall Road. Street. Lane. Lane. Place. Total of Schools Occupations. No. in No. in No. in No. in No. in Combined. each. 2 each. 16 each. each. each. Tradesmen 11 29 Artisans and mechanics 35 29 23 6 4 97 Office boys and clerks. 104 95 38 159 53 449 Shop boys 3 2 5 Messengers 3*8 47 17 15 22 139 Factory hands 1 1 1 1 Not known 40 34 20 42 8 144 Van boys . 1 2 3 Labourers 17 5 22 Tug and cabin boys 2 5 7 Collectors 1 1 Store boys 2 2 Laboratory 3 3 Shop assistants . 6 6 Storekeepers 9 9 Grill porter 1 1 Coal porter 1 1 Various assistants 10 10 Clinker picker . 1 1 Mariner 1 1 Police force 19 3 22 Various 44 44 Totals . 2( 52 233 126 285 IOI 1007 CHAPTER III West Ham Borough and the Poor Law Union — Increase of Pauperism and Large Rise in Expenditure — Difference in Personnel of Guardians during Last Fifteen Years — Comparison of Pauperism with Employment in Chief Industries and at the Docks — Distress in 1904-5 and Newspaper Funds — Labour Yard — Corruption among Guardians and Officials- Tables and Diagrams. The West Ham Poor Law Union is made up of seven parishes with a total population in 1901 of 580,396, and a total rateable value of -£2,359,194. The estimated popula- tion in 1906 was 637,714, and the rateable value was £2,849,915. The county borough of West Ham is the most considerable parish in the Union, and had in 1901, 267,358 inhabitants and a rateable value of .£1,147,029, that is to say, 46 per cent, of the population of the whole Union and 48.6 per cent, of its total rateable value. 1 Of the other six parishes, Walthamstow, Leyton, Cann Hall, and East Ham are mainly town areas, while Wanstead and Woodford, which border upon Epping Forest, are resi- dential suburbs. Some idea of the character of the different districts can be derived from a comparison of the particulars with regard to acreage, population (estimated for 1906), rate- able value, and number of relieving officers set out in the table on next page. Not only has West Ham more relieving officers than all the rest of the Union, but each officer has a smaller number of persons to deal with. The number of persons allotted to one officer in Woodford and Wanstead is not much greater than in West Ham, but the population is scattered, and the single officer is responsible for only 800 acres less than all the twelve officers in West Ham. 1 The estimated population for 1906 was 288,424, and the rateable value £1,293,061. 337 Y 338 WEST HAM Comparison of Parishes in West Ham Union. Parish. Average. Population. Rateable Value. , ' No. of Pop No. of tQ each Relieving , Relieving Officers. , 0fficen I West Ham . . . Walthamstow . . East Ham . . . Leyton ( Cann Hall ) " ' Woodford . . . Wanstead . . . 4683 4343 3326 2371 288,424 106,290 115,000 102,000 1 5 ,000 ) , J > 26,000 11,000 j £ 1,293,061 427.125 468,169 480,269 103,726 ^ 78,565 1 12 24,035 3 35.430 3 38,334 3 34.000 1 26,000 The Tidal Basin and Custom House areas in West Ham parish are considered to be the poorest districts in the whole of the Union. The figures given below apply to the whole Union. Separate figures for the borough of West Ham are not avail- able, but as the borough is so large a part of the whole, the general figures are a sufficient indication for comparative purposes of Poor Law administration and pauperism as they affect the smaller area. The following table shows the percentage of increase of pauperism, of expenditure, and of population during the decade 1895-1905, and in the years 1905-1907. 1 The numbers given for each year are the mean of the numbers at the 1st of January of that year and at the 1st of July of the preceding year. The cost is calculated from Ladyday to Ladyday. Under cost of indoor pauperism it will be noticed that the increase of expenditure during the decade 1 895-1 905 is quite out of proportion to the increase of numbers, although the latter is considerable. In the case of outdoor pauperism, both the increase of numbers and the larger proportionate expenditure are still more remarkable. During the years 1 905-1 907 the numbers of indoor paupers have increased less rapidly, and outdoor pauperism has diminished. The figures relating to cost are not available. The Local Govern- 1 See tables on next page. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 339 ment Board Returns show that till 1900 indoor pauperism in England and Wales grew steadily with the population, and that since that date the rise has been sharper. In West Ham the growth of pauperism, both indoor and outdoor, seems to have little relation to the growth of the population, though in the years 1 905-1 907 there would seem to be some slight connection between the growth of population and the increase of indoor pauperism. Indoor Pauperism in West Ham Union. Year. Number of Indoor Paupers. Cost. Population. Mean Number. Increase. ,-. . Increase. Cost. Number to nearest Thousand. Increase. 1895 1905 i8i4| 3S97J 1783 or 98.2 per cent. £21,622") £68,213 * £46,9Si or 215.4 P er cent. 4^1,000"! 667, 000 J 216,000 or 47.8 per cent. 1 90S 1907 3597 1 4008 j 411 or 11. 4 per cent. No figures No figures 667, 000 ''I 7io,oooJ 43,000 or 6.4 per cent. Outdoor Pauperism. Year. Number of Outdoor Paupers. Cost. Population. Mean Number. I Increase. Total Cost. Increase. Number to nearest Thousand. I ncrease. 1895 1 90S 7.644 | 16,320 ) 8676 or 113.5 P er cent. £37,io8| £145,548/ £108,440 or 292.2 per cent. 451,0001 667, 000 J 216,000 or 47.8 per cent. 1 90S 1907 16,320") 12,799 J Decrease. 352i or 21.5 per cent. No figures No figures 667, 000 "| 7io,oooJ 43,000 or 6.4 per cent. 34° WEST HAM Table LXI., printed at the end of the chapter, gives the mean numbers of outdoor and indoor paupers for the years 1 885-1907. The number of indoor paupers was more than doubled during the period January 1898 to January 1907, though the rise from 1 895-1 898 had been gradual. Outdoor pauperism decreased during the two years 1 895-1 897, in- creased gradually during the next two years till it almost reached its former level, and then, except during the years 1900 and 1901, rose rapidly till January 1905, when it reached its highest point. In the two succeeding years it has fallen half as much as it rose in the latter half of 1904. These statistics are misleading unless the industrial con- ditions of the district be taken into account. The leading house-agents in West Ham state that the demand for houses began to be great in 1897. 1 Cottages were erected to meet this demand, and a large number of people employed in the building trade were consequently attracted to the district. This is corroborated by a comparison of the Census figures for house-building in 1891 and 1901. 2 In 1891, 5275 males were described as engaged in house-building, and this number had increased to 8 161 in 1901. It has been seen that much of the house-building in West Ham was undertaken by small jobbing builders. These men employed casual irregular labour, and were ready in times of pressure to take on the first-comer. It should be remembered, too, that in the case of a "boom" in the building trade, especially where small property is concerned and the standard of labour is low, the supply of labour attracted to the district affected is apt to be in excess of the demand, and the more casual the work the greater the chance of obtaining a job. The frequent bankruptcies of builders would throw the men dependent on them out of work. 3 Several causes of poverty would thus be operative almost simultaneously. The development of other industries in the district must also be taken into account ; sixteen new factories were built 1 See p. 10. 2 Occupation Tables, xii. I. 3 See p. 12. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 341 between 1 898-1 905, as compared with ten during the previous eight years. Moreover, several manufacturers extended their businesses considerably during this period. It is pointed out in Book II., chap, i., that many of the factories employ casual labour ; the result is that many persons are attracted to the district, some of whom in times of distress fall back on the Poor Law for maintenance. Two changes have affected the personnel x of the Board of Guardians since 1893. In 1894 an Act was passed the general effect of which was to abolish ex-ojficio and nominated Guardians, and to substitute for the existing qualifications for the office of elective guardians a qualification which consisted in being either a parochial elector of a parish within the Union or having resided in the Union during the whole of the twelve months preceding the election. By this Act the property qualification of ^20, which had held since 1837, was done away with. Until the 1st of March 1898 the election for Guardians was made by a poll of the whole parish. The names of all the candidates were printed on a voting paper ; all persons entitled to a vote received papers, which were subsequently collected, and the votes for each candidate counted. It is stated that the successful candidates were generally men known either personally or by name over a large area, and that they were for the most part elderly or retired busi- ness men or merchants. Many of them, it is said, had a reputation for strict dealing and even for parsimony, and had served for a considerable period on public bodies. It is obvious from the reports of their meetings that not a few of them had no real knowledge of the borough as a whole, and acted on the general theory that there were no deserving poor in South West Ham. In March 1898 the system of election was altered, owing to the increasing size of the borough. The parish was divided into wards, and local 1 The personnel of the present Board of Guardians may be summarised as follows: — 12 tradesmen and manufacturers, i retired tradesman, 2 artisans, 3 con- tractors in building trades, 1 estate agent, 1 solicitor, 1 representative of a settlement, 2 clergymen of the Church of England, 4 Nonconformist ministers ; the 6 remaining male members are living on their means. 3 out of the 7 women Guardians are married, and the remainder spinsters. 342 WEST HAM knowledge of candidates came into play. Votes were re- corded by ballot at polling stations in the various wards. The parish of West Ham consisted of four wards until November 1899, when a further subdivision took place and the number was trebled. Well-known men were in many cases superseded by small tradesmen and other persons un- known outside their own immediate locality. As early as 1900 there were rumours at election times that individual Guardians were " interested in " certain con- tractors who supplied the Union, and some suspicions were aroused that outside help was given by those who hoped to profit if their candidates were returned. From this date a group of Guardians was gradually formed whose interest was not confined to the good administration of the Poor Law. This group was not identified with any political party ; the uniting bond seems to have been solely self-interest. All of the members of the group would have been described generally as " Progressives," but it is impossible for an impartial inquirer to avoid the conclusion that their votes in particular instances were guided by self-interest rather than that of party. The Socialist successes in the Town Council elections of November 1898 had little counterpart in the Guardians' elections of the following March. Only two Socialist candi- dates were then successful ; and in 1900 four Socialists on the Board lost their seats. From 1898 onwards the Board could scarcely be said to have a definite policy, although the majority of the members would be described as Progressive rather than Moderate. The Labour and Socialist members were in a marked minority, and no " long programme " was even proposed. There has undoubtedly been a considerable change of attitude since 1898 in the matter of outdoor relief. From 1887 onwards District Committees of Guardians had been appointed to hear applications for relief and decide cases as they arose. It would appear that in many districts these Committees allowed events to take their course along the line of least resistance, that of giving relief, without any definite policy on the part of the Board as a whole. It is not surprising LOCAL GOVERNMENT 343 that the Committees differed in policy, but if a definite standard had been set up by the Board the difference would have been reduced. After 1898 it was customary to place great reliance on the discretion of the relieving officers. For example, on one occasion when it was noticed that the weekly average per case in a northern district of the borough was considerably higher than the average in a much poorer locality, the ques- tion was discussed at a Special Committee, but no action was taken. It has been already pointed out that the division into wards had led to the election of many new members. The conditions of the area with which they had to deal were changing, and the problem of poverty was becoming increas- ingly difficult. Guardians of the older type had not come into personal contact with this problem, and, not being responsible for particular localities, had no direct knowledge of the altering conditions of the different neighbourhoods. The new men, on the other hand, lived in the neighbourhood of poverty ; and a change of policy was thus inevitable. It is impossible to say how much the rise in pauperism was due to the increase of poverty, and how far the additional expenditure was justifiable. But it is indubitable that inex- perience and laxity of administration were important factors, apart from the clearly defined purpose of a group of members who intended that their presence on the Board should be made to serve their own interests and those of their friends. Close supervision on the part of the central authority — the Local Government Board — would have been a useful check. It does not appear that the Board at this time (1898— 1906) addressed any formal letter to the Guardians dealing specifically with the question of outdoor relief, but it is stated that representations were made by the Board or by their inspectors on various points connected with the administration of relief, and especially urged on the Guardians the necessity of Relief Committees meeting frequently during periods of excep- tional distress. But it was not until the auditor's report to the Board in 1906 that the question of outdoor relief was seri- ously considered and representations made to the Guardians, 344 WEST HAM who thereupon appointed a Special Committee to consider the question. Though this Committee did not agree with the auditor's report to the Local Government Board, there is little doubt that such reports are apt to diminish the tendency to lax administration, and the Board are no doubt to blame for not having given more serious attention to the matter in the past. In order that some comparison may be made between the amount of pauperism and condition of trade, monthly returns have been extracted from the Labour Gazette, published by the Board of Trade, for two main groups of trades the condition of which affects West Ham, namely, engineering, metal and shipbuilding, and building. The table shows the percentage of trade unionists out of work in London and the neighbour- hood, as no separate returns are made for West Ham (Table LXVII.). It is probable that in the building trades the per- centage of non-unionists out of employment in West Ham is considerably higher than of unionists, both because of the number of small builders and the nature of their work, and because the local branches of the unions concerned are not strong. Diagrams XXII. and XXIII. show the cyclical and seasonal unemployment throughout the country. If Table LXVII., Diagram XXII., the unemployment curve for the whole country, and Diagram XVIII. of the pauperism re- turns, are compared, it will be noticed that a considerable improvement in trade was taking place from 1895 to 1897 in the country generally, that this improvement is very marked in the London district, and that the curves of pauperism correspond with the improving conditions. A further improve- ment took place in 1898 in the London district, but after that time there was a gradual increase of unemployment, to which the general figures correspond. The pauperism curve shows a steady rise after the summer of 1898. It will be noticed, too, that the rise in pauperism, though at a lower level, is more marked in West Ham than in the Metropolis as a whole (Table LXII.). In addition to comparing the amount of pauperism with the general condition of employment in the whole country and in LOCAL GOVERNMENT 345 the London district, a comparison with the state of employ- ment at the Victoria and Albert Docks is of considerable interest. It seems advisable to treat this separately. It will be noticed from the diagram referring to dock labour 1 that employment was good in December 1896, and very good from December 1898 until December 1901, when it reached its highest point. From that date, except in 1903, there was a steady decline until 1905. If this is compared with the curve for total pauperism, 2 a slight resemblance is noticeable. Good employment at the docks in December 1896 and the winter pauperism of 1896 are not incompatible. It is probable that the condition of the labour market during any year is reflected in the indoor Poor Law returns of a year later, but where outdoor relief is given the effect is immediate — most people try to obtain outdoor relief before going to the workhouse — and this is noticeable on the curve of outdoor and indoor relief taken together. There seems to be no fall in pauperism to correspond to the rise in dock employment from 1898 to 1901, but the correspondence between the rise in pauperism from 1902 to 1905, and the fall in dock labour from 1901 to 1905 is easily traceable, especially if allowance is made for the abnormal pauperism of 1905. It is not suggested that any very certain conclusions can be drawn from these figures, but they serve to indicate that in West Ham the pauperism has been a good deal affected by the course of employment at the docks. This would naturally show itself more clearly in the case of out- door relief. It is pointed out in the section on dock labour that, owing to the casual nature of the work, a considerable number of men normally earn a weekly wage which is in- sufficient for the support of their families, and their average wage taken throughout the year is barely sufficient to provide for necessities. In times of depression these men are likely to be among the first to become superfluous, and (unless the earnings of the family are increased) fall below the level of independent subsistence. If outdoor relief is given, they may appear on the outdoor relief returns soon after the depression 1 See p. 228. 2 See p. 356. 346 WEST HAM has begun, and in the following year may affect the returns of indoor pauperism. This seems to be the case in West Ham from 1 90 1 to 1905. Dock employment began to fall after December 1901, outdoor relief begins to rise at the beginning of 1902, while indoor relief is stationary until a year later, when it rises regularly. The correspondence is marred for 1905 by the failure in administration to which reference is made below. From the middle of 1902 for outdoor, and from the middle of 1903 for indoor pauperism, the increase is more marked than that for unemployment. The cyclical depression of trade reached its culminating point during the winter of 1904-5. The effect of the war in South Africa had been to produce an artificial inflation of the demand for labour. This was probably the main reason that unemployment was very widespread, because in the natural course of events the depression of trade would have reached its most acute point at an earlier date. In addition to this, for several days during the Christmas season of 1904 West Ham was enveloped in a thick fog, so that nearly all outdoor work came to a standstill and ships were waiting outside the docks. At this time attention was called to the condition of West Ham by several of the daily newspapers ; the Daily Telegraph and the Daily News both opened relief funds, and, in addition, the subscriptions raised by the Daily Mail and the News of the World amounted to about .