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ting； represent an attempt at least to ascertain the facts which bear upon the Condition of the People question。 But； after all； more minute； patient； intelligent observation has been devoted to the study of Earthworms； than to the evolution； or rather the degradation； of the Sunken Section of our people。 Here and there in the immense field individual workers make notes； and occasionally emit a wail of despair； but where is there any attempt even so much as to take the first preliminary step of counting those who have gone under？ One book there is； and so far as I know at present； only one； which even attempts to enumerate the destitute。 In his 〃Life and Labour in the East of London；〃 Mr。 Charles Booth attempts to form some kind of an idea as to the numbers of those with whom we have to deal。 With a large staff of assistants； and provided with all the facts in possession of the School Board Visitors； Mr。 Booth took an industrial census of East London。 This district； which comprises Tower Hamlets； Shoreditch； Bethnal Green and Hackney； contains a population of 908；000； that is to say； less than one…fourth of the population of London。 How do his statistics work out？ If we estimate the number of the poorest class in the rest of London as being twice as numerous as those in the Eastern District； instead of being thrice as numerous； as they would be if they were calculated according to the population in the same proportion； the following is the result：
PAUPERS Inmates of Workhouses； Asylums； and Hospitals 。。 。。 。。 17；000 34；000 51；000
HOMELESS Loafers； Casuals； and some Criminals 。。 。。 11；000 22；000 33；000
STARVING Casual earnings between 18s。 per week and chronic want 100；000 200；000 300；000
THE VERY POOR。 Intermittent earnings 18s。 to 21s。 per week 。。 。。 74；000 148；000 222；000
Small regular earnings 18s。to 21s。 per week 。。 。。 129；000 258；000 387；000 … … … 331；000 662；000 993；000
Regular wages； artizans； etc。； 22s。 to 30s。 per week 。。 。。 337；000
Higher class labour； 30s。 to 50s。 per week 。。 。。 121；000
Lower middle class； shopkeepers； clerks； etc。 。。 34；000
Upper middle class （servant keepers） 。。 。。 。。 45；000 … 908；000 It may be admitted that East London affords an exceptionally bad district from which to generalise for the rest of the country。 Wages are higher in London than elsewhere； but so is rent； and the number of the homeless and starving is greater in the human warren at the East End。 There are 31 millions of people in Great Britain； exclusive of Ireland。 If destitution existed everywhere in East London proportions； there would be 31 times as many homeless and starving people as there are in the district round Bethnal Green。
But let us suppose that the East London rate is double the average for the rest of the country。 That would bring out the following figures：
HOUSELESS East London。 United Kingdom。
Loafers； Casuals； and some Criminals 11；000 165；500
STARVING Casual earnings or chronic want 。。 100；000 1；550；000
Total Houseless and Starving 。。 111；000 1；715；500
In Workhouses； Asylums； &c。 。。 17；000 190；000 128；000 1；905；500
Of those returned as homeless and starving； 870；000 were in receipt of outdoor relief。 To these must be added the inmates of our prisons。 In 1889 174；779 persons were received in the prisons； but the average number in prison at any one time did not exceed 60；000。 The figures； as given in the Prison Returns； are as follows：
In Convict Prisons 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 11；600 In Local Prisons。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 20；883 In Reformatories。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 1；270 In Industrial Schools 。。 。。 。。 。。 21；413 Criminal Lunatics 。。 。。 。。 。。 。。 910 … 56；136
Add to this the number of indoor paupers and lunatics （excluding criminals） 78；966and we have an army of nearly two million： belonging to the submerged classes。 To this there must be added at the very least； another million； representing those dependent upon the criminal； lunatic and other classes； not enumerated here； and the more or less helpless of the class immediately above the houseless and starving。 This brings my total to three millions； or； to put it roughly to one…tenth of the population。 According to Lord Brabazon and Mr。 Samuel Smith； 〃between two and three millions of our population are always pauperised and degraded。〃 Mr。 Chamberlain says there is a 〃population equal to that of the metropolis；that is； between four and five millions〃which has remained constantly in a state of abject destitution and misery。〃 Mr。 Giffen is more moderate。 The submerged class； according to him； comprises one in five of manual labourers； six in 100 of the population。 Mr。 Giffen does not add the third million which is living on the border line。 Between Mr Chamberlain's four millions and a half； and Mr。 Giffen's 1；800；000 I am content to take three millions as representing the total strength of the destitute army。
Darkest England； then； may be said to have a population about equal to that of Scotland。 Three million men； women； and children a vast despairing multitude in a condition nominally free； but really enslaved；these it is whom we have to save。
It is a large order。 England emancipated her negroes sixty years ago； at a cost of #40；000；000； and has never ceased boasting about it since。 But at our own doors； from 〃Plymouth to Peterhead；〃 stretches this waste Continent of humanitythree million human beings who are enslavedsome of them to taskmasters as merciless as any West Indian overseer； all of them to destitution and despair？
Is anything to be done with them？ Can anything be done for them？ Or is this million…headed mass to be regarded as offering a problem as insoluble as that of the London sewage； which； feculent and festering； swings heavily up and down the basin of the Thames with the ebb and flow of the tide？
This Submerged Tenthis it； then； beyond the reach of the nine…tenths in the midst of whom they live； and around whose homes they rot and die？ No doubt； in every large mass of human beings there will be some incurably diseased in morals and in body； some for whom nothing can be done； some of whom even the optimist must despair； and for whom he can prescribe nothing but the beneficently stern restraints of an asylum or a gaol。
But is not one in ten a proportion scandalously high？ The Israelites of old set apart one tribe in twelve to minister to the Lord in the service of the Temple； but must we doom one in ten of 〃God's Englishmen〃 to the service of the great Twin Devils Destitution and Despair？
CHAPTER 3。 THE HOMELESS
Darkest England may be described as consisting broadly of three circles； one within the