THE REV. HARRY WILSON, M.A. 315
most urgently is cheap and rapid communication with the outskirts of London."
" You get among these people, Mr Wilson, and learn a good deal about them. How do you think the wage-earning capacity of the East- ender to-day compares with that of twenty years ago ? "
"On the whole, the number out of work is much less than I have known. An enormous number live on the wool trade, finding employ ment at the many large wool warehouses about here. I should say about 5,000 annually are so employed. But there is a lot of intermittent work. Many of the men get periods of five or six weeks employment say five times a year. After each spell of employment they may get five or six weeks out, waiting for the cargoes of wool to come along. Then, again, a lot of men about here are employed as carmen, receiving from 253. to 305. per week."
"Take the case of those in intermittent em ployment. Are they provident do they save when in work ? "
"In most cases no. The men are very improvident indeed."
" Then how do they get along when out of employment ? "
" That is just what I cannot find out," observed Mr Wilson. " I have often tried. In some cases the wife will go out to work. I know that. But,
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