£1300. The first plan adopted by the Daily Telegraph was to hand large sums of money to local clergy, ministers and public men, by whom it was distributed as they thought best. The Daily News also gave immediate relief, and bread, groceries, coals, &c, were distributed at the Town Hall and the Public Hall, Canning Town, by a Com- mittee hastily formed for the purpose. Attempts to prevent the various funds from overlapping were unsuccessful. In the first week of January, however, District Committees were set up for the administration of the Daily News Fund. The situation was well described in a local paper at the beginning of January. "The London daily journals came down to West Ham a week or two ago. . . . Beginning with a friendly com- LOCAL GOVERNMENT 347 petition in raising subscriptions and newspaper circulations they have gone on to something approaching a newspaper war." Some of the newspaper representatives failed to realise that impulsive measures were not likely to prove satisfactory without a detailed knowledge of local conditions. One paper was rash enough to print a poverty map, in which Forest Gate Ward, which contains a large residential area, was re- presented as in " chronic poverty," and Tidal Basin Ward, one of the poorest, as u prosperous." There seems to be little doubt that relief tickets were often sold, and that people sometimes bought expensive articles of food, and paid for them with as many as ten and twelve relief tickets. Although the distress was very great in many districts, the impression con- veyed by the newspaper accounts was that it was almost universal. The Board of Guardians gave permission to their relieving officers to grant outdoor relief to able-bodied men. 1 There were often crowds of several hundred people outside the officers' houses demanding and receiving relief. The enormous increase in numbers made proper investigation by the officers impossible, though they were provided in some cases with assistants. If it is remembered that the total outdoor relief bill for the West Ham borough in the year ending Ladyday 1904 amounted to ^31,145, it maybe stated that one of the normal functions of the Poor Law, i.e. outdoor relief, was being very largely supplemented by private charity. In spite of this, the amount of outdoor relief exceeded its ordinary amount, owing, it may be assumed, to the effect produced on the Guardians by the descriptions of distress. The machinery of administra- tion, by which outdoor relief was granted on the recommenda- tion of district committees, was heavily overtaxed until the Guardians decided to discontinue relief on a large scale and opened the labour yard at the Workhouse. 2 1 It has been stated above that the regulations about outdoor relief had not been strictly administered for many years, and the effect of this further relaxation may be seen in the rapid rise of the curve for outdoor relief in Diagram XVIII. and the general curve in Diagram XIX. 2 The action of the Guardians with reference to the labour yard is stated infra, p. 349. 348 WEST HAM At the audit of Michaelmas 1905, comment was made by the auditor on the figures for outdoor relief. He stated that much was due to a lack of care in administration on the part of the officers and the relief committees, and gave an instance of cases being passed through committee at the rate of six per minute. In addition to the Poor Law relief and the charitable funds, the Mayor was given power by the Town Council to spend what he considered necessary on relief works for the unem- ployed. He reported from time to time on the amount that he had spent, and though he frequently asked to be relieved of the responsibility, it was forced upon him. Work was given to men for two days a week only, and on this some .£28,000 was spent. Almost the only attempt to ensure good ad- ministration was an arrangement with the Guardians, by which the relieving officers saw the application forms sent in and noted anything they knew of the applicants. But this co- operation was not effective, because of the high pressure at which the relieving officers were working in their own departments. The Committee of the Daily News Fund in the middle of January determined to elaborate their organisation, and its representatives suggested that work should be given instead of charity. They arranged with the Town Council and the Committee of the West Ham and East London Hospital to pave recreation grounds and to paint the hospital. On these and other undertakings they maintained a weekly average of about 250 men. At first work was given for two or three days to each individual, and afterwards the system of a week's work in each fortnight was introduced. About the same time the Daily Telegraph abandoned its distribution of doles, and spent over .£8000 on emigration. This expenditure was no doubt more expedient than the former expenditure. It is admitted that many deserving cases received tem- porary relief, that a few men were given employment, and a few more emigrated ; but, on the other hand, inquiries made from officials of the Union, keepers of lodging-houses, and others, show that many casual labourers of the lowest class LOCAL GOVERNMENT 349 were attracted to West Ham by the chance of sharing in the distribution of relief either in doles of food or of work, and the difficulties of dealing with the problem of chronic poverty were thus increased. Casual relief distributed in a neighbour- hood where there is much casual labour must intensify the evil for all. Men who rely for a bare living on work at the docks are apt to find themselves supplanted by others who are brought to or kept in the district by casual relief, and an increasingly severe competition for the lowest form of casual labour leads them to attempt to secure relief which they would not otherwise require. For this reason some Guardians and Poor Law officers state that West Ham has not yet recovered from the effect of the relief funds. It is estimated that the money spent in West Ham on the relief of distress and un- employment in the winter 1904-5 was about .£60,000, exclusive of Poor Law relief. Apart from the temporary dis- location of work caused by the fog at Christmas time, the distress was due to the coincidence of a seasonal and a cyclical depression of trade which was not met by any organised methods of relief. The amount of pauperism decreased very considerably after 1905, owing mainly to better administration due to experience gained from the past, more strict control from the Local Government Board, the gradual improvement of trade, and the creation in September 1905 of a Distress Committee for the purpose of dealing with the unemployed. 1 The figures in the tables do not give an accurate idea of the maximum and minimum pauperism in each year, and are unaffected by events between January and June and between June and January ; thus they include no record of the labour yard. In January 1895 a labour yard was opened at the workhouse. It was used by about 1000 men. At the end of March it was closed, and the Guardians decided not to re- open it. On January 26, 1904, the Board received a depu- tation of the unemployed, who urged that relief should be given, stating that they represented several hundreds of men who had marched with them to the workhouse, and that the 1 See p. 369 sqq. 350 WEST HAM distress was abnormal. Applicants could not be " offered the House," as it was full, and, failing any possible extension of it, the Guardians were faced with the alternatives of re- opening the yard or doing nothing. It was open on twelve days, i.e. three days in each of the four weeks up to February 20th, and the numbers varied from 167 on the first day to 1440 on the twelfth. The Superintendent Relieving Officer stated in evidence to a Committee of the Charity Organisation Society on Unemployment, which reported in November 1904, that "it was not anticipated that more than 200 would avail themselves of the labour yard." The high numbers might be explained to some extent by the fact that if applicants said that they resided in the place for a night, the relieving officers gave them an order to come in, and many of these were single men who came from the lodging-houses. Applicants were not brought before the Relief Committees, but the responsi- bility for admission was thrown on the officers, who were afraid of taking the risk of refusal, owing to the pressure of public opinion. On January 19, 1905, the Guardians passed a resolution that no men without dependants were to be admitted. " The scale 1 of relief was high — a married man with a wife would receive per day is. 4d. and 4 lbs. of bread; with one child, is. 4d. and 6 lbs. of bread ; with two children, is. 6d. and 8 lbs. of bread ; with three children, is. 8d. and 10 lbs. of bread ; with four children, 2s. and 10 lbs. of bread ; with five children and upwards, 2s. and 12 lbs. of bread. Men coming to the yard on Saturday were to receive time and a half, as the yard was never open on Mondays, so that a man with five children and upwards would receive on Saturdays 3s. in money and 18 lbs. of bread. The relieving officers were directed to visit the families and to grant such further relief as may be necessary." " Every penny of relief was reported to the Local Government Board and sanction obtained." "The scale of relief was double what it was in 1895." The yard, which has only space for about 200, was crowded, and adequate supervision was impossible. Men were 1 Charity Organisation Society's Report on Unemployment, 1904, pp. 202 sqq. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 351 drafted to the Infirmary grounds to dig, but " on each occasion it rained nearly all the time, so that they were practically doing nothing. A number of men were swarming about the place with paint-pots, painting." " After the Labour Yard was closed, the relieving officers were instructed to deal with applicants by giving them outdoor relief, and so the thing was continued in another form." " The return was forwarded to the Local Government Board week by week for their sanc- tion." During these months the Guardians' Relief Committees held no special meetings and met as usual fortnightly. The yard was opened again on December 12, 1905. The arrangements for supervision and for providing work were better than in the previous year. The scale of relief was lower and was as follows : Man and wife, 6d. in money and is. in kind ; man and wife and child, 6d. in money and is. 3d. in kind ; man and wife and two children, is. in money and is. in kind ; man and wife and three children, is. in money and is. 3d. in kind ; man and wife and four children, is. in money and is. 6d. in kind ; man and wife and five children, is. in money and is. 9d. in kind ; man and wife and six children or more, is. in money and 2S. in kind ; but the same system of casual work was followed. It was open on 40 occasions, and the numbers employed varied from 627 to 1095. The failure of this form of relief was due not only to bad administration, but largely to its casual nature. The men were employed only three days in each week or were given casual doles of relief, and in this way considerable sums of money were expended in giving inadequate assistance to a large number of men who received but little individual benefit, while the situation as a whole was aggravated. If a regular man was out of work the maximum of 7s. and 42 lbs. of bread could not keep him healthy and support his wife and five children ; and if a casual labourer went to the labour yard on days that he was unemployed, the relief amounted to a grant in aid of wages. As the distress is stated to have come " mainly from the dock district and from Stratford," the recipients of relief were mostly casual labourers. It will 35 2 WEST HAM be noticed that while in 1904 the Guardians tried the labour yard first, and then on its failure gave outdoor relief to able-bodied men, in 1905 outdoor relief was tried first until the enormous rise in numbers caused them to abandon it in favour of the labour yard. It will be noted from the following tables that a large proportion of applicants for the labour yard (69-1) were dock labourers and general labourers, and it is probable that a certain number of the latter should have been more properly described as dock labourers. Another 127 per cent, is made up of gas workers and men employed in the building trades, both of them seasonal occupations. The large proportion of applicants (60-5) between 25 and 45 is noticeable ; about one half of them (50*6) had resided in the district under 20 years, and the remainder 20 years and upwards ; 17-4 per cent, had resided in the district under 5 years. Occupations of Applicants for the Labour Yard, 1 905-1 906. Occupation. Building trades .... Artisan Dock labour .... General labour .... Miscellaneous .... Gas Carmen Occupation described as relief work Number. Percentage. 169 180 5 2 3 598 45 38 33 34 1620 10.4 II. I 322 36.9 2.7 2-3 2.0 2.0 The growth in pauperism and in expenditure has been shown to be due to increased poverty, to lax administration, and to corruption. The prominence given to the last-named by the trial of the West Ham Guardians and officials to the LOCAL GOVERNMENT 353 O o> M I IT) o "5 C5 .8 bo ^ ^3 M3AO pue Sg •Sg oj dn puB 09 •09 0} dn puB SS CO 10 •S? oj dn puB oS « H •o? oj dn puB Sfr co ^ •Sfr oj dn pu-e of so •*}- •ot' oj dn puB ££ "* CO 2 k. •££ 01 dn puB o£ 00 "O so 6 •o£ oj dn puB Sz 00 °° CO ^ M M •Ss oj dn puB os co N "2 •os oj dn puB bi 2 K - Si oj dn puB 01 10 t- M H M •01 oj dn puB S 00 Cr O o o 0- o o cr 6 V C6 o o Q o o o ers- ivy* eqq iqoe KJot iqoa Iqoi fqe . <9qq . iqoo >q<>' iqoz iqoj /904 iqes ,q„i iq j .«k r „ l.b.. „„_,„„ „,. „„„.!,, „„...." 4I— ■, ■«j.IV.J. 1 «„ „J ,-tJ,l,.f... : Table LXI. — West Ham Union} Numbers of Paupers. Year. (a) ist January. (b) ist July previous. Indoor Paupers (excluding Vagrants). Outdoor Paupers (excluding Lunatics in Asylums, &c. ). i88 S . . . b a 1212 i34i 3.194 3,88 5 Mean 1276 3.539 189S • b a 1641 1987 6,711 8 .577 Mean 1814 7.644 1896 . b a 1794 1992 7,082 7,621 Mean 1893 7.351 1897 . b a 1811 1972 7,038 7,35o Mean 1891 7,194 1898 . b a 1836 2064 6,885 7.6ox Mean 1950 7.243 1899 . b a 2105 2435 7,295 7.783 Mean 2270 7,539 1900 . b a 2206 2659 8,036 8.541 Mean 2432 8,288 1901 . b a 2421 2754 8,156 8,872 Mean 2587 8,5i4 1902 . b a 2839 3294 8,116 8,803 Mean 3066 8v459 1903 . b a 2841 3304 8.943 9.954 Mean 3072 9.448 1904 . b a 3080 3613 9-349 10,892 Mean 3346 10,120 1905 . b a 3376 38i8 10,562 22,078 Mean mi 16,320 1906 . b a 3504 3892 11,381 16,677 Mean 3698 14,029 1907 . . b a 3677 4340 12-554 I3. 44 Mean 4008 12,799 1 This and the following tables have been supplied by the Local Government Board. 358 WEST HAM Ratio per iooo of Pop. ist July. 5 00 00 CO N oo O Cs*0 fOO M Js, O N (MO d-coio WNwNwNwNwNwNwN"NwNNNC*)NC*lNC*l<*JC*!N Total Number of Paupers on ist July. 4 (IN ON SOhh » 0*0 f>> w Q*00 COmO ")M n^J-O rttNQv^-O ifllOMloOlOONnNNTj-OgivOOHOin^NNiflH ■* O *0 ■<*• tsOO 0**0_ O* £■» C-n*0_ ■<*;*<» M 00 vq O O* OOO 00 tN»N 0*00 C0*0 COOO t*-*o" co" M oo" MCOO cHf{ Om 0*9 o"n" h locftscON * o" *o" *o" *d oo" 00 O O O OwOwOwOwOwOwmmNwmwm Ratio per iooo of Pop. O Ooo O <7>0* 0*0 MNOiON^ONOvOOCO *M w m CON *o CO rood *ood -fod food -ood "*-od -fod -fod *ood *d o c>- d co' o cs o M W M W M M M M M M W W M W W Outdoor Paupers on ist July. 3 0*00 CM 00 00 00 »0 w IOOO *0 MVO O *0 f*. CO CO 0*00 M IOHCO ■* Is, w U-> iooo co AmovoDoo o* -3- co co "i N w o "*-io ■^t-fs-o O\co -* a* co tN O 6 Ooto WB "TOM hNm\o o^OimffliOH CO CO ""> ^- co CO co to r> d ts o*o"oo" rAoo" oo" i-Coo" rico" ooo" d d d o" c*f h r t-C o" co of ■«*• CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO * IfH^H^H^H^ Ratio per iooo of Pop. oo OO COOM-ioo O 11 CO" N ^00 O* O ts N OO com oo Js, io 10 io Is, "ftN ^Tfco^co^^Tf^^^co4-eo* , *»OTfLOio*oiO L oiO l oio MMMMjMMMMMMMMMM Indoor Paupers on ist July. 2 co ■^•co Ti- O* wy *C Q •* >-< *0 ")0>M\p O ls»*o CO h o\ 0\O co N COIO 0**0 CH10*0t-.t^0N*1-C0-*■ of N «" CO oi "5* cor>. CO O CO CO CO CO CO ^ 10*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0 i-. J^- rs r-. Ratio per iooo of Pop. ist Jan. 5 *0 M io^-coco0*0 0**0 M^mOwOMOO -1-00 *OOO*w0)O*OO d •^•coiodiooNTJ-od ■«*■ d •<*- d ■*■ 6 -$- w" 10 oi *d co' od dod rfK. C)NO)NOINwNwr*JwNO)NCNNOINC*INC*!N co n co n oi n Total Number of Paupers on ist Jan. 4 *OO0l>-lcOlOMO1-t^'3-MO*N 0*00 **00 ")K)miO w 00 *0 O O* Q "100 H N w Tj-co CO THs,vO CO 01 00 "Ifs, r)- o 0) 10*00* l 0l0-i-c*)*0 tN N *N *o t}-*o w CO*© (SCON IN CI *i-*o tJ- M 00_ CO M oo_ ts 11 n-*o_ u-> o* d d* w" o w oo of n" cooo" ■* d »o d o" w" rC r> O w w m O OwOwihwOwmhwiwmoicooicOwN Ratio periooo of Pop. *0 00 ON H N 000 CMs*ON -*00 tNN*tO00 0**0 M Tf CO O* -*00 -i- d* & o*d d* *ood ■"fod -*-od uooo ^ood tJ- o^\6 d*o d* co m -f d od d* HMMMMMMMHMW COM 01 M M Outdoor Paupers on ist Jan. 3 •OlO S»Hp OOO wO* COOO wfs.NO COIO •* O* « M 00 CO ts*0 •* C*l oo w. r> 10 c*i o> *o <*} o cjoo c>-^-r»ts.coo co>oo*om monm** CO *0 >0*d *0 00 CO C0*O O* CslO *OC000 O>00 CO 0*0000 CO O ts.*O_0O_ »T cooooo" i-i cC m" t>. o ts d* tC d*oo" d oo" doo" c*f d * O* ^f c*f (*) *o" d co*d CO ■* "* s* CO CO Tf CO ■* *tH*J(IV)HlOH*t Ratio per iooo of Pop. H^min mh OOOHOmN tsOO cs CO io ^ •* O tv, ^-*o r^. CT> m 01 (*J io-o*d >o*d *o*d ian*on MMMMMMWjWMMMMMM Indoor Paupers on ist Jan. 2 H^uiMfUflHN COOO w COCO lO tsOO M CO w >* CJslO COIO CT* rj- >O00 rs*o coo o*iocoo -*tj-oo cooo oco •^■i-rs-tsio *ooo ts. o *o oo o) r>. co*o 0*"»O**N 0C0w-^-tJ-*O*Om MO mtt m(*l*D loco h ON ^m w"*d cTop" w" d cioo" C*T d> C*l" dv oi id C*Too" CO d CO CO COIO COOO" ri- d rf w7 a > *o»o*o ts.00 OO w cm co-»l-*o*o CN. 000*0*0*0*0*00000000 oooocooooooo 00*0*0*0*0*0*0* No. per 1000 of Population. DIAGRAM XIX. — Pauperism in West Ham Union and the ivhole Metropolis. No. per i of Popula V 54 3 Os Os "1 co CM to t^so 1- O co oo os Os ro CO CO "1 Os CO t? tC CO CxsO CO Csfvo" CO -t CX SO_ Tf 0_ tt M Cs>~ M NNf VO CO Os Os to to CI SO 00 Tf to to Csl^ t-; CO tN O" to so CO * tx tH lOSO t> rx tj- mt O CO O CO COsO ON o o o 0) w to coco bo? CO O CO t\CO '-O CO CM tO NO0O m irssO SO Os to M of of coso" CO CO SO w m *■ ro Ml CO C\> NO 01 O rf 00 NO ■*■ 00 cnno N CO On tx 0 00 ro pi HI 01 00 on in 01 CI ■<*- t-voo in 01 CO onco r-s NOro M H CO On tN On in in hi en m « m in, in ■* On 01 01 Cn O Cn rf 1 w no rs N 4 NO o) co in tN cn ■*■ Tf On CO Cn O 00' M tNCO in in d a ■**• O •* •gs no 4 O V ONin Tf O O M 00 ON Cn O CO CO •d « no N H 01 CO Cn o\*d CO CM o ■*■ ■*■ •* ON CO hi On O NO Cn CO Cn Cn tJ- in\o hi O Cn Cn in In. CO oi n in in no -t N 01 M W M H 01 •<* O •* ON 01 M NO CO On CO NO ■* H 00 ON Cn in 00 On 00 On rt- in m 01 CO NO In M -r w H HI H 01 01 01 O 00 00 01 m tN O SN CO CONO NONN On O On in On n- O 01 01 NO Cn in 01 IN H M H 01 HI 01 Q •<> v» Q •* Vl tj "«> NN (3 >n^ v> Q "O v> «j •«> Nl a i> >> O "5 a D. JS u £ a «J JS u a. w X! O. <5 CQ a £ O £ 362 WEST HAM Table LXIV. Return as to Outdoor Pauperism in the Canning Town District of the West Ham Union showing Number of Persons Relieved, Number per 1000 of Estimated Population (120,000) and Amount of Relief on the 1st January and 1st July of the ten years ended 1905, with the Number of Outdoor Paupers in Poplar Union per 1000 of Esti- mated Population (169,000). Poplar Union. Canning Town District. Number per 1000 of Estimated Population. Date. Number of Persons Relieved. Number per 1000 of Estimated Population. Amount of Relief. 12.8 12.5 12.2 12.6 12. 1 12.6 J 2.5 14. 1 I4.2 15-4 15-8 17.4 17.7 20.8 19.6 24.0 24.6 46.5 42.4 ist Jan. 1896 ist July 1896 ist Jan. 1897 ist July 1897 ist Jan. 1898 ist July 1898 ist Jan. 1899 ist July 1899 ist Jan. 1900 ist July 1900 ist Jan. 1901 ist July 1901 ist Jan. 1902 ist July 1902 ist Jan. 1903 ist July 1903 ist Jan. 1904 ist July 1904 ist Jan. 1905 ist July 1905 2,013 i.855 1,807 1,668 1.713 1,716 1,830 1,900 2,009 1,889 1.973 1.925 2,000 2.143 2.657 2,510 2,598 2.569 10,607 2,820 16.8 15-5 i5-i 13-9 14.3 14-3 15-3 15-8 16.7 15-7 16.4 16.0 16.7 17.9 22.1 20.9 21.7 21.4 88.4 23-5 £ s. d. 186 5 171 1 5 172 14 5 162 2 10 259 12 6 170 19 7 184 9 2 i95 4 5 213 1 6 200 4 9 209 15 4 212 14 2 229 15 6 236 3 9 323 15 278 12 4 272 16 8 271 7 9 611 2 6 3°4 4 4 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 363 DIAGRAM XXI. — Outdoor Pauperism in Poplar Union Canning Town District of West Ham Union. and /ass JAN: JULY ISS7 JAM: JULY use JAH, JUL Y IS.'S jA.i.JULr *£"* 1SDI MS: JULY 1302 JAM JULY /SOO JAH. JULY 1.10* JAK:JULY /SOS JAN JULY i -■:, ■J Hi 1 1 1 1 Ik \\ V \ Ji * 1 1 i ' r \ j i j 1 A / / i f\ J -~~-j 1 /\ / 1 ff t^y \ ,' f*'* <*•>- ' 's V .,_ \ >' '"" Poplar On/on Canning Town District 364 WEST HAM TABLE LXV. — Number of Persons in Receipt of Relief Chargeable to the County Borough of West Ham. Indoor. Date. Men. Women. Children. Total. 1st January 1905 . . . 1st July 1905 .... 1st January 1906 . . . 1st July 1906 .... 1st January 1907 . . . 1076 940 1156 1033 1269 640 615 611 677 701 412 2128 431 1986 420 2187 448 2158 536 2506 Outdoor. 1 Labour Yard open. Table LXVI. — Occupations of Male Inmates of Workhouse on 1st May 1907. Trade or Calling. Number. Remarks. Building trades Artisans Dock labourers General labourers Miscellaneous Gas workers . Carmen Clerks . Mariners No occupation 74 "3 35 392 49 10 M 29 156 Total 872 Date. Men. Women. Children. Total. 1st January 1905 * . . . 1st July 1905 .... 1st January 1906 * . . . 1st July 1906 .... 1st January 1 907 . . . 3633 1117 1803 1254 1284 5082 2791 3386 2974 3046 9241 2647 430I 2523 2483 17,956 6,555 9,490 6,75i 6,813 acted from the Labour Gazette of the Board of Trade. 1904 B. 1905. 1906. E.M.S. E.M.S. B. E.M.S. B. Pi. 3.8 Some improve- ment ; better than a year ago. Employment generally bad ; wet weather. 4.4 Dull; slightly better ; unem- ployment under average. Slight improve- ment ; still slack. 3- 1 Some improve ment. Worse. 4.6 Quiet ; worse than a year ago. Still slack ; bad weather ; little change. 4.6 Dull. „ 3-o Much the same. 4.4 Slack. Improving some depart- ments. 4.0 About the same. ,, 3-i Rather better. 4.1 Slack, but improving. A very slight improvement. 4.4 Moderate ; rather higher percentage of unemployment. Rather worse ; bad weather 2.9 " " ... Quiet, but a little improve- ment. Slack ; worse than April. 4.2 Worse. 2.2 Very quiet ; painters busy. 4.0 Quiet. A slight im- provement. 4.0 Bad. 2.1 Rather worse. DUt fair >roving tments. ... ,, Same ; no im- provement 4.0 Slack, but better. 2-3 Rather better. 4.2 ,, Slack generally. 4-5 A little better. 2.6 Better. 4.3 Dull ; rather worse. Slack. 4.4 About the same. 3-2 Rather a decline. 4-3 .. Slack ; worse. 4.2 Worse. 3-7 Rather worse. S . 3 Dull. • > 3-4 Worse. 4-3 Slackgenerally. 5. 1 Dull ; generally better, but high unemployed figures east of London. Very slack. 3-8 Much the same ; bad weather. 4.8 Dull generally. md instead of percentages of unemployed, often only remarks were given about the state of trade. T.ARLL I. XVII. - /'„<„, /,/,,,,- - London n,t District in Engineering, Metal , am !>htf>t>nH■•■"•;•< Full • < : . 1 u v b. (subdivided! a. 4 I.; :: :: ■ ., .. p. -.1 11 M Dull, 13.7 Doll „ . ■". r ...-..- . " Sl '"""' *' " " " FU, generally quiet 1 good. sl.gh-lly .vorse. 1 is™* imp Empl ' 1 i-'i - Sleek; rone ,!.,„. i„,i. unemployed *9 ' ' fcfi 3.6 ,0 . Bad. Slack. Bud .ira.l, MuonslM-1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 365 Cyclical and Seasonal Fluctuations of Employment in United Kingdom. 1 DIAGRAM XXII. — Mean Percentage Unemployed in each Year (1860-1905). I860 1865 1870 1875 1880 1885 . 1890 1895 1900 1905 CENT ' 1 1 1 ' l ' ' CE 12 12 10 lo 8 e 6 6 4 4 2 . . 1 . . . . 1 . . 2 DIAGRAM XXIII. — Mean Percentage Unemployed at end of each Month of the Year based on the Experience of Eighteen Years (1888— 1905). DEC JAN. FEB MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JUIY AUGUST SEPT OCT NOV DEC 1 These diagrams are reprinted from the Board of Trade's Exhibit prepared for the New Zealand Exhibition. ;66 WEST HAM TABLE LXVIII. — Expenditure on Out Relief in West Ham Parish given separately. Year ending Ladyday — 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905- ,£22,480 £25,493 £25,214 £27,997 £31,195 £37,219 Contributions of West Ham Parish to Union. 1 90 1. 1902. i9°3- £77,664 5s. 7fd- £85,024 1 8s. iojd. £117-028 5s. 2d. 1904. 1905. £124,693 7s. od. £128,292 17s. io|d. Rateable Value. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. £1,009,495 £1,059,673 £1,115,027 £1,147,029 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. £1,183,490 £1,219,189 £1,266,806 £1,280,007 Table LXIX. — West Ham Union. Cost of Relief — Indoor and Outdoor. Year. Half-year ended (a) Michaelmas previous ; (b) Ladyday. In-Main- tenance. £ 7.891 7.558 15.449 Outdoor Relief to Paupers 1 other than Children Boarded out. £ 7,608 7.908 Total of Indoor and Outdoor Relief. Cost per Head. In- Maintenance. Outdoor Relief. 1885 . Total . 1895 • Total . 1896 . Total . 1897 . Total . 1898 . Total . 1899 . Total . [ 1900 . Total . 1901 . Total . 1902 . Total . 1903 . Total . 1904 . Total . 1905 • Total . I 1906 . Total . 1907. a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a £ 15.499 15.466 30,956 £ s. a 6 3 b 5 18 12 2 d. 8 7} 3} £ ■*• ti- ll 2 2 Hi b 2 4 8| 4 7 8 15.516 10.354 11,268 21,622 16,664 19.917 35.581 27,018 31.185 a 6 6 b 5 13 2.29 5 2 11 1.82 2 6 5.31 58,203 11 19 7.29 4 17 7- 13 10,345 12,119 18,105 17,081 28,450 29,200 « 5 i5 b 6 1 3-94 8.12 2 11 i-55 2 4 9.91 22,464 35.186 57,650 11 17 0.6 4 15 11-46 10,898 12,025 22,923 17,516 16,771 28,414 28,796 a 6 b 6 1 4.24 11.48 2 9 9-3° 2 5 7.62 34.287 57,210 12 2 3' 72 4 15 4-9 2 10,910 11,638 22,548 17,619 18,071 28,529 29,709 a 5 13 b 5 12 4.78 9-25 2 11 2.17 2 7 6.58 35.690 58.238 11 6 2-3 4 18 8.75 12,141 14.253 18,395 20,012 3o,53 6 34,265 a 5 15 t> 5 17 4.24 0.81 2 10 5.18 2 11 5.09 26,394 38.407 64,801 11 12 5-5 5 1 10.27 15.030 17.705 21,754 22,963 36,784 40,668 a 6 16 b 6 13 3i7 2.04 2 14 1.69 2 13 9.25 5 7 io.94 32.735 44.717 77,452 13 9 5.21 18,889 24.397 23.564 30.312 42,453 54,709 a 7 16 b 8 17 0.51 2.10 2 17 9-39 3 8 3.98 43,286 53.876 97,162 16 13 2.61 6 6 1.37 23.430 28,937 52,367 23.793 26,612 50.405 47,223 55-549 a 8 5 b 8 15 0.69 8.34 2 18 7.58 3 5.53 102,772 17 9-3 5 19 1. 11 26,254 28,785 26,458 27.459 53.917 52,712 56,244 a 9 4 b 8 14 9.86 2.92 2 19 2.04 2 15 2.03 55.039 108,956 17 19 0.78 5 14 4-07 30.253 35.428 6 5 ,68i 26,768 31.5*4 57,021 66,942 a 9 16 b 9 16 5-37 1.36 2 17 3.17 2 17 10.39 58,282 I2 3.9 6 3 19 12 6-73 5 15 1-56 32,822 35.391 29.532 41,408 70,940 62,354 76,799 a 9 14 b 9 5 5-3i 4.68 2 15 11.05 1 17 6.12 68,213 139,153 18 19 9-99 4 13 5-17 35.283 36.257 33.438 41.767 68,721 78,024 a 10 1 b 9 6 4.64 3-76 2 18 9.13 2 10 1.07 71.540 75.205 146,745 19 7 8.40 5 8 10.20 31.302 35.685 66,987 a 8 10 3.10 2 16 10.20 P I VI numbers (Table LXI.). The latter are the only available figures, but it will be noted that the half-years end January and July instead of at Michaelmas and Ladyday respectively. To face page 366. CHAPTER IV Early Treatment of the Unemployed Problem — Unsatisfactory Nature of Doles of Work — Distress Committee — Method of Registering and Classifying Unemployed — Relief at Farm Colony and Local Works — High Cost of this Method of Treatment— Problem in West Ham one of Chronic Under-employment — Expenditure — Tables and Diagrams. Provision of work for the unemployed was first undertaken by the Borough Council 1 in the winter of 1895-6, when trade was bad, but steadily improving. In 1898-9 it again appeared to the Council that relief works were advisable, though in comparison with times of cyclical depression the percentage of unemployment was then very low. The re-establishment of the works was due to the action of the labour group on the Council, who thought that the surplus of labour due to the ordinary conditions of industry during the winter should be so dealt with. In 1902 relief works were opened from March to May, and after that time each winter was deemed severe enough to warrant relief works, while exceptional circumstances were met by their greater extension. The relief works were managed through the Borough Engineer's department at the Town Hall. The work undertaken was usually paving or laying out the streets, and in some years schools or public buildings were painted or cleaned. Applications were made on forms endorsed by two burgesses, and, with the view of dividing the work among as many men as possible, employment for two days was usually offered to each man in the order of applica- 1 Unemployed Registered in West Ham. Dec. 1895 to Mar. 1896 . 935. Jan. to Mar. 1* Dec. 1898 to Mar. 1899 Mar. to May 1902 Nov. 1903 to Jan. 1904 637 1792 1 =591 7887 No. Re-registered from 1895, 90= 9.6 per cent. ,, „ ,, 1898, 67 = 10.0 „ „ i899, 171= 9-5 ,, 1902,209 = 12.5 367 3 68 WEST HAM tion until the list was exhausted, when the first applicants were again offered work. There was no method of investigation by which the most deserving men could be chosen, and until 1905 l no co- operation with the Guardians. The futility of this method of employment from the men's point of view will be obvious. For example, if the register contained 5000 names and only 500 men could be given work at a time, 1500 men would each get two days in one week and another two days in the fourth week following. The supervision was generally insufficient, and too many men were employed at a time. No details were published showing the comparative cost by contract and by unemployed labour. The winter of 1904-5 was the last time that relief works were undertaken by the Borough Council, and in extent and cost they surpassed previous attempts to deal with unemploy- ment. The registers were open from October 31 to the end of March. The following table sets out the numbers of men, the number of times they were offered two days' work, and the times they worked. Table Showing Numbers Invited to Work and Numbers who Worked on Relief Works, 1904—5. V 6 c 1118 j,, ^55 Worked ThreeTi ■ti | 8 24 4) *8 . T) O 5£ Invited to work six times for \ two days at a time . * 585 312 144 53 Invited to work five times 1338 664 422 157 OS 26 4 Invited to work four times 1474 664 335 211 15b 108 Invited to work three times 552 212 170 112 58 Invited to work twice 357 IO9 i 7 i 77 Invited to work once 354 171 183 Those who did not take up the work when it was offered would usually be men who had in the meantime obtained some employment either regular or casual. The work was spread over a period of six months, from 1 See p. 343. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 369 the beginning of November to the 9th of May. The ineffec- tiveness of the method of giving doles of work may be seen from the above statement, which shows that the 585 most fortunate men received twelve days' work in six months, or two days' work per month. The treatment of unemployment by the Borough Council cannot fairly be described as anything but a waste of money. A few streets were paved at a high cost, painting and cleaning were performed expensively, and the windfall of a few shillings per month was of little benefit to the men. The Council dealt with the question under pressure, without forethought or plan. In order to save expense in administration, the relief works were managed through one of its own permanent departments, which was already employed with its own work. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that the method of relief was inefficient. West Ham was outside the scope of Mr. Long's London Committee for 1904-5,30 that it was not until the passing of the act dealing with unemployment that a settled policy was adopted. The Unemployed Workmen Act was passed in July 1905, and was put into force in West Ham on October 3 of the same year. The object of the Act was to establish organisa- tions with a view to the provision of employment or assistance for unemployed workmen in suitable cases. A Distress Committee can only deal with applicants who have resided within their area for twelve months (unless a longer period for residential qualification has been fixed by the committee). An applicant must be not only "honestly de- sirous of obtaining work," but "temporarily unable to do so from exceptional causes over which he has no control." One of the qualifications for preferential treatment is " that in the past he has been regularly employed, . . . and has been well- conducted and thrifty." West Ham being a county borough outside the metro- politan area with a population of over 50,000, the Act enabled it to form a Distress Committee directly responsible to the Local Government Board. The committee consisted of 17 members of the Borough 2 A 370 WEST . HAM Council, 12 representatives of the Guardians, and 7 co-opted members. Registers were opened on October 10 in the north and in the south of the borough. The Act provides that all cases registered shall be in- vestigated and classified before relief be given. For this pur- pose an arrangement was entered into with the Charity Organisation Society, who agreed to supervise and pay the cost of investigation. The society opened temporary offices in different parts of the borough and employed an average of forty inquiry agents, many of whom had had previous experience of similar work. The statements on the registration forms, which were filled up by a clerk at the dictation of the applicant, were verified in the following way : (1) Special inquiry officers paid visits to the home, where the applicants were in all cases seen and questioned, and the character of the home noted. (2) Neigh- bours, persons to be applied to for references and occupants of houses where applicants had formerly lived, were visited or written to. (3) Employers for the last two engagements pre- ceding registration and also the employer with whom the applicant had served his longest continuous period were written to. In case such inquiries were insufficiently an- swered, further inquiry was made where practicable by correspondence with the other Charity Organisation com- mittees in London, or by visit from an inquiry officer. (4) Receipt of poor relief was corroborated by reference to the Relieving Officer. When the information thus obtained was considered sufficiently complete, it was carefully revised by two experienced Charity Organisation Society workers inde- pendently, and classified. Where the judgments disagreed, the case was referred to a classification committee of three. During the seven and a half months between October 1 1, 1905, and May 26, 1906, 4785 applicants registered themselves. Subsequently the cases came before the classification sub- committee of the Distress Committee. The Central Committee of the Charity Organisation Society thought that some light would be thrown on the question of unemployment if a detailed examination of the case papers were LOCAL GOVERNMENT 371 undertaken. As the statistics published at intervals by the Dis- tress Committee were taken from the registration papers in their original form without any correction or amplification in the light of the additional information obtained by the inquiry agents, it was thought that for statistical purposes it would be more satisfactory to use the agents' results in addition to the original papers. Accordingly, when the investigation had been completed, an assistant secretary of the society carefully re- read 2000 out of the 4000 dossiers, and tabulated such information as was capable of statistical treatment. The following quotation is, by the kind permission of the society, taken from the Charity Organisation Society's Report on Unskilled Labour : — " Usual Occupations of '2000 Men Registered as Out of Work. 1. Casual labourers — (a) Lower grade, not dock, 17.2 per cent.l (b) Dock . . • 16.3 „ J-50.4 per cent. (c) General . . . 16.9 ,, J 2. Factory labourers ..... 8.3 ,, 3. Engineers' labourers 5.8 ,, 4. Building Trade — (a) Tradesmen . . 5.9 per cent. \ (b) Labourers, including ( j scaffolders and ex- / " cavators . . .11.7 ,, ) 5. Carmen ....... 3.4 ,, 6. Miscellaneous — (a) Skilled-'' 6.0 „ \b) Unskilled— (1) Normally regular . 4.6 per cent.\ „ (2) Normally casual .4.1 „ J " " The accurate determination of the employment distribu- tion of the applicants is hindered by several difficulties. " (a) Faulty Description. — Error in description was likely to arise because the applicants were not sufficiently examined by the clerks, and they would sometimes be led to describe them- selves incorrectly by two motives. It was thought by some that labourers were more likely to be given work than skilled men ; hence it was occasionally found that men so 372 WEST HAM described themselves when they were really following a skilled or semi-skilled trade. Inquiry has probably reduced this source of error to a negligible quantity. On the other hand, there were many instances of men calling themselves painters, carpenters, engineers, &c, when they were really labourers corresponding to these forms of skilled work. Employers' references and other inquiry have also minimised this error. " (b) Combination of Occupations. — A great many of the un- skilled workers had from time to time followed very various callings, and normally combined several season trades. Thus, carmen often work at the building trade, or at the docks, or get a job in a factory during slack times. In each case, what appeared the predominant occupation was taken. u (c) Present and Predominant Occupation. — In not a few cases men who for a considerable time had followed a regular occupation were found to have descended to casual labour. The change was due to several causes, and the probability that the better work would be regained was in most cases doubtful. Where no strong probability was suggested, the present occupation has been taken as the true one. The really important point to be ascertained is the proportion of applicants normally in casual employment. From the table it will be seen that these include the casual labourer proper, the builder's labourer, and a proportion of miscellaneous workers, making a total of 66.2 per cent. If the skilled men of the building trade and carmen are also included, as both these forms of employment are very irregular, the total becomes 75.3 per cent. " The distinction of skilled and unskilled men is only mis- leading unless carefully defined. In the miscellaneous group, those only have been called unskilled who were familiar with no trade process, i.e. messengers, watchmen, window cleaners, carmen, and hawkers. Of tradesmen there were 8.7 per cent., of whom 5.9 were in the building trade." The distress is attributed to slackness of trade in about 50 per cent, of the 2000 cases. These include workers in in- dustries which suffer from periodic depression, and men who LOCAL GOVERNMENT 373 are affected by seasonal unemployment, ^.workers in the build- ing trades. Of the remaining 50 per cent, many were casual labourers whose work was normally of an irregular character, e.g. dock labourers, particularly those who were on no prefer- ence list. Others were either past work or ill, and the remainder are described as unsatisfactory workers. The information with regard to the last group was mainly derived from either written reports or interviews with employers, whose opinion was taken as final. It is therefore probable that a certain number of those described as unsatisfactory workers should have been included under one of the other heads. Only cases of distress due to exceptional trade conditions are legitimately covered by the Act, and therefore 50 per cent, of the applicants fell without its scope ; but the Act was not administered according to the letter. The 4785 applicants were distributed by wards as follows : — Number of Applicants from Each of the Tivelve Wards of the Borough. North West Ham. High Street Ward Broadway ,, New Town „ Forest Gate ,, Park Upton ,, 45 2 2fJ7 208 171 90 56 1244 South West Ham. Tidal Basin Ward Canning Town „ Hudson's „ West Ham „ Plaistow ,, Silvertown and Custom ^ House Ward .... I 9 T 3 601 555 542 498 432 354i It was stated that this number did not represent the amount of unemployment in West Ham, and reference was made to a " house-to-house " census taken by the Town Council in December 1902, which showed that 5382 men in the southern wards and 833 in the northern wards were un- employed. These numbers did not include 495 casual workers who were doing a few days' work at the time of the census. But a comparison between the figures of 1902 and 1906 is not possible, owing to the different manner of registration and the absence in 1902 of adequate organisation. It is 374 WEST HAM stated in the report of the Distress Committee that the bulk of the skilled unemployed did not register in 1905— 1906. The applicants were distributed by ages as follows : — Age Distribution of Applicants l Male Applicants. Per Cent Under 20 .... .2.1 Between 20 and 25 8-3 25 ,,35 21.8 >> 35 >> 45 • • 25-7 >) 45 )> 55 21.4 55 » 65 16.2 65 „ 75 4.4 Over 75 .... 0.1 The committee were prevented by the Local Government Board Regulations from considering the cases of applicants who had received Poor Law relief during the twelve or fifteen months prior to registration. As the number of these cases was over 1400, the committee urged the Board to relax the regulation. About 770 such cases were submitted to the Board, who permitted help to be given to 700. A proportion of the large number of cases under this head was no doubt due to the administration of the Poor Law and to the conditions described above. 2 In accordance with section 4 (3)6 of the Act, a farm of 204 acres was purchased at Ockendon in Essex for the pur- poses of a colony, and work was begun on December 12. The committee considered that this was the most important part of their work, but time was required for making the necessary arrangements to place a large number of men at work in the country, and consequently the growth of the colony was gradual. At the date of the report, June 30, 1906, 236 men had been assisted there for varying periods. In addition to this, the drainage of a part of Wanstead Flats was undertaken to provide local work. In their anxiety to "help as many men as possible," the committee decided to divide each fortnight's work between three shifts working four days each, and thus each man had only four days' work in each fortnight. 1030 men were 1 Cf. p. 178, Age Distribution. 2 See p. 347. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 375 employed in this manner, and the total number of days' work amounted to 9430. A comparison of the actual gross cost with the cost of the same work under ordinary conditions of labour was not made, so that no satisfactory estimate of the quality of the work can be arrived at. Nineteen families were assisted to emigrate to Canada. Three single men and one family were helped to migrate to different parts of England. The expenditure on the farm colony, exclusive of pur- chase, was rather more than .£4000, on local works £4200, on emigration ^400, on establishment charges ^1600 ; in all about -£10,000. These charges were met by a |d. rate, which brought in nearly .£2000, and by voluntary contribu- tions, which, with grants from the Queen's Fund, amounted to nearly .£12,000, Last winter the Distress Committee registers were open from October 1 to March 31, 1907. The numbers registered were slightly larger than in the previous year, 4825 as against 4785. The following table shows the distribution throughout the several wards of the borough for the years 1906 and 1907 :— ^^ 1907. 1906. High Street 461 452 Broadway 276 267 New Town 214 208 Forest Gate 171 171 Park 78 90 Upton 49 5 6 1249 1244 Increase ... 5 South. Tidal Basin 900 913 Canning Town 647 601 Hudson's 545 555 West Ham 568 542 Plaistow 462 498 Custom House and Silvertown 454 432 3576 354i Increase ... 35 North . . . 1249 1244 4825 4785 Total Increase . 40 376 WEST HAM The method of making inquiries into character and indus- trial records was the same as in the previous year, except that the committee paid for the work; and, though it was carried on by several of the same persons as before, the administra- tion was under the supervision of the committee's secretary. The Classification Committee graded 3058 of the applicants as follows : — Skilled and regular artisans ...... 47 Irregular artisans and regular labourers . . .632 Casual labourers ........ 1947 The chronically bad — industrially, privately, or both, and the physically or mentally incapables . . 432 As in the previous year the main methods of relief were employment at the farm colony or on local relief works, and emigration. Up to March 31, 1907, a total of 2557 men were offered employment on the local works. 496 declined because they were in work at the time, 48 on account of physical unfitness and for other reasons ; of the remaining 18 10, 247 were dis- missed by the superintendent as unsatisfactory after they had begun work, 290 left on obtaining other work, and 17 for no special reasons. The number assisted was therefore 1459 out of the 2557 who were selected and offered work. The amount done has been carefully measured by the Borough Engineer, who places its value at ^7397 10s., while the total cost was .£10,135 16s. 8d. It will be seen that the actual cost is nearly 37 per cent, above the valuation of cost under contract conditions. The supervision was more efficient than in the former year, and the men were employed for alternate weeks instead of three days a fortnight. The engineer reported : " I am satisfied that the result is a con- siderable improvement on any work of a similar character carried out by 'unemployed' labour." The average cost per man on local works was 22s. 6d. per week: the rate of pay being 6d. per hour for eight hours a day. From July 1, 1906, to June 30, 1907, 438 men were em- ployed for varying periods at the farm colony. The cost for LOCAL GOVERNMENT 377 food and fuel was 4s. 8d. per head, compared with 4s. 1 id. in the previous year, and the gross average expenditure per man, including home payments, but excluding rent, supervision, and establishment charges, was 20s. 3d., compared with 22s. 7^>d. for the previous year. During the same period 438 men and their families, com- prising 1059 individuals, were emigrated. In December 1906 a joint committee of the South West Ham Charity Organisation Society and the Distress Com- mittee was formed mainly in order to deal with such cases as were outside the scope of the Distress Committee. Seventy- four cases have been assisted, medically, through charitable agencies, by payment of club and trade union arrears, and in other ways. The whole expenses connected with this work have been borne by the Charity Organisation Society. In addition to the money provided from the borough rates, a sum of ^25,000 was allotted by the Local Government Board, of which .£10,000 was for local works, .£8000 for emigration, and ^7000 for the farm colony. The committee has, unfortunately, not established labour exchanges. A small labour exchange has been started at the committee's office, but its operations have been very limited. A sub-committee reported strongly in favour of setting up two labour bureaux independent of the Distress Committee, like the exchanges in the London area, and recommended that these should be federated with the exchanges of London and become connected with the neighbouring districts. Their recommendation has not, however, been carried out, partly through lack of funds and partly because the committee were not agreed upon the value of the work. During the two years the total number of entries on the register has been 9610, of which 2310 related to persons who registered in both years, the total number of individuals there- fore being 7300 ; the total number assisted on local works was 3050, and on the farm colony 674. The total number of weeks' work provided was 9637 on local works, and 5184 on the colony. The average payments per week on local works was 22s. 6d., and the cost on the colony (inclusive of 378 WEST HAM home payments and all but office and rent charges) 21s. i|d. per head. The proportion registered is unusually high, as may be seen by comparing West Ham with several county boroughs. Number of Persons Registered as Unemployed in Thirteen County Boroughs per 1000 of the Population, 1906-7. Sheffield . No register Manchester . less than 1 per 1000 Birmingham Kingston . Leeds under under less than 2 2 3 )) !) 11 )) )) 11 Liverpool and Bradford . nearly Bristol . . . slightly over Newcastle and Leicester . nearly 4 5 7 )) 11 )) )) 11 )) Plymouth . rather more than 10 11 11 East Ham . West Ham (Municipal Borough) 12 18 )> >) 11 1) Not only the number of applicants but their class makes the question of relief a peculiarly difficult one in West Ham. The grading of the Classification Committee shows that nearly 80 per cent, are casual labourers, or industrially or physically inefficient. It was, therefore, not surprising that a large number who had put their names down in 1905-6 should register again in 1906-7. Of the 4785 applicants registered in 1905-6, 2310 or 48.3 per cent, reapplied in 1906-7. Of the 3625 applicants who registered but did not receive assistance in 1905-6, 1526 or 42.1 per cent, reapplied in 1906-7. Of the 1 1 60 applicants who did receive assistance in 1905-6, 784 or 67.6 per cent, reapplied in 1906-7. Of the 2475 applicants in 1905-6 who did not re-register in 1906-7, 2099 or 84.8 per cent, had not been assisted in 1905-6. These figures and percentages seem to show that, at any rate in such a district as West Ham, the provision of work under the Unemployed Workmen Act in one year tends rather to encourage reliance upon the same source of assistance in the following year than to restore men to independence. At the time when the Act was introduced, the intention was to give assistance to men who were out of work owing to LOCAL GOVERNMENT 379 circumstances over which they had no control, and this was interpreted to mean — owing to cyclical depression of trade. It was thought that the men who were capable of work would be helped over their period of unemployment and would be absorbed by the labour market when trade revived. But nearly 5000 registrations have taken place in each of the two years during which the Distress Committee has been at work, al- though during the time the general prosperity has undoubtedly been rising ; and this seems to show that unemployment is for many of the applicants a chronic condition of under- employment, and it is probable their difficulties are not con- fined to the winter months. If the Act as it stands continues to be put into operation at West Ham the register will probably show from 4000 to 6000 unemployed every winter according to the condition of the labour market. But the experience of the last two years already indicates that this state of things cannot be met successfully by the Act, which was not framed for a population consisting largely of casual labourers in ir- regular work. Unemployment on such a large scale cannot be remedied by local relief works and a farm colony ; but apart from the difficulty of numbers it is clear that the problem is not that which the framers of the Act had in mind. Under the present method of administration the money spent acts largely as a subsidy to the employers of casual labour ; and though it may for the moment do something to relieve the want due to irregularity of work, it actually tends to perpetuate that irregularity. Employment on relief works and maintenance at colonies (with home payments to families) are expensive methods of tiding a man over a bad time. In two years the committee has provided 14,821 weeks' work at an average cost of 2 is. iod. per week. 3724 have participated in this, so that on the average each man has had four weeks' work. It cannot be denied that this is much more successful than the Borough Council's method of dealing with the question. 1 The average is of course misleading, and many men have had sixteen weeks' continuous work, but the cost is excessive if it 1 See p. 368. 380 WEST HAM is compared with the price at which men can be supported by their own organisations in the better paid trades. Appli- cants to the committee are seldom financial members of trade unions, and the large proportion belong to unskilled trades which are only partially organised and do not pay unemployed benefit. The following table gives the numbers who belong or have belonged to unions, clubs, and benefit societies. There are no figures to show what numbers belong to unions that pay out-of-work benefit, and it is probable that many of those put down as present members are in arrears with their sub- scription, and not, therefore, eligible for the benefits of their society. Membership of Trades Unions, Clubs, or Benefit Societies. 1 Present Members of Trades Unions : — Skilled Unskilled .... Past Members of Trades Unions :— Skilled Unskilled . Present Members of Club or other Benefit Societies Past „ ,, ,, 778 1942 If the average number unemployed during the year in the 100 principal unions is divided into the total expenditure on out-of-work benefit, the cost will be found to be little more than £1 per head of the members unemployed, and this method of treatment is usually found to provide fairly efficiently for members who are out of employment. The provision of help is various, and frequently includes assistance to work in other localities. This action seems to show that the more complete organisation of industry on the part of unions tends 1 In many cases applicants have belonged to both Trades Unions and Clubs. 1905- -6. 1906 -7- 175? 157 \ 332 131 \ 114; 245 119) 180} 299 403 I 887} 1290 631 IJ3S Societies 516 262 522 1420 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 381 considerably to mitigate unemployment. It has been stated that, judging from the number and status of persons registered in West Ham, the problem is largely one of casual labour and under- employment. The committee's want of action in estab- lishing labour exchanges is therefore particularly to be re- gretted, as this means of increasing the mobility of labour would seem to be the most hopeful means of defining most clearly the problem of unemployment in a district where casual labour is largely employed. Even supposing that skilled labour can be dealt with through unions, the problem of the unskilled and casual worker still remains, and without greater mobility following on the organisation of the labour market irregular workers cannot afford to provide them- selves against unemployment by forming unions that can pay out-of-work benefit or by insurance. An account of the committee's gross receipts and expendi- ture for the two years ending June 30, 1907, is printed on p. 382. This excludes the original price (^7000) of the farm colony, which was borrowed from the Council, as the Local Government Board has sanctioned the raising of an additional farthing rate for the purpose of repaying the purchase money over a period of ten years. In two years .£40,064 has been received for dealing with the unemployed. If the balance in hand (.£2722 5s. od.) and the expenditure on migration and emigration (£^8097 16s. 8Jd.) are deducted, it will be seen that .£29,244 16s. 8|d. has been spent on providing local relief works and on managing a farm colony. At these two places 88,960 days' work, or 14,827 weeks' work has been provided in two years, and this has been shared by 3277 men. The gross cost, therefore, of every week's work, per man has been £1 19s. 9d. The average sum spent on each man in food, home payments, and wages per week has been given at £1 is. iod. So that the remaining 18s. 7|d. is the cost of the machinery for pro- viding that .£1 is. iod. If all expenditure on new buildings, material, carting, seeds, manure, stock, and plant are deducted, it will be seen that for every .£1 is. iod. spent on the men the cost of administration amounts to 7s. 3d. 3 82 WEST HAM TABLE LXX. — West Ham Distress Committee , 1905— 1907. Statement of Accounts. Receipts. Borough Rate contribution (exclusive of ,£900 due to June 30, 1907) Refunds of advances from Borough Fund Queen's Unemployed Fund, 1905-6 Donations, Church Collections, proceeds of Benefit and other Voluntary Contributions . Farm Colony Sales .... Covernment Grants .... Bank Interest Emigration Deposits and Refunds Sundries. ...... £ d. 3,609 o o 13 16 3 6,449 4 1 3.775 13 3 834 19 io 1 25,000 o o 195 9 4 176 13 1 9 9 9 .£40,064 5 7 Expenditure. («) Establishment Charges — Office equipment, salaries and wages, printing, postage and stationery, regis- tration, investigation, employment exchange, general office administration, land valuers, and rent, rates, taxes, insurance and interest on loan . (d) Expenses incurred in the migration and emigration of applicants ........ (r) Wages upon local provided works, 1905-7 (d) Plant, material, cartage and other expenses for local provided works, 1905-7 ..... (e) Farm Colonists' and Home payments, food and maintenance, boots, travelling, medical, and other expenditure forming part of the wage equivalents to Colonists (other than rent, rates, and taxes) (/) Rent, rates and taxes and insurance at Colony (exclusive of charges on Purchase Account) . (g) Furniture and utensils ..... (h) New buildings, materials, and Council's charges (z) Manure, seeds, stock, live-stock, plant and imple ments, buildings and repairs .... (J) Colony supervision, office expenses, and sundries Balances at June 30, 1907 £ s. d. 3,591 11 6$ 8,097 3 io| 9,810 17 10 2,916 6 1 5,6i4 7 3 220 3 6 179 4 9 2,301 5 4 3,497 3 -1 7 ? 1,113 10 9l £37,342 7 2,722 5 £40,064 5 7 1 Exclusive of value of produce used on Farm, ,£125 16s. LOCAL GOVERNMENT 383 No figures of unemployment year by year are available for West Ham. The following charts and table, compiled from re- turns supplied by the Board of Trade, show the unemployment of trade unionists in the London district of which for this purpose West Ham is a part. No figures are available before April 1893. In the second chart the fluctuations are shown month by month for the whole period. TABLE LXXI. — Table showing Percentage Unemployed of Mem- bers of Trade Unions 1 in the London District for each Month from April 1893 to June 1907. Mean Year. Jan. Feb. Mar. 1 April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. 1 Nov. Dec. for Year. 1893 | 4.6 4.2 4.9 5-3 6-3 6.2 6.2 5-7 7.2 S .62 1894 6-5 5-9 5-8 5-3 5-4 6.0 6.2 6.5 6.4 6.1 5-2 6.0 5-9 189S 7.2 7- 1 5-3 4.8 4-3 4-7 4.2 4-7 4-5 3-5 2.8 3-7 4-7 1896 3-6 3-i 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.7 3-6 3-6 3-2 2.7 3-3 3 1 1897 3-3 2.7 2.2 23 2.2 3-5 3-4 4.0 4.2 3-5 3-i 3-7 3-2 1898 4-5 4.2 3-i 2-5 2.9 2.9 3-4 3-8 3-5 3-3 2.8 3-6 3-4 1899 3-8 2.7 2.6 2.0 2.4 2-5 3-i 3-7 3-6 2.9 2-3 3-4 2 '? 1900 3-5 3-4 2-5 2.7 , 2.6 3-° 3-5 3-8 3-7 3-6 3-2 4.8 3-4 1901 4.2 4.0 3-4 3-3 4.0 3-9 3.8 S-i 4.8 4.1 3-6 S-2 4.1 1902 5-3 4-5 3-8 4.0 4.0 4.9 5-i 5-7 6.4 5-8 5-4 5-9 5-i 1903 6.2 5-5 5-° 5-3 4-5 4-7 5- * 5-5 5-7 I' 8 5-7 6.8 5-5 6.6 1904 6.6 6.6 5-8 6.0 1 6.8 6.6 6-3 6.7 7-i 6.9 6.4 7.8 i9°5 7.2 6.9 6.0 6-5 : 6.0 6-3 6-5 6.4 6.4 6.1 5-5 6.9 6.4 5-6 1906 6.7 5-7 4-9 5-4 ' 4-9 5-3 5-3 5-6 5-7 5-9 5-2 1 6 : 9 1907 6-5 5-2 5-i 4-9 ; 5-4 5-8 1 i 1 So far as figures are available. 2 For nine months only. 3«4 WEST HAM ■* <^ > K ^ CO to i. 5; K~< ^ •« ^ o "W o ^> -!> 1 CO "S o §jj zc ^s 5 •** s ^ ^ Vj V - v . s X <-0 X .c s b <: K o < to >^ ss I I I •* "~j *) I I i — r-T ' ' ' ' ' ' ' I 53 o a. K 1 ro »o O s oo ^ ^ ^ £ ©■ ^ •> ^ M - <^ o ' •k, <^ c^ ^ b 1^ D, > X X < o *s BOOK IV MISCELLANEOUS 2 B MISCELLANEOUS Number of Religious Institutions — Amount Spent in Charity — Endowed Charities of West Ham — Settlements and their Activities — Hospital Accommodation — Public-houses and Licensed Clubs — Tables. The present chapter contains information on various points which have not been covered by the previous sections of the report. The following list will show the number of places of worship in connection with various denominations in West Ham : — Religious and Philanthropic Institutions. 28 Church of England Parishes or Districts, with Churches. 2 College Mission Districts, with Churches. 5 Roman Catholic Churches. 7 Congregational Chapels. 14 Baptist Chapels. 3 Presbyterian Churches. 6 Wesleyan Methodist Chapels. 4 United Methodist Free Churches. 9 Primitive Methodist Chapels. 1 Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel. 1 Reformed Protestant Church. 1 Reformed Episcopal Church. 1 Church of Christ. 2 Society of Friends' Meeting Houses. 6 Salvation Army Halls. 2 Unitarian Churches. 1 Plymouth Brethren's Meeting Place. 2 Peculiar People's Meeting Places. 14 City Missions and other Bodies. On September 20, 1903, a census of persons attending religious services was taken by the Daily News, and the results were edited by Mr. Mudie Smith. The returns so far as they affect West Ham are printed in Table LXXII. Nine per 387 388 WEST HAM cent, of the population were present at some place of worship in the morning, and 10.75 per cent, in the evening. Information as to the amount spent in relief of the sick and poor during 1906 has been kindly supplied by twenty- two Church of England, two Roman Catholic clergy, and seven ministers of Free Churches. The amount given away by the Church of England was ^2163 3s. nfd. ; by the Roman Catholics, ^220; by the Free Churches, ^514 16s. nkl., making a total of .£2898 os. n|d. No returns were received from the Sal- vation Army. The Church Army has a Labour Home in the Custom House Ward. 95 men, 43 of whom are described as general labourers, were admitted for varying periods be- tween January 1906 and May 1907. The Church Army had for two winters attempted to relieve the unemployed by means of a wood-chopping yard. As there were large numbers of men on the Distress Com- mittee's registers in 1 906-1 907 whom the committee were unable to help, either because they were ineligible for treat- ment, or because the funds were at a low ebb, the Church Army offered to provide work at wood-chopping for fifty men every day. The usual plan was to employ each man for two days a week only. The rates paid were 6d. per cwt. of wood chopped, together with a further halfpenny per cwt. for each dependent child up to the number of four. The maximum which could be earned per day was 3s. 4d., but even skilled wood-choppers sometimes found it difficult to earn this. The committee decided to notify this offer to those men on their registers whom they were unable to help, and stated the terms of employment, leaving the men to decide whether they would go to the yard or not. Several members of the committee considered that the rates of pay were too low, and disapproved strongly of the principle of selling firewood made under these conditions in competition with those whose living depended on this industry. The Endowed Charities of West Ham are regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commission dated February 6, 1903. MISCELLANEOUS 389 They are 43 in number, of which 4 are called ecclesi- astical and 39 non-ecclesiastical charities. The total annual gross value amounted in 1903 to ^581 10s. 6d., of which .£4 3s. 3d. was the sum of the ecclesiastical charities. Avenon's Charity is not in the scheme as it is a matter not yet decided upon by the Commissioners. It is intended to provide a sum of money (about ^5) for the purpose of an annual sermon in West Ham Parish Church. The charity is now said to be of the value of about ^250 annually, and is held by the Church authorities for their own purposes. The non-ecclesiastical charities are distributed by twelve Ward Committees, who are appointed by the trustees, and to whom a certain sum of money is allotted annually. The annual grants from the trustees to the different Ward Com- mittees differ in amount according to the poverty of the ward. The Ward Committees are of the nature of Relief Committees, and meet at intervals, some as often as once a month. They consider the claim of each applicant or person brought to their notice, and grant relief either in money or in kind. The amount of inquiry into the circumstances of each applicant varies with the different committees. One or two of the members usually undertake to find out from among the cases those that are deserving of help. The manner of distribu- tion also varies with the Ward Committees. Some always give money, others give tickets representing different amounts of groceries, coal, &c, others sometimes one, sometimes the other. Money gifts seem usually to range from 3s. to 10s., and appear to be of the nature of doles, though the grant is often given at times of illness. In a few instances the money has been used in order to provide convalescent treatment after illness. There have been cases in which money was granted to persons already in receipt of outdoor relief from the Guardians, though such a course seems to be contrary to article 36 of the scheme which provides that none of the monies shall be used in relief of the poor rates. At the end of each year the committees send in their balance sheets to the trustees. In addition to the distribution of relief there are twenty 39° WEST HAM places in almshouses for women, each of whom receives an allowance of 4s. a week. Vacancies are filled by the trustees from recommendations sent by the Ward Committees. The proportion of the money spent on the almshouses, including the allowance to their occupants, and on the relief disbursed through the committees, are about half and half. The avail- able money for the year is nearly always spent during the year in these two ways with a small charge for administration. The trustees pay to the Vicar of West Ham the small sum of money set aside for ecclesiastical charities, and have no con- trol over its expenditure. There are two settlements for men and two for women in the borough. The Mansfield House University Settlement in the south of the borough is in connection with Mansfield College, Oxford. The basis of the settlement is definitely religious, and the warden is a Congregationalist minister. There is also a Women's Settlement on the same basis as Mansfield House, but in no official connection with it. The activities of the residents are numerous. Religious meetings are held in connection with the P.S.A. and Sunday union, and the warden holds open-air services. Evening lectures are given on a variety of religious and other subjects, various social clubs have their headquarters at the settlement, and other societies such as the Penny Bank, Christmas Club, Sick Benefit Society, Coal Club, Loan Society, and the Hospital Letter Society. The Poor Man's Lawyer is a useful institu- tion, and a Civic Union has recently been started for the improvement of local conditions. The Wave Lodging-house in the Custom House Ward, a lodging-house for casual dockers, is in connection with the Mansfield House Settle- ment. A Distress and Benevolent Fund is administered jointly by the warden and by Miss Cheetham, the head of the Women's Settlement. In 1906 over three-quarters of this fund was expended in the employment of labour ; the remainder was spent in assisting convalescents, and on other forms of direct relief. Some of the residents manage the local branch of the Children's Country Holiday Fund. MISCELLANEOUS 391 Several representatives of both settlements are on the Town Council, Board of Guardians, and Education Committee. In connection with the Trinity College, Oxford, Mission in North West Ham is a house for Trinity Oxford men who wish to take part in religious or social work in East London. The residents manage men's and boys' clubs connected with the mission, assist in charity organisation work, and have organised two vacation schools. Residents are also on local authorities and act as school managers. A Women's Settlement at St. Helen's House, Stratford, was founded by Mrs. Crossley with the intention of specially helping the work of the Trinity College, Oxford, Mission. The residents assist in various parishes as district visitors, help in the work of the Charity Organisation Society, and manage the West Ham branch of the Children's Country Holiday Fund. There are two Girls' Clubs and a Penny Bank in connection with the settlement. One of the residents is a member of the Distress Committee, and several act as school managers. The Children's Country Holiday Fund has already been mentioned among the activities of the various settlements. There are three committees of the fund in West Ham, and 2460 children were sent for a fortnight into the country in 1906. There are eight companies of the Church Lads' Brigade in the borough with a total number of 318 lads on the roll in July 1907. A society called the West Ham Relief Committee was started in 1897. In May 1900 it became the West Ham Committee of the Charity Organisation Society. A branch of the society was formed in South West Ham in 1906, mainly for the purpose of co-operating with the Distress Committee as a result of the society's action in 1905. 1 The original committee is now called the North West Ham Com- mittee, and all cases in the borough south of the London and Tilbury Railway are dealt with by the South West Ham 1 See p. 370. 392 WEST HAM Committee. The North West Ham Committee in 1906 spent .£666 13s. 6d. in pensions, special cases, relief cases, and re- turnable grants. During six months the South West Ham Committee have been mainly engaged in dealing with cases referred to them by the Distress Committee. There are ninety-four branches of friendly societies in West Ham. Replies were received from two-thirds of the lodges (including those of the leading societies), and in these the members numbered 13,880, of whom eighty-eight were " juveniles." There are several insurance, sick, and benefit clubs in connection with the larger factories, but no informa- tion of the total membership could be obtained. No definite returns can be given about insurance societies. It would appear from information supplied by the Prudential Assurance Society that the average weekly premium paid on insurance policies in West Ham is lower than in many other districts round London. The relative weekly premium in different districts does not, however, necessarily indicate a corresponding difference in the wealth of the population, as the average premium is affected by other circumstances, particularly by the age distribution. The West Ham and East London Hospital was founded in 1 86 1 as a dispensary, and became a hospital for accidents in 1890. The number of beds is sixty, and 571 in-patients, 13,154 out-patients, 10,836 casualties, and 1993 dental cases were treated in 1906. The foundation of a new wing which will cost .£20,000 has just been laid. St. Mary's Hospital for sick children at Plaistow has thirty-five beds ; 529 in-patients, 3841 out-patients, and 13,122 casualties were treated in 1906. The Victoria and Albert Docks Hospital, which is a branch of the Seamen's Hospital Society (Dreadnought), Greenwich, has fifty beds, and 514 in-patients and 10,626 out-patients were treated in 1906. Attached to the hospital is the London School of Tropical Medicine. The Medical Mission Hospital at Plaistow has twenty-one MISCELLANEOUS 393 beds, 256 in-patients and 12,883 out-patients were treated in 1906. The total hospital accommodation in West Ham is very small and compares unfavourably with that of other county boroughs. West Ham has therefore to rely, to a considerable extent, on the general hospitals of London. The London Hospital is the nearest general hospital to West Ham. In 1905 West Ham cases amounted to about one-sixth of the in-patients and about one-seventh of the out- patients dealt with. It is also stated by two local doctors that many cases from West Ham are treated at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, but the addresses of patients in different districts are not separated on the registers of that hospital. In 1 87 1 the Guardians of the West Ham Union bought a site at Plaistow and built a smallpox hospital for paupers. In 1878 the Poplar Board of Works, in spite of the opposition of the West Ham Local Board, built near the Guardians' hospital an infectious diseases hospital for Poplar ; and in 1884 the West Ham Local Board fitted up some cottages in an adjoining street for smallpox patients. In November 1890 it was agreed by the Town Council, in accordance with a scheme suggested in a special report by the Medical Officer of Health, that the hospitals belonging to the West Ham Guardians and the Poplar Board, together with some adjoin- ing land, should be purchased, and the site utilised for a hospital to accommodate infectious diseases other than small- pox ; and further, that the Council's smallpox hospital should be closed, and a special hospital built in a more suitable place outside the borough. The foundation-stone of the Plaistow Fever Hospital, which, though nominally an extension of the old Poplar Fever Hospital, was really a new building, was laid on October 26, 1899, and opened in 1901. The smallpox hospital was opened at Dagenham in 1899. In connection with it is a farm of 118 acres, which is managed by the Council, and supplies both hospitals with milk and other produce. It will be observed from a comparison of Tables LXXIII. 394 WEST HAM and LXXIV. that although the number of persons to each licensed house is lowest in the New Town Ward {i.e. the number of public-houses per population is highest), yet in that ward there are no public-houses with a rateable value of over ^500 ; the same is true of the West Ham Ward, in which the number of persons to each licensed house is the highest. It would be expected that in the more respectable districts the number of off licences would be high in proportion to the number of full licences. The Park and Upton Wards accordingly have five full licences to nine off licences, and four full to fourteen off licences respectively ; whereas Canning Town has twenty-nine full to six off licences, and Tidal Basin thirty-seven full to ten off licences. The size of the houses must also be considered. In the case of the full licences the houses assessed at ^400 and upwards are twenty in number, and of these ten are in the Canning Town, Tidal Basin, and Custom House Wards ; the number of houses of ^500 and upwards is sixteen, and of these nine are in the three wards above mentioned. The Canning Town Ward contains three houses of ^700 and upwards, whereas there are only two of that size in the rest of the borough. It will 1 be seen from Table LXXV. that there are fifteen clubs .registered under the licensing Act of 1902. One of these is a^ Masonic Lodge, three are Volunteer clubs, one is connected^with a factory, and one with a Working Men's Institute, Jone is a Working Men's Social Club, eight are political clubs. MISCELLANEOUS 395 _ u NO t-s H O CO H -f -+CO On -|- [N. NO (<10>0 ON OnOO 01 M 00 On 73 * >n toCO to "'AO to to >0 On On 01 1" -f "f tHO 00 01 IONO ON 01 NO ■* h,o Q o "_i co *£co m m onno_ q n h * to n h>o "io t£ co tovo" rf m ci h mh m"vo co M to to to lOCO H -t- tONO 01 01 COH NuihiO -fO M CMfld toco o 73 (I O OiCHO O N CONNOi'lOiO Onno T w On O to -f- On o ionhoo *h h io uiM rococo h n+ : 01 H 0^ H CO CO 01 H M W MHO) CO d 12 r> On OnOO h NO H IONO 01 01 O m rt-NO MOO lOOvlOvO* Ox NO CO C^NO NO NO tONO cohmcOCOCxmO 01 NO CO rf- • On Tf- tv OnCO 01 0^ CONO H M 01 CO CO coto CO tub 13 0) On c "8 > W u c S 01 to 0s COtO On *J- r>-\0 O ON Tf O 00 tooo tO OnCO to "1 H Onno ONON-l-tOTt-tNTl-COi-iOO COCO N00 m CO Th O CO CO coso covo oi a, r}- to oi co to -*\o o • o- o CO H M M~ of H d NO tJ- to COCO CO On CO M ONNO tONO M <*■** Tl- H NO NO CO OnNO to o tOCO H«J (I N B) H tOH wto: lOOlto CO NO K of of M h" tO to 01 to r(- On CI ih IOION NN OnCO ■* H Tf O M CO lOCO T to o Ih COtOtOONCJitoOlOto "tiO CI ON 01 01 ON CO -1" 01 o 2 COtO ONH HVO to On M H '. 01 00 CO ■* M 13 CO H m" w" of C "3 o u . s e tO CO CO 01 to to COCO On ON ON Onno to to N 4 OVOVOM H rh £ ON w On O to n- to COVO H CO • M N o no CO o OOHtOONlOHM H M. H On H 00 M M NO a 0(10MN")"tNOiOHU)atO COtOHtOCOMOl to tOOOCO CO NOOHOOtowCOON-w 0HOO N * 01 1 tt HO N « ho h m: h no w H W H NO dons h '. ions Mis: ch . hurc ( 5 Church of England ,, ,, Missions Baptist Church . Congregational Church ,, ,, Miss Wesleyan Methodist Church United Methodist Free Chur Primitive Methodist Church Welsh Calvinist Methodist C Presbyterian Church . Free Episcopal Church New Jerusalem Church Society of Friends Brethren .... Evangelical Mission Services Disciples of Christ Foreign Protestant Services Unitarian Church Salvation Army . Roman Catholic Church Other Services . Jewish Church . c/l 73 ' 5 O H 3 a c 5 u o •S3 rt a, w U c o ft a o> cSf a n B O\00 h tow ; ui 3?y 0} Ot'y Hrf-:w :^"HMir) : o •ot>y oj oey ■:-*:tN:vo :o : j •oozy japun puB ooiy VO : iflH Ul ; B : m 01 w 01 •ooiy japun puB osy o>o m oo^o h «it ■ t^ -o w : : m - oSy japun pub oty to <*■ : n : : ; : 01 •oty japun puB o£y WW : 00 w 01 ;ol ; ; ; ; •o£y japun puB SzJ 'SzJ japun puB ozy •osy japun puB Siy •£iy japun pub oiy a 3 ■d New Town Forest Gate High Street Broadway Park Ward Upton . . I 8 s 3 "i -1 ^ S 55 > X X w < ScS •ssauua^utuQ JOJ SUOI10IAUO3 •sqniD pajaisiSa^j o o •ssauua^unjQ JOJ SUOIJ31AU03 ■sqniD p3J91SlS9^J D 0) •a s C o tJ > I ^ ^ c s "e p.2 K O w SUMMARY It will be useful to summarise briefly the main results of the preceding chapters, and to present a picture of West Ham as shown by them. No doubt will have been left in the minds of readers of this report that casual and irregular labour is mainly respon- sible for the worst evils in West Ham. It is impossible to give any accurate statement of the number of casual labourers in the borough, but an examination of the census occupation tables in Book II., chap, ii., throws some light on the matter. Moreover, the large proportion of irregular workers is shown from the occupation tables of inmates of the work- house and of the applicants for the Labour Yard and Distress Committee's relief works. The casual labourer more easily becomes a burden on the community than other men, and the large number of this class in West Ham makes the burden exceptionally heavy. The prevalence of casual labour in the borough is not altogether a recent development. A letter in the Times of December 24, 1859, from the Rev. H. Douglas, seems to show that poverty due to irregular work at the Victoria Dock and the Silvertown factories was already at that time characteristic of the southern part of the borough. Any improvement in trade brought crowds of people in search of work, and, as trade was bad at the date when the letter was written, there was considerable distress. The opening of the Albert Docks gave further occasion for casual labour, and the growth of Silvertown and other factory areas did the same, for in West Ham a good deal of factory work is unskilled and casual. The irregular work at the docks is not only an evil in itself, but tends to foster a 399 400 WEST HAM casual labour habit in the district. Wharf and factory owners find casual labour easy to obtain, and therefore lack induce- ment to make employment as regular as it might otherwise be. Moreover, the irregular and casual worker is attracted to West Ham from the Metropolitan area, because there is always a chance of work at the docks or the large factories in the borough. The docks are also responsible for the casual labour of skilled artisans. Large numbers of men in the iron trades are employed in irregular work in the engineering shops and on board ship in the docks, and the work of ships' painters is apt to run in short jobs. 1 Extensive building, especially during the years in which the district was most rapidly developed, has been a further cause of under-employment, i.e. employment presenting suffi- cient chances to keep men waiting for it without being sufficient for a living. Numbers of workmen were attracted to the borough at this time. It is stated that, when the building trades were becoming slack in West Ham the development of East Ham and other eastern districts provided these men with work for a time, but that they ultimately returned to West Ham and increased the numbers of casual and unem- ployed labourers. Casual workmen, both skilled and unskilled, may be em- ployed by the hour, by the day, or by the job. A good workman whose agreement is legally terminable at an hour's or a day's notice may have an understanding with the fore- man that he will be kept on till the end of the job. This happens, for instance, where the unloading of a ship takes two or three days. But at the best the casual labourer is continually in search of fresh employment. Above all men, therefore, he requires mobility, and this is exactly what he does not possess. If a district offers sufficient inducement to him to bring his family and settle down there, he will not readily leave it. Moreover, there is a tendency for industries employ- ing cheap women's and children's labour to arise in casual labour districts, and the casual labourer is often kept in a district by his family's occupation. The more unlucky 1 See pp. 163, 207. SUMMARY 401 the venture, the less is he able to afford to move to any distance. Unions in skilled trades, on the other hand, keep their members informed of the conditions of their trade in different districts, and often pay their fares to other towns, and help them to find work. In the case of the casual labourer, references are usually neither asked nor given by the employer. Thus a man has little chance of improving his position, and is the more likely to remain in the class where his working connection and capacity at the moment are his only recommendations for employment. The effect of the predominance of casual labour in West Ham is that a large proportion of the population depends on irregular earnings and is in a state of chronic under-employ- ment. In many cases the sum earned, if evenly distributed throughout the year, would undoubtedly be insufficient for a decent livelihood ; and the uncertainty of the earnings adds to the difficulty of living. These being the normal conditions, it is obvious that depression of trade or unusually severe weather may suddenly produce considerable distress. The existence of chronic poverty, and the probability of periods of exceptional distress, must, therefore, be accepted as incident to the present industrial conditions of the district. It is not with a desire to minimise either of these that the methods of relief adopted have been criticised in Book III., chs. iii. and iv. Criticism has been directed against such methods because they have tended to increase and foster rather than diminish casual labour. Whatever justification or excuse there may have been for it, the inadequate and temporary assistance afforded by able-bodied outdoor relief, by two or three days' work in the Labour Yard, or under the Distress Committee or the Church Army, and by gifts of food or money from charitable sources must tend to perpetuate the present state of things. No method of relief which merely supplements the earnings of the casual labourer by doles of work or money equally casual in nature can be satisfactory. Employers of casual labour openly welcome such relief as a rate in aid of wages. It is comfortable to them to know that the man whom they have employed on Monday may be employed on 2 c 4 2 WEST HAM relief work on Tuesday. They are freed from any sense of responsibility. If the man is a good workman, on whose services they depend, although they do not provide him with regular employment, the convenience is the greater. Casual labour lies at the root of many of the most serious industrial problems. Hitherto this fact has not been suffi- ciently recognised, and no adequate attempt has been made to control or prevent irregularity of employment. Yet it is clear that so long as it is allowed to continue, all the methods of relief to which reference has been made are liable to come into operation again, and that while they merely palliate the evil for the moment, in the long run they actually help to maintain, and even to aggravate it. The remedy lies to some extent in the hands of employers of labour. If they would open their eyes to the fact that the system of casual employment produces the workmen whose defects they are always eager to point out — men who are unable to maintain themselves in good physical condition and whose habits of regular work have been undermined by periods of enforced idleness — manufacturers and others would be far less ready to make a convenience of casual labour. It should be noted that men with a certain amount of skill are often employed casually. In such cases the foreman for whom they most commonly work is apt to regard them as part of his regular staff, and, while he employs them irregu- larly, to resent their accepting other engagements. It is obvious that if the work of one man is more valuable than that of another, the casual labour system must have serious disadvantages for the employer as well as for the employed. Accordingly some manufacturers, who are alive to the draw- backs of the system, have managed to do away with casual labour on their wharves. The following quotation shows the result of one such experiment in West Ham : — " About ten years ago, having been in the habit of em- ploying casual labour for unloading barges of coal and raw material, or loading barges of manufactured products — as well as for various other purposes, we used to employ what is termed ' waterside casual labour. ' When barges were SUMMARY 403 seen lying alongside our works, a group of casual labourers would collect, and our foreman used to go to the door and select as many men as he wanted for the day's work. We found that this class of men, having had two or three days' work, if we were exceedingly busy would knock off work and refuse to work further at any price. We were then obliged to scour the neighbourhood to get labour, and sometimes suffered loss from demurrage charges as the result of failing to get barges loaded or unloaded within a certain time. " By carefully arranging the duties, we were able to put on a gang of workmen who, when we had barge- work, would take it at a certain piecework rate, earning good money thereby, and who, when we had no barge-work, were em- ployed at various occupations about the works. In this way they have been kept in regular employment, and they are always available for emergencies. " This has worked to the satisfaction of the directors, and has saved the foreman a great deal of trouble during the last ten years. We also certainly think it has paid us. " We also have a system of what we call ' odd-labour ' — that is to say, if we find our work increased very heavily, we put on men in the departments who are subject to be paid off at the end of the week, should they not be required. They have a ticket like other men and their time is taken in the same way. Our experience is that if these men are satis- factory workmen, they become absorbed with the regular hands — a suitable permanent job being found for them — if they are unsatisfactory they are not retained. " It is not every man who can conform to our rules by getting a satisfactory character from his last employer, and we occasionally make this ' odd employment ' a test of a man's value to us when he cannot otherwise comply with our rules." But even if employers substituted regular for casual employ- ment, so far as could be reasonably expected, there would still probably remain a fringe of necessarily casual labour. The only way to maintain that minimum supply of extra labour which would, it may be supposed be always essential to 4 o 4 WEST HAM certain industries which are in their nature irregular, and at the same time to place the casual workman in a satisfactory position, is to secure him regular employment on a series of temporary jobs, or sufficient supplementary employment to keep him in regular work. By this means the workman would be able to earn enough to maintain his physical efficiency ; moreover — and this aspect of the case cannot be too strongly emphasised — he would be protected against the demoralising effects of irregular work, which is undoubtedly responsible for no small measure of drunkenness and crime. It is sometimes asserted by employers that a casual labourer is only fit to be employed on casual jobs, and that if he were more efficient, he would be able to secure regular employment. But the chapter on dock employment shows that a whole industry in which physical efficiency, familiarity with the work, and even a certain amount of skill are required is largely carried on by means of casual labour. Even in this case a successful attempt at organisation has been made by the London and India Docks Company. Fifteen years ago, about three- quarters of the labour employed by them in the London docks was casual and one-quarter regular ; though the actual numbers employed have not increased, these proportions have now been reversed. 1 Continuous employment or temporary jobs could only be provided universally for casual labourers by means of a complete system of organisation. Trade unions cannot at the present time effect this, because so many casual labourers are unable to afford regular contri- butions to a union. Such a system of organisation must therefore be — at any rate at the beginning — independent of trade unionism. In order that it should be satisfactory, it would be necessary that all efficient casual labourers should be registered at labour exchanges in different districts, that such exchanges should be in communication, and that em- ployers of casual labour should universally apply to these exchanges when they require extra men. There would be a certain residue of workmen who must, for different reasons, be classed as « unemployable," and would have to be separately 1 See p. 192. SUMMARY 405 dealt with in such a way as not to lower the conditions of the ordinary labour market by their competition. This class would, however, materially decrease in the future under better conditions of labour, and would tend to be reduced if greater attention were paid to the health of school children. Among remedies for unemployment, emigration is one of the most popular, and it is no doubt a useful expedient for reducing a crowded condition of the labour market. The applicants for emigration are, however, mainly picked men who have realised that their chance of employment under present conditions is small ; and the question of casual labour as a whole is little affected. Until casual labour has been reduced to a minimum, and that minimum has been organised or provided for on the lines above indicated, it is impossible to determine how far emigration will still be necessary to the solution of the problem, but it seems unlikely that it should ultimately play a very important part. It has been shown that the large supply of labour is an inducement to manufacturers to set up their works in West Ham. There is room for expansion in all of the three factory areas, where a considerable amount of land is available, and the prices are moderate as compared with the London area. It is unfortunate that the proportion of skilled workers required in the largest group of industries, the chemical and allied trades, is very small. An increase of regular and fairly remunerative employment, such as that afforded by the Great Eastern and the London and Tilbury Railway Works, would be an immense gain to the borough. These two works are the main sources of employment for artisans, since during the last few years the numbers at the Thames Iron Works have decreased considerably, and the work has become very irregular. Apart from such general remedies, the greatest benefit which would be conferred on West Ham would be the reduction of casual labour at the Victoria and Albert Docks The Port of London Bill, which it is proposed to introduce next session, could be made the means not only of bringing fresh trade into West Ham by improving and extending the 4 o6 WEST HAM dock system, but also of making dock labour more regular. If a trust is constituted, it would be possible to reduce casual employment at the dock to a minimum by making the trust the sole employer of labour ; but such an arrangement could only be satisfactory if labour interests were represented directly or indirectly. 1 One result of regularising employment at the docks would be to discourage the present tendency to draw casual labourers to West Ham. It would be another and a still more valuable result that the system of employment would no longer be responsible for creating a large class of casual labourers out of men who were able and willing to do regular work. It has been shown in Book II., ch. iii., that to some extent the earnings of casual labourers are supplemented by the home work of their wives and daughters. It is true that some home workers — usually skilled workers and belonging to the artisan class — are always able to obtain work. But much home work, and especially that of women whose husbands are in irregular employment, is really a form of casual labour. The employer does not give out a regular supply of work ; he treats the home worker as a casual labourer, who can be made to work excessive hours one week, and few or none the next, just as it suits his convenience. The home worker herself often does not apply for work unless her husband is unemployed ; or, if he is liable to be em- ployed short hours, the amount she finds it necessary to earn — often to the neglect of her household duties — will vary with her husband's luck. Home work as a casual supplementary employment may, therefore, be regarded as tending to foster other kinds of casual and irregular labour. The most striking feature of home work is the lack of organisation and consideration on the part of the employers. They pay different rates for the same work ; many of them require the workers to attend frequently at the factory or workshop, and to wait a long time for small quantities of work to be doled out. 2 This want of system involves economic waste. Unskilled and ignorant workers who would have been 1 See p. 223. 2 See p. 265. SUMMARY 407 supervised in the factory and workshop are expected to take the responsibility for errors, which are often costly in com- parison with their earnings. It should be borne in mind by advocates of legislative remedies, that if home work is not to have a bad economic effect in facilitating casual labour and the irregular work of skilled artisans, it must become a regular and independent means of earning a livelihood. It is a further objection to home work that the employer who is obliged to have work clone under cleanly and sanitary conditions in his factory or workshop escapes responsibility by giving out work to be done at home. The consumer who is going to wear or make use of the goods should have the same guarantee that they have not been made in dirty places, which is now afforded by factory and workshop legislation. It is clear from the chapters on housing in this report that at the present time such a guarantee is necessary, although housing reformers may look forward to a time when the sanitary and cleanly condition of homes will equal that which is now required in factories and workshops. The defective housing conditions in West Ham are due in the first place to want of foresight. In some districts there are none of the open spaces, which would have been secured, if the rapid development of the district had been controlled by a well-designed plan of the future township. The types of houses have often been decided without reference to the demand, and although the number of persons per inhabited house has increased, no steps have been taken to prevent an increase of over-crowding in South West Ham, which, under present circumstances, appears inevitable. Insufficient control has been exercised over the operations of the speculative builder, and the dilapidated condition of many of the houses is due to bad building and not to age. Moreover, the free- holders often neglect to require from their lessees the fulfil- ment of their obligations in respect to painting the houses both inside and out. The detailed investigation of rents for cottage property in West Ham has shown a constant fluctuation during the last twenty-eight years. Rents were highest between 1898 and 408 WEST HAM 1903, when the effects of the rapid developing of the district were felt, and after that date have fallen considerably. The rates in 1906 are practically double what they were in 1888. 1 This result is of special interest, as it is commonly assumed that one of the effects of a rise in rates is a general rise in rents. The growth and expansion of West Ham was abnormally rapid, but the needs of a new district, such as roads, drainage, and lighting, were not adequately recognised till 1888, when West Ham became a county borough. The effect of the division into wards, and the consequent election of men acquainted with particular localities, was that the necessity for action was realised ; and this need was specially emphasised by the labour group, who were in closer contact with the evils. There has been a tendency in some quarters to attri- bute the high rates to the socialist administration, but it should be remembered that the rates began to be heavy in 1895, the year in which a single socialist was for the first time elected on the Council. Other reasons for their increase are not far to seek. The growth of the population was remarkable, amounting to over 138,000 during the twenty years between 1 88 1 and 1901 ; the charges for education, and especially for the erection of school buildings, were necessarily very high ; and they were high in proportion to the population, for children under fifteen form a high percentage of the total inhabitants, and the great majority of them are educated in elementary schools. Further, it is necessary to discriminate between expenditure on matters for which the Council could not avoid responsibility, such as the administration of the Public Health Acts, and others which it undertook voluntarily. The latter includes expenditure on municipal enterprises, such as electric lighting and the management of tramways, as well as the direct employment of labour, and the raising of wages paid to the Council's servants to trade union rates. As to the wisdom of these undertakings there will be a diver- sity of opinion. It is frequently suggested that the burden of the heavy 1 See p. 62 SUMMARY 4°9 local rates would be lessened by the inclusion of West Ham in the metropolitan area, especially if the inclusion were com- bined with equalisation of rates throughout that area. It is impossible to pronounce judgment on the financial aspect of the case without an up-to-date official report. The relief of the education rate and the poor rate which would result from inclusion might be advantageous, if it were not counter- balanced by the loss of the large additional grant West Ham has received from the Treasury for the last two years. The central control of traffic would also be a gain. On the other hand, the internal communication in the borough is good, and the tramways are in communication with those of all the local authorities to the east, though the London County Council's electric tramways do not go as far as Bow Bridge, or the Iron Bridge in Canning Town. Relief may be expected in some directions. It is not anticipated that many more elementary schools will be required ; the loans on the first schools will be paid up within the next few years ; the exposure of cor- ruption on the Board of Guardians is likely to lead to reduction of expenditure ; and the tramways and electricity departments are expected to realise considerable profits in the immediate future. There appears, therefore, to be some ground for the contention that West Ham has passed the crisis in its financial history as an administrative area, though industrially it will remain poor as long as casual labour continues. APPENDIX In any statistical inquiry into social conditions, the mass of material makes a consideration of all the facts an extremely difficult and expensive undertaking. But as the only object of such inquiries is that the con- clusions which are drawn may be valid, samples of the whole which fulfil certain conditions may be used instead of the total sum of facts. It is usually required of samples that they should be (a) sufficiently large, (b) chosen without bias, and (c) accurately observed. In the case of house rents, where the records extend over long periods, the accidental preservation of books limits the choice of a sample. Care has, however, been taken to select houses in different districts, and facts have been obtained from rent-books relating to about one-seventh of the houses in the borough. In the case of earnings in factories and at the Victoria and Albert Docks no choice was possible, as many manufacturers refused information. All the information received was, therefore, tabulated. A comparison of Table XVIII. with the tables for the various groups will give some idea of the adequacy of the information for different occupations. Great pains have been taken to get exact facts. The industrial and dock wages are based on figures copied from employers' wages-sheets. It has been pointed out in Book II., chap, i., that probably some of the manufacturers who refused information were paying specially low wages, and that, therefore, the tables give too favourable an account of the wages in the district. The method pursued in the inquiry into home work has been fully explained in the text. The groups of figures dealt with have been arranged in ascending order of magnitude and then divided into four equal sections. The middle term of the group is known as the median, and the middle term of the upper and lower halves as the upper and lower quartiles. Where abbreviation is used in the tables, Q x stands for upper and Q 2 for lower quartile. It should be noted that half of the whole series of facts under observation are covered by the " interquartile range," i.e. the difference between the upper and lower quartiles. The median is not affected by exceptional entries like the arithmetic average (obtained by adding together a number of values and then dividing by the total number of observations), and is to be preferred on that account. 4 ii 4 i2 WEST HAM The house rents were tabulated in sixpences, any broken number being taken as the next number above, i.e. 4s. 3d. as 4s. 6d. They were then arranged in order of magnitude, and the median and quartile rent was found for each quarter of the year. By this means a clearer indication of the movement of rents is given than if the only fact stated had been the arithmetic average. Where the wages earned in different industries are treated in groups, the "predominant rate" of earnings for the week is also given and the number of workers who obtained it. The " predominant rate " shows the sum earned by the greatest number of persons in a group. In some cases it coincides with the median or one of the quartiles, in others it is different. In some cases there are several equally " pre- dominant rates." INDEX Abbey Mills district, industries in, 140, Age-distribution of population, 153-4 ; of unemployed, 374; of workers, 152 Agents. Sec House-agents. Albert Dock {see also Victoria and Albert Docks), 58; opening of, 142, 185, and effect of the same, 144, 399; its need of extension, 150, 185-6, 221 Alkali, &c, Works Regulation Acts, 1881; 1892; administration of, 147 Almshouses (Endowed Charities), 389-90 Amalgamated Society of Watermen and Lightermen, 210 " Amazons," or ships' cleaners, 207 Anglican Church, the, poor relief by, 388 Anglo-Continental Guano Works, 141 Arrears of rent. See Rent, arrears of Artisans' dwellings. See Houses and Housing Avenon's Charity, 389 B Barges and " overside " discharging of ships, 186, 210 Barking Abbey and Stratford, 3 Baths, local public, 33, 48, 309, 327 Battleships, building of, on the Thames, 150, 166 Beckton Gasworks, 47, 49 ; labourers at, belonging to " Peculiar People," 51 Beckton Road Recreation Ground, 22 " Bedding papers," 190, 196 Bemerside estate, 47, 48 Birth-rate of wards compared, 30 ; table, 60 Blouse-making, wages and conditions of, 283-7 Boiler Makers and Iron and Steel Ship- Builders' Society, 164 Bonus systems of payment, 161, 162-3, 195-6, 219 Borough Councils and closing powers, 126 ; and the Local Government Board, 129-30 Bourneville, example of, as to open spaces 24 Bow Bridge, 33, 139, 305 Bow china, manufacture of, 4, 139 Bow, match factories in, 296 Brassey, Lord, and lightermen's wages, 210 Bribery among West Ham Guardians and officials, 355-6, 409 Bristol docks, administration of, 217, 222 ; and trade unionism, 217 Broadway Ward, description of, 31, 34-6; model dwellings in, 123 Brunner Mond, Messrs., alkali works, 143 Brush-making dangerous in home work, 300 Builders on borough councils, 126 ; and bye-laws, 18 ; speculative, methods of, IO et seg., 114, and employment by, of casual labour, 169, 340 Building, bad, of houses, 11, 17, 59, 125, 407 bye-laws, non-enforcement of, 17-18 development of West Ham, 9-15 inspectors under Borough Council, 1 7 land, demand for, and result, 25 of ill-designed houses, 15, 19 societies, 14 speculative, of cottage property, 10- 14, 321-2 ; a cause of defective housing, j 5, 407 ; and the labour supply, 340, 400 trades, casual labour in, 169, 400 ; seasonal unemployment in, 373 ; under- employment in, 170, 268 ; work and wages in, 168-70 Burke, Edmund, house of, in Hudson's Ward, 52 Burt, Boulton & Haywood, Messrs., 141 Calico printing, former industry of West Ham, 4-5, 36, 139 Camberwell Council, housing scheme of, 1 34-5 4 i4 INDEX Cann Hall estate, 37 Canning Town Ward, birth-rate of, 30, 60 ; casual labour district, 151, 222, 331 ; crowding in, 199; death-rate of, 24, 30, 60 ; description of, 24, 31, 49-51 ; glass works in, 143 ; need of open spaces in, 24, 30 ; population of, 30, 50 ; price of land in, 26 ; rent arrears in, 67 ; trades in, 271, 278, 296 Carnegie Library, 58, 308 Carpenter's Company, the, benefactions of, 33 Casual labour in the building trade, 169, 340, 372, 400; at the docks, 151, 163-4, 207-8, 226, 268, 345, 373, 399-400; in factories, 58, 158, 168, 341, 399, 400 ; chief cause of poverty, 334, 341, 401, 409 ; demoralising effects of, 200-1, 404 ; districts, 21, 30, 46 et seq., 151, 199, 222, 331 ; drawbacks of, from the employer's standpoint, 402-3 ; effect on, of present relief methods, 349, 35 T > 379; 4 QI '■> employers of, attitude of, to relief work, 379, 401-2 ; and home work, 255, 257, 261, 268, 400, 406 ; increase of, 68 ; the result of un- organised demand, 215 ; remedy for, 216, 222-3, 38l, 404 Casual labourers, earnings of, 156, 160, 164, 168, 198-9, 204, 205 ; and hous- ing, see Housing ; large number of, 1 50-1 ; physical condition of, 218 Cattle market (Odam's), 141 Channelsea river, 36 Chapels. See Churches and Chapels Charities Endowed, of West Ham, 388- 90. Charity Organisation Society, cited on casual and unskilled labour, 371-2 ; local relief work done by, 370, 377 ; West Ham Committee of, 391-2 Chemical and allied trades, growth of, 5, 139, 140, 141-2, 143, 149 ; unskilled labour in, 149, 405 ; work and wages in, 157-60; workers in, resident in West Ham, 152 Chemical factories, inspection of, 147 ; why established in West Ham, 145 Chemical Manure Works (Odam's), 141 Chemicals, "light" and "heavy," 142 Children (see also School Children), deaf, schools for, 325 ; defective, schools for, 481 325 ; large percentage of, 319-20, 408 Children's Country Holiday P'und, work of, 390, 391 China, old manufacture of, 4, 139 Church Army, local relief afforded by, in- adequate, 401 ; relief works of, 388 Church Lads' Brigade, 391 Churches and chapels, local, number of. 387 ; statistics of attendance at, 387-8 ; statistics of poor relief by, 388 Cistercian Abbey at Stratford, 2-3, 33, 305 Closing orders and local authorities, 126 Clothing Trades, work and wages in, 174, 271-96 ; home work in, 256 Coal-porters at the docks, dwellings of, 54; number of, 1 5 1 ; work and wages of, 207-9, 217 Coal Smoke Abatement Society, action of, in West Ham, 147 Colchester and West Ham, 3 Confectionery trade (Keiller's), 142 ; work and wages in the trade, 166-8 " Cons " (contingency payments), 196, 201 , 211 Cooking ranges, provision of, 133 Corn-mills on the Lea, 2, 139, 140 Costume-making, wages and conditions of, 291-2; skilled labour in, 261 Cottage property (see also Houses), assess- ment of, 324; conditions of, shown in diagrams and tables, discussion on, 62-70; and summary of the same, 3 1 5-6, 407-8; frequent sale of, 61 ; rates paid on, compared with Education rate, 321-4; sanitary accommodation in, 16; supply of, in excess of demand, 1 17 Creosote factories, 142 ; use of creosote, in the timber trade, 141, 209 Custom House and Silvertown Ward, char- acter of, 57 ; casual labour district, I99> 33i 5 crowding in, 199 ; description or > 57—9 ; factory area, 31-2, note; in- fant mortality in, 30; poverty in, 338; rents in, 68, 69, and arrears, 69 ; shirt- makers in, 278 ; vacant land in, 25, 32, 58, 405 I) Dagenham, smallpox hospital at, 393 Daily News, census by, of attendance at religious services, 387-8 and Daily Telegraph, relief funds of, methods of administering, 346, 348 Dames estate, 39 ; garden plots formerly on, 40 Death-rate of wards, 30 ; table, 60 rates, highest, 24, 30, 309 Decoration of new houses, 16-17, 4& Demolition of houses a last resource, 125, 127 "Derelict" houses, 50, 113-5 Distress Committee, co-operation with, of the Charity Organisation Society, 391-2 ; relief afforded by, inadequate, 401 INDEX 415 Dock districts, 30, 32 note, 54, 57 engineering shops, work and wages at, 163-4, 207 inspectors, demand for, 212-3 labour, 187, 188, 190, 196, 203 ; its casual nature, 199, 215, 226, 268 ; its danger, 189, 21 1-2; need of organisa- tion in, 216, 222-3 labourers, average age of, 152; country-born, 199; many casual, 151, 268, 373 ; and the census, 150-1, 199 ; Settlement lodging-house for, 390 ; wages of, 194-6, 198-9, 201 et seq. Trust, proposed, for London, 221-3; possible benefits of, 406 Dockers' Union, 200, 202 ; demands of, 212-4, 220; and the labour supply, 217 Docks, the, area of, rent arrears in, 67 ; casual labour at, 151, 163-4, 207-8, 226, 268, 345, 373, 399-400 ; at Mill- wall and Poplar, effect of, on West Ham, 5 Domesday Book, the, and West Ham, 1 " Domestic workshops," inspection of, 259 Douglas, Rev. H., on casual labour and poverty, 399 Drainage, 29 note Drillers, casual work of, 166 E East Ham and the building trades, 400 Eastern Counties Railway, formation of, 5 Edinburgh, City of, and closing orders, 126 Education Act of 1902 ; effect of, on ex- penditure, 313, 324 ; effect of, on the question of unification, 313 Bill of 1906 ; and industrial condi- tions, 334 Committee, sites owned by, 24 elementary, cost of, to the rates, 321-4; expenditure on, 308, 328, 408; standard of, recent injury to, 331 rate, possible relief of, 409 Election of Guardians, change of system of, 341-2 ; of local men on Town Council, 313-4, 40S Electric lighting, expenditure on, 315, 408 Electricity department (Council), antici- pated profits from, 310, 311, 409 Emigration of unemployed, 348, 375, 376, 2,77 ; expenditure on, 381 ; small effect of, on casual labour, 405 Employers of casual labour, attitude of, towards relief, 379, 401-2 ; of home labour, methods of, 406-7, and neglect by, of legal obligations, 256-9, 274, 296 ; of labour, attitude of, with regard to wages returns, 154 et seq. ; at the docks, 187, 190-1, 196, 207, 209, and their various methods, 214-7 Engineering trade, work and wages in, 160-4 ! workers in, resident in the borough, 152 — — works, 142, 143, 149; casual labour at, 400; numbers employed at, 149-50 Engineers' Union, 164 Epping Forest, I Eviction of casual tenants, 1 16 Expenditure, pauperism and, relative pro- portions of, 338-9 and rates, local, 307-13, 314-6 Factories, casual labour at, 58, 158, 168, 341, 399, 400; chief groups of, 149- 52 ; fumes from, 58 ; growth in number of, 148 ; rise of, in West Ham, 4, 5, 139, 140 ; and reasons for the same, 143 tt seq. Factory areas, chief, land available in, 31, 32 note, 405 • first chemical, at Plaistow, 139 inspectors, duties of, as to home workers, 259 ; insufficient for docks, 213 registers, 130-1 Factory and Workshop Act, 1901 ; and dangerous trades, 211-2; provisions of, as to home work often inoperative, 256-9 Farm colony, relief at, 374, 376, 277 » expenditure on, 375, 277 1 381 " Farming " of house property, 118 Fines in workshops, 172-3 Firewood, Church Army sale of, 388 Hats, self-contained, 16, 44, 55, 59; de- mand for, 12, 19, 20, 117 in West Ham model dwellings, 1 18- 20, 123 Flood of 1888, 29 note, 58 Flour-mills, 149 ; in Victoria Dock, 209 Food - manufacture by young workers, 152 Foreign labour, 59, 143, 1 66, 173, 175, 207 Foremen at the docks, methods of, 200-1, 214 et seq. Forest Gate Ward, description of, 39-41 ; home work in, 269, 283, 291 " Forty Thieves" in Canning Town, 24 Free Churches, poor relief by, 388 416 INDEX Freeholders (see also Lnndlords), neglect of house property by, 407 ; new re- sponsibilities suggested for, 127-8 ; regis- tration of, 130; sale of land by, 9, 14 Friendly Societies, 392 Fyfield, Truant School at, 325 Gardens, demand for houses with, 39 Gas and allied trades, 173 Germany, glass-blowers brought from, 143 ; taxation of land values in, 132 Glasgow docks, administration of, 222 Glass manufacture, 143 ; work and wages in, I74-S Grain Elevator Company, 187, 209 Gray, Mr. E. Dwyer, M.P., on tenure of sanitary officers, 126, 127 Great Eastern Railway, 33, 144 Great Eastern Railway Company, educa- tional work of, 328 Great Eastern Railway Works, 31, 140; employment at, 150, 405 ; labourers at, 34, 37, 41 ; numbers employed in, 152 note; work and wages at, 160-1 Ground rent, improved, 13; sale of, 10, 13, 14 , , Guardians. See West Ham Board of Guardians Gurney estate, 37 Gurney family and West Ham Park, 308 II; Half-houses, 16, 33, 35, 40, 42, 46, 50, 5 2 -3- 54 Hallsville area (Canning Town), low-class shirt-workers in, 27S Ham Stratford. See Stratford Hame (Hamme), manor of, 1 " Hawking an agreement," 12 Health, Medical Officers of, tenure of, 126-7 an d note Henniker estate, 37 Henry II., benefactor to Stratford Lang- thorne Abbey, 2 Henry III. at Stratford Abbey, 2 Henry IV. at Stratford Abbey, 2 Hermit Road recreation ground, 23 High Street Ward, description of, 32-4 ; factory area, 31, 32 and note ; popula- tion of, 30, 33 ; vacant land in, 31, 405 Holland, land speculation in, 132 Home work, conditions of, inquiry into, 255 et sea. ; fines and deductions in, 260, 273, 287, 407 ; a form of casual labour, 255, 260, 272, 406 ; reasons for, 267-9 ! in relation to casual labour, 255, 257, 261 , 268-9, 4°°) 4°6 > how supplemented, 268, 284, 291, 293, 296 ; wages and work in different trades, 271-301 Home workers, employed by middlemen, 266 ; as employers, 266 Hooligans, 24 Hospitals, 392-3; erection of, 310, 315 House agents, attitude of, to arrears of rent, 65 ; and casual tenants, 134; diffi- culties of, 113, 115, 116; "farming" by, 118; as house-owners, 116; methods of, 117 owners, neglect of, 115, 125; regis- tration of, 130, 131 ; responsibilities of, 128 property, bad condition of, 125 ; "farming" of, 118; higher class, rents and arrears in, 69 ; lower class, rise of rents in, 68, 69 ; management of, 113, 115-8 registration an aid to the local authority, 133; suggestions for, 129, 130-1 repair, enforcement of, 127-8, and inspection, 129 Houses (see also Half-houses), badly-built, 17, 55, 59, 125, 407 ; reasons for the same, 11,15; in bad repair, 56, 115; closing orders for, suggestions for obtaining, 126 ; demand for, 10, 64, 340, in re- lation to rents, 66, shown by percentage of arrears, 66, 67 ; " derelict," 50, 113- 15 empty, 16; often "derelict," 113; increase of, 22, 125; loss from, 116; present percentage of, 65 ; in relation to demand, 64, 66 with gardens, demand for, 39 ; ill-adapted, 15, 46, 57, 132; incon- venient, 15, 46, 55; insanitary, and homework, 257-8, 262, 278, 407 ; inspection of, 129-31 ; new, building of, 133, number of, 22, six-roomed, 16, 19, 48 ; painting and papering of, neglected, 115; old type of, 38, 41-2, 43, 45, 48, 52; types of, often unsuit- able, 407 Housing accommodation and adaptation, 132-4 Housing Act, 1890; effect of, 65; and house inspection, 129; re repairs, 128 1903 ; and the closing of houses, 125-6; non-enforcement of, 257 Housing of casual labourers, 116, 134 defective conditions of, 15, 17, 19, 125 ; and causes, 11, 407 model, in Broadway Ward, 123-4 INDEX 4^7 Housing, model, by the West Ham Corpora- tion, 46, 52, 118-22, 310 reform schemes adopted elsewhere, 134-5 reform, suggestions for, 126-34 scheme, Corporation, 37, 120 Select Committee on, house registra- tion recommended by, 1 30 ; report of, cited, on Medical Officers of Health, 126 ; and on house repair, 127 note of the Working Classes, Royal Com- mission on, 1885 ; evidence taken by, 17 Hudson's Town, 37 Ward, death-rate of, 30, 60 ; descrip- tion of, 51-3; rents in, 68, 69; ar- rears, 67, 69; vacant land in, 25, 31, 51-2 Ilford, market - gardens formerly at, 3 ; potato-growing formerly at, 144 India-rubber, Gutta-percha, and Telegraph Works (Silver's), 141 Industries, early, in West Ham district, 139 Industry, growth of, in West Ham, 139- 43 Infant mortality, highest rate of, 30 Ink factories, 143, 149 Inspectors. See Dock, Factory, Sanitary, &c. Instalment system, 9, 14 ; described, 10-2 Insurance societies, 392 Irish labour in West Ham, 144 labourers in potato fields, 144, 307 Iron trades {see also Thames Iron Works), casual labour in, 400 ; work and wages in, 160-6 J Jews, German and Polish, and sugar re- fining, 166 K Keiller, Messrs., confectionery manu- facturers, 142 Kensington Borough Council, housing scheme of, 135 house adaptation in, 134 Labour {see also Casual Labour, Dock Labour, &c), demand, 166, 340, 346; exchanges, need of, m, 381, 404; mobility of, needed for casual labourers, 381, 400; regularisation of, suggestions for, 216, 222-3, 403-4, especially at the docks, 225-7; seasonal, 168, 173, 226 ; supply, 200, 340-1 Labour Group {see also Socialist and Labour Group), formation of, 314, 408 ; their policy of relief, 367 Home, Church Army, 388 yard, 347, 349-52; casual work in, 401 Land, changes in value of, 25-6 ; com- panies, methods of, o. 14 ; compulsory purchase of, by local authorities, 128, 129 ; property in, value of, to manu- facturers, 144 ; registration, compulsory, extension of, 131-2; sale of, 9, 14; speculators, methods of, 10 el seq. ', unoccupied, present prices of, 25, 26, and where situated, 25, 26, 31-2, 45, 405 ; values, taxation of, 132 Landlords and house repair, 113, 115, 116, 125, 134, 407; and land registration, 132 Lea River, 1 ; corn mills on, 2, 139, 140 ; early bridges of, 2, 3 ; early industries on, 4, 5. 139. X 4Q Lightermen, census numbers of, 150-1 ; work and wages of, 210-11 Lighters, taxation of, 221 Liverpool Docks, administration of, 222 ; possible distribution of work in, com- pared with Victoria and Albert Docks, 227, {ladle, 236) Local authorities and closing orders, 126 ; compulsory purchase of land by, 128, 129 ; control by, over-housing conditions, 133; and home work, 257, 259; and house inspection, 129-30, 131 ; and house repair, 127 ; and rebuilding, 128 and note Local Board of Health, administration of, 306, 307, 308, 310 Local Government Board, bye-laws of, 18; central control by, 133 ; inaction of, 129, 147; loans by, conditions of, 120; and medical Officers of Health, 126-7; new department of, 129-30; and "offensive trades," 147 ; and relief of the unem- ployed, 369, 374, 377, 381 ; and West Ham Guardians, 343-4. 349> 354-6 London and India Docks Co., 185, 187 ; bonus system of, 162, 163, 195-6, 219 ; employment returns made by, 224 ; organisation of labour by, 191-6, 202, 203, 214 et seq., 404; objections to the same, 218-9; privileges and limitations of, 221 2 D 418 INDEX London County Council and house repair, 127 ; rebuilding of houses by, 128, 129 ; working-class houses, table of expenses, 122-3 London Hospital, West Ham patients treated at, 393 London improvements, result of, on West Ham, 19, 57 London School of Tropical Medicine, 392 London, the market of West Ham, 1, 2, 3 London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway, 144 Works, 31, 46 ; employment at, 160, 405 Lyle, Abram, & Sons, sugar factory, 143 Lysons cited on former local industries, 3, 4 M Machinery, improved, results of, 173; introduction of, effect of, on labour, 166, 208, 280 Manor Park Cemetery Co., district de- veloped by, 39 Mansfield House University Settlement, 390-1 ; work by, among mothers, 31 Manufactures, present-day, in West Ham, 149 Manure factories, 141, 142, 145, 149 Mapping of property, 132 Market-gardening, former industry of West Ham, 3 Master Lightermen's Association, 210 Mat factory, female labour at, 55 Match factories at Bow, 296 Matchbox-making, wages and conditions of, 33, 2 96-7 Maud, Queen of Henry I., and West Ham, 3 Mechanics' Institute, G.E.R. Co., 328 Medical inspection of school children desirable, 333, 334, 405 Medical Mission Hospital, 392-3 Medical Officers of Health, '"derelict" houses closed by, 114 ; tenure of, 126-7 and note Metals, machines, and implements, makers of, 149 Middle-class population in Upton Ward, 44 Middlemen and home workers, 266, 285 Millwall, development of, 5 Montfichet, William de, West Ham granted by, to Cistercians, 2, 305 Motor omnibuses, 32 Municipal dwellings, erection of, 46, 52, 118-22, 310 N National Housing Reform Council, 133 National Union of Teachers and the Educa- tion Committee, 330 New Town Ward, 31 ; description of, 36-8 Newspaper relief funds, 346-7, 348 ; effects of, 348-9 Night inspection of houses and overcrowd- ing- I3 1 O Occupations of tenants at Plaistow, analysis of, 49 Occupiers of houses, registration of, 130, !3i Ockendon, Essex, farm colony at, 374 " Odd-labour," system of, 403 Offensive trades. Metropolitan legislation affecting, 146-7 in West Ham, 145-6, 147 Old Canning Town, rapid expansion of, 49 Open spaces. 22-4 ; great need of, 24, 30, 309, 407 Outdoor relief, administration of, 342, 347-8, 351-2 and indoor relief, eftect of, on Poor Law returns, 345-6 Overcrowding, of "aliens." 59; in dock districts, 199-200 ; evils of, 134 ; how ascertained, 131 ; increase in, 125, 132, 407; produced by sub-letting, 117 ; statistics of, 21-2, 27-8 on trains, 32 Oxford, University settlements from, 390-1 Painters, ships', casual workers, 400 Painting and cleaning by the unemployed, 367, 369 of houses, 131 ; neglect of, 115, 407 Park Ward, class of houses in, 67, 69 description of, 41-3 rents and arrears in, 68, 69 Passmore Edwards Library, 48, 30S ; and Museum, 308 Pauperism (see also Poor Law Administra- tion) and casual labour, 341 ; causes of its increase, 340-1, 343, 345-6, 352 ; and expenditure, relative proportions of, INDEX 419 338-9 ; recent decrease of, 338, 340, 349; and trade conditions compared, 344-6 Peculiar People, the sect of, represented in Hudson's Ward, 51 Piecework and daywork at the docks, 194-5, 209, 403 " Piers Plowman " and London food sup- ply, 2 Plaistow Fever Hospital, 393 first chemical factory in, 5, 139 ; market gardens formerly in, 3 Ward, casual labour district, 331 ; description 0^47-9; industries in, 143, 271, 27S, 283 ; rent arrears in, 67 Poles, German and Russian, in Silvertown, 59 Poor Law of 1834 ; result of, 307 administration and pauperism in West Ham, 338, 343, 349 relief supplementary to home work, 268-9, 284, 291, 293, 296 Poor rate, possible relief of, 409 Poplar, development of, 5 Fever Hospital, old, superseded, 393 Workhouse, expenses of, 335 Population, age-distribution of, 153-4 5 children a large percentage of, 319-20; highest and lowest, of wards, 30 ; in- crease of, 10, 20, 66, 308, 318, 338- 41, 408, and its effect on local taxa- tion, 323 ; methods of ascertaining, 131 ; movement of, in West Ham, 5, 15, 57, 153 ; overcrowding of, 21-2, 27-8, 125, 199-200, 407 Port of London Bill, possibilities of, 405-6 Royal Commission on, 220 ; report of, 222 Potato fields, Irish labour in, 144, 307 Potatoes grown formerly at Plaistow, 3 Printing trade, work and wages in, 1 70-3 works, female labour at, 55, 170 "Progressive" majority on the Board of Guardians, 342 Property (see also House Property), map- ping of, 132 Public Health Act, and house inspection, 129; and house property, 126, 127, 257 Public Health (London) Act, 1891 ; and water supply, 133 Public Health Acts, administration of, expenditure on, 408 ; and inspection of workshops, 259 Public Health Department, powers of, 129-30 and note Public-houses, 394 Queen's fund, grants from, for the unem- ployed, 375 Quinquennial survey of houses and over- crowding, 131 R Railway servants, wages of, 176 system of West Ham, 144 Rates (see also Expenditure and), cost to, of Corporation Housing Schemes, 118 ct seq. ; cost to, for elementary educa- tion, 328; equalisation of, in the Metro- politan area, 409 ; increase in, 64, 65, 408, and causes, 313, 315 ; increase in, on manufacture, 144 ; in proportion to wages bills, 144-5 an( ^ table ; in rela- tion to rents, 63, 315-6, 407-8, and to arrears of rent, 65 Rebuilding of houses by freeholders, 128 Recreation grounds, local, 22-4, 31, 36, 49. 3°9 References in casual labour, 401, 403 ; required by house agents, 117 ; and securities in home work, 267 Reforms, housing, suggestions for, 126- 34 Registration of houses, 129; suggestions for, 130, 131 — of land, compulsory, its extension advocated, 131-2 Relief (see also Charities) funds, news- paper, methods of, 346-7, 348, and effects of, 348-9 ; methods criticised, 348-9, 351, 379, 401 ; methods of, over- lapping of, 389 ; Poor Law, administra- tion of, 342-4, 347-8, 349-52 ; of school children, 331— 3 ; of sick and poor by religious bodies, 388 ; works, 348, 367-9, 374, 376, 377, and local expenditure on the same, 375, 376,377, 379, 3%i Rent, arrears of, habitual, 35 ; laxity or strictness as to, 65; loss from, 116 ; methods of dealing with, 117, 124; present high level of, 65 books, inadequacy of, 118; tabu- lation of, 61, and results, 72-112 reductions of, sometimes advisable, 1 16-7, 134; variations in, causes pro- ducing, 64-8 ; statistics of, 62-112 Rents, collection of, 16, 65, 117, 118, 134 ; highest, 69; of model dwellings, 118, 119, 123 ; in New Town Ward, changes in, 38; in relation to rates, 63, 315-6, 407-8 ; in West Ham, 128 420 INDEX Repair (see also House Repair), and sanita- tion, 134; suggestions as to, 127 and note, 130 Residential areas, 30 Roads and bridges of Stratford Langthorne, repair and maintenance of, 2, 3, 305-6 Roding river, 1 Rokeby estate, 34 Roman Catholic Church, poor relief by, 388 " Royals," work and wages of, 196, 198-9 Rural districts, house registration in, 130 St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Smithfield, West Ham patients at, 393 St. Helen's House, Stratford, 391 St. Mary's Hospital, Plaistow, 392 Sanitary accommodation in houses, 16, 133 inspectors, 17, 30-1 ; appointment of, 65 officers, tenure of, 127 and note Sanitation (see Repair and) Schmidt, Conrad, varnish and japan factory, 143 School buildings, erection of, 408 children, eyesight of, report on, 333 ; medical inspection of, desirable, 333, 334, 405; relief of, 331-3 Schools, Council, enumerated, 325, reports on, 326-7, 328 ; elementary, classification of, 331, number of children at, 321, and sufficiency of, 409 ; non-provided, 321, 325, 329 ; private secondary, 328 Semi-skilled labour, employment of, 157 Settlements, work of, 390-1 Sheep-farming, former industry of West Ham, 3 Shipbuilding, competition in, 150 Shipowners, dock charges borne by, 221 Shipping companies as employers of labour, 187, 190- 1, 196-7, 214; methods of, 197, 200, 203, 215, 216 Federation, and the labour supply, 200 Ships, loading and discharging of, 186, 190-1, 209, and methods of, 186, 187-90, 209, 210; repair of, 163-4, 207 Shirley House estate, 35 Shirt-making, wages and conditions of, 278-83 Shops, work and wages in, 176 Silk throwing, former industry of West Ham, 5 Silver & Co., factory of, 140 Silvertown (see also Custom House and Silvertown), industries of, 140-3 Recreation Ground, 23 Skilled labour sometimes casual, 400, 402 ; in the docks, 190 ; in home work, 261 Slop-work in shirt-making, 280 Smallpox Hospitals, successive, 315, 393 Smoke from local factories, nuisance of, 147-8 Soap and chemical factories, why estab- lished in West Ham, 145 industry, growth of, 5, 140, 142, 143 Socialist and Labour Groups, municipal policy of, 310 "Socialist regime," 315; high rates attri- buted to, 408 South African War, effect of, on labour, 346 Speculation in land, 10 et seq, ; and land transfer, 132 " Standing money," 172 State officials, supervision of, 127 Stevedores, work of, 187, 189 and note, 190 ; wages of, 202-3, 217 Stratford (Ham Stratford, Stratford Lang- thorne), 2 ; bakers, fame of, 2 ; early industries in, 2, 3, 4, 139, 140; ink factories in, 143 Langthorne Abbey, history of, 2-3, 305 ; lands of, 33 ; roads and bridges of, how maintained, 2-3, 305-6 Market, 34 New Town (Hudson's Town), 37 atte Bow, 2 Street improvements, 310, 311 Streets, how lowered in character, 19, 113, 114, 124; how raised in character, 1 1 5-6; paving of, by the unemployed, 367-8 Subletting, advantage of, to tenant, 16 ; houses adapted for, 15 ; prohibition of, I 34~5 5 question of its desirability, 117 ; unregulated, 19 Sugar industry, 142, 143 ; changes in, 166 Sunday work, 262, 286 Survey, quinquennial, of houses, suggested, 130, 131 . Swimming included in the Council school curriculum, 309, 327 Sykes, Dr., on house adaptation, 133 Tailoring, wages and conditions of, 271-7 Tate, Henry, & Co., cube sugar factory, 142 INDEX 421 Tate Institute, 59 Taxation of land values, 132 local, effect on, of increased popula- tion, 323 Teachers in elementary schools, 328 ; payment of, 329-31 ; inf non-provided schools, and the Education Committee, 329 Technical Institute, 42, 325 ; education at, 326-7 Tenants, choice of, 116, 11 7-8; to be considered, 113, 114, 116, 117; co- operation of, in house repairs, 128 note; improvements made by, 15 ; irregular, eviction of, 116 Thames frontage, important in the growth of West Ham, 5, 140, 142, 144 Iron Works, 31, 47, 49, 54, 140 ; decrease of employment at, 53, 150, 152 note, 405; shipbuilding at, 150, 166 ; work and wages at, 160-3 the low-lying land on, 29 and note ; houses built on the same, 56 Thompson, Mr. W., on house adaptation, 134 Tidal Basin Ward, birth-rate of, 30, 60 ; casual labour district, 30, 53, 151, 222, 331 ; crowding in, 199-200; death-rate of, 24, 30, 60 ; description of, 53-6 ; need of open spaces in, 24, 30 ; popula- tion of, 30 ; shirtmakers in, 278 ; poverty in, 338 Tilbury Docks, convenience of, 185-6 Timber-porters, work and wages of, 209- 10, 217 Timber-wharves, 141, 190 note ; work and wages at, 209-10 Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway, 41, 144 Town planning, powers of, 128 and note, J 33 Trade depression, culminating point of, 346 ; effect of, on rents, 64, 66, 68 ; periods of, compared, 64, 66 ; reduction of rents advisable in, 116 Trade union rates of wages, 160-1, 170, 172, 207 ; paid by Council, 156, 408 Trade unionists, unemployed (London district), 384 Trade unions, 164, 166, 170, 173, 174-5, 176, 200, 202 ; and casual labourers, 381, 404; and the labour supply, 217, 404 ; local, in the building trades, 344 ; locally weak, 155, 344; mitigation by, of under-employment, 380-1 Trades {see also under names), miscel- laneous, home work in, 296-301 ; seasonal, 261, 373 Traffic, central control of, desirable, 409 Trains, workmen's, 32 Tramways, local, 409 ; anticipated profits from, 409; expenditure on, 310-11, 408 ; electric (L.C.C.), 409 Treasury grants to the borough, 325, 409 Truant school, 325-6 Truck Acts not applying to home workers, 259-60 Turnpike Roads Trustees, 305-6 II Underclothing, making of, wages and con- ditions of, 288-90 Under-employment chronic in West Ham, 379. 40i " Unemployable " workmen, 405 Unemployed, age distribution of, 374 ; registration and classification of, 370-1, 373, 375-6, 377-8, 379 ; relief of, 346- 52, 367-81, 401 Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905 ; in force in West Ham, 369-70 ; effect of its provisions on West Ham, 378-9 Unemployment, causes of, 373 ; effects of, on pauperism, 344-6 ; remedies for, 403-5; seasonal, 261, 373 Unskilled labour, definition of, 372 ; employment of, in chemical and allied trades, 149, 157, 405 ; Report on (C.O.S.), cited, 371-2 Upton, growth of, 4 Park, home work in, 269, 283, 291 Ward, character of its population, 44 ; description of, 43-45 V "Valor Ecclesiasticus " cited on Stratford Abbey, 3 Victoria Dock (see also Victoria and Albert Docks), 58 ; opening of, 141, 185, and result, 142, 144 Victoria and Albert Docks (see also Albert Dock), averages of employment at, re- turns of, 224-5 (tables and diagrams, pp. 228-47) j casual labour at, need of re- ducing, 405-6 ; description of, 185-6 ; employers of labour at, 187, 190-1, 196, 207, 209, and their various methods, 214- 7; employment at, 150; inspection of, i22 INDEX 212-3 ; insufficiency of, for present-day shipping, 221 ; nature of work at, 187- 90, 207 ; regularisation of labour at, methods proposed for, 225-7 ; tonnage returns at, 186, 220 ; unemployment at, and the increase of pauperism, 345-6 Victoria and Albert Docks Hospital, .392 Vinolia Company, 143 W Wages (see also Work and Wages), of dock labourers, 194-6, 198-9, 201, 203- 7, of stevedores, 202-3 '■> an( ^ efficiency, 216-7; for home work, 261, 263, 269- 70 et seq. ; tables of, how obtained, 154 ; trade union rates of, 156, 160-1, 170, 172, 207, 408 Wanstead Flats, 23 ; drainage of, by the unemployed, 374-5 Ward mortality statistics, 30, 60 table Wards comprising West Ham Borough, 29, 32-59, 408 ; rateable values of, 31.3? Waterside districts, three, comparison be- tween, for child population, 319-20 Water supply of West Ham favourable to local industries, 139, 140 Waterways, local, advantages of, 139, 143-4 Wave Lodging House, 390 West and East Ham, distinction between, 1 West Ham (see also Hame), advantages of, as a manufacturing district, 143-7 ; ancient history of, I -3 ; bye-laws, leniency of, 145 ; development of, 5-6, 139-43, 408; economic changes in, 25 ; and the food supply of London, 1,2; London, the market of, 3 ; parish of, 305, 342 ; waterways of, their import- ance, 139, 143-4; and the wool trade, Board of Guardians, administration of relief by. 342-4, 347-8, 349-5 2 5 changes in, 341-2 ; co-operation with, in relief of the unemployed, 348, 368 ; " Progressive " majority on, 342 ; recent bribery and corruption on, 342, 343, 352-6, 409; smallpox hospital built by, 393 Borough Council, alleged extrava- gance of, 369 ; attitude of, to "offensive trades," 145-6, 147; and closing orders, 126; expenditure of, 309-10, 315, 40S; history of parties in. 313-4. 316, 342 ; and housing conditions, 133 ; inspection under, 17 ; leniency of, as to smoke nuisance, 1 47-8 ; municipal en- terprises of, 308-12, 408 ; relief works 367-9 ; wages paid by, 1 56-7, 408 West Ham Cemetery, 41 Corporation houses, 46, 52, 118-22, 310 — — County Borough, 63, 306, 408 ; change of population in, 132; division of, into wards, 29, 408 ; drainage of, 29 note ; education in, 325-31; ex- penditure and rates, 307-13, 314-6, 328 ; housing conditions in, see Houses and Housing ; increase of population in, 20, 308, 318; increase in rates on manufacture in, 144; land values in, 25-26; need of open spaces in, 24, 30, 309, 407 ; "Offensive trades" in. 145- 6, 147 ; large percentage of children in, reasons for, 319-20 ; physical char- acteristics of, 29 ; and the Poor Law Union, 337-8 ; present financial and industrial conditions of, 409 ; present industries in, 149 ; railways of, 144 ; Treasury grants to, 325, 409 ; unifica- tion of, with the County of London considered, 312-3, and possible re- sults of, 408-9 Distress Committee, 349, 369-70 ; receipts and expenditure of, 381, 382 ; work of, 370 et seq. and East London Hospital, 35, 392 Education Committee, standard of, 330-I. 334 Gas Works, 33, 140 Lane Recreation Ground, 23 Parish vestry, Poor Law administra- tion by, 306—7 ; rates formerly levied by, 305 — — Park, 22, 31, 41, 308 Poor Law Union, parishes in, com- parative statistics of, 337-8 Relief Committees, North and South, 391-2 — — village of, growth of, 3, 4 Ward, blouse-makers in, 283 ; de- scription of, 45-7 ; rents in, 68, 69, and arrears, 67, 69 Workhouse, recent scandals at, 354-5 William the Conqueror and the manor of Hame, 1 Women, labour by, 55, 149, 159, 167, 170, 207, 255 et seq., 400, 406 Sanitary Inspectors. 30— I Women's Settlements, 390—1 Wood-chopping by the unemployed, 388 INDEX 4 2 3 Woodwork taught in elementary schools, 327 Wool-spinning, former industry of West Ham, 3 Wool-trade, early industry of West Ham, 2,3 Work and wages in different trades, 157- 76 Works department (Council), failure of, 310,311 Young, Mr. Andrew, evidence of, on building, 17-9 THE END Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson 6* Co. Edinburgh & London UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY This book is DUE on the last date stamped below Form L-0 20in-l, '41(1122) ONiVEK^ij i of California LOS AWGBLBS •598 Outer London , 5 09 .jlnquiry-com^ dttee - resl DEMCO 1MN EN 398 W509 3 1158 00647 8084