essays-1-第21部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ime；　I　hope；　get　the　better　of　their　pride；　and　avail　　themselves　of　these　advantages。

To　render　this　establishment　for　the　Poor　at　Munich　perfect；　something　is　still　wanting。The　house　of　industry　is　too　remote　from　the　center　of　the　town；　and　many　of　the　Poor　live　at　such　a　distance　from　it；　that　much　time　is　lost　in　going　and　returning。　It　is　situated；　it　is　true；　nearly　in　the　center　of　the　district　in　which　most　of　the　Poor　inhabit；　but　still　there　are　many　who　do　not　derive　all　the　advantages　from　it　they　otherwise　would　do　were　it　adjacent　to　their　dwellings。　　The　only　way　to　remedy　this　imperfection　would　be；　to　establish　several　smaller　public　kitchens　in　different　parts　of　the　town；　with　two　or　three　rooms　adjoining　to　each；　where　the　Poor　might　work。They　might　then　either　fetch　the　raw　materials　from　the　principal　house　of　industry；　or　be　furnished　with　them　by　the　persons　who　superintend　those　subordinate　kitchens；　and　who　might　serve　at　the　same　time　as　stewards　and　inspectors　of　the　working　rooms；　under　the　direction　and　control　of　the　officers　who　are　placed　at　the　head　of　the　general　　establishment。　　This　arrangement　is　in　contemplation；　and　will　be　put　in　execution　as　soon　as　convenient　houses　can　be　procured　and　fitted　up　for　the　purpose。

In　large　cities；　these　public　kitchens；　and　rooms　adjoining　to　them　for　working；　should　be　established　in　every　parish；　and；　it　is　scarcely　to　be　conceived　how　much　this　arrangement　would　contribute　to　the　comfort　and　contentment　of　the　Poor；　and　to　the　improvement　of　their　morals。　　These　working　rooms　might　be　fitted　up　with　neatness；　and　even　with　elegance；　and　made　perfectly　warm；　clean；　and　comfortable；　at　a　very　small　expence；　and；　if　nothing　were　done　to　disgust　the　Poor；　either　by　treating　them　harshly；　or　using　FORCE　to　oblige　them　to　frequent　these　establishments；　they　would　soon　avail　themselves　of　the　advantages　held　out　to　them；　and　the　tranquillity　they　would　enjoy　in　these　peaceful　retreats；　would；　by　degrees；　calm　the　agitation　of　their　minds；remove　their　suspicions；and　render　them　happy；grateful；　and　docile。

Though　it　might　not　be　possible　to　provide　any　other　lodgings　for　them　than　the　miserable　barracks　they　now　occupy；　yet；　as　they　might　spend　the　whole　of　the　day；　from　morning　till　late　at　night；　in　these　public　rooms；　and　have　no　occasion　to　return　to　their　homes　till　bed…time；　they　would　not　experience　much　inconvenience　from　the　badness　of　the　accommodation　at　their　own　dwellings。

Should　any　be　attached　with　sickness；　they　might　be　sent　to　some　hospital；　or　rooms　be　provided　for　them；　as　well　as　for　the　old　and　infirm；　adjacent　to　the　public　working　rooms。　　Certain　hours　might　also　be　set　apart　for　instructing　the　children；　daily；　in　reading　and　writing；　in　the　dining…hall；　or　in　some　other　room　convenient　for　that　purpose。

The　expence　of　forming　such　an　establishment　in　every　parish　would　not　be　great；　in　the　first　outset；　and　the　advantages　derived　from　it　would　very　soon　repay　that　expence；　with　interest。　The　Poor　might　be　fed　from　a　public　kitchen　for　LESS　THAN　HALF　what　it　would　cost　them　to　feed　themselves；they　would　turn　their　industry　to　better　account；　by　working　in　a　public　establishment；　and　under　proper　direction；　than　by　working　at　home；a　spirit　of　emulation　would　be　excited　among　them；　and　they　would　pass　their　time　more　agreeably　and　cheerfully。　They　would　be　entirely　relieved　from　the　heavy　expense　of　fuel　for　cooking；　and；　in　a　great　measure；　from　that　for　heating　their　dwellings；　and；　being　seldom　at　home　in　the　day…time；　would　want　little　more　than　a　place　to　sleep　in；　so　that　the　expence　of　lodging　might　be　greatly　diminished。It　is　evident；　that　all　these　saving　together　would　operate　very　powerfully　to　lessen　the　public　expence　for　the　maintenance　of　the　Poor；　and；　were　proper　measures　adopted；　and　pursued　with　care　and　perseverance；　I　am　persuaded　the　expence　would　at　last　be　reduced　to　little　or　nothing。

With　regard　to　the　lodgings　for　the　Poor；　I　am　clearly　of　opinion　that　it　is　in　general　best；　particularly　in　great　towns；　that　these　should　be　left　for　themselves　to　provide。　　This　they　certainly　would　like　better　than　being　crowded　together；　and　confined　like　prisoners　in　poor…houses　and　hospitals；　and　I　really　think　the　difference　in　the　expence　would　be　inconsiderable；　and　though　they　might　be　less　comfortably　accommodated；　yet　the　inconvenience　would　be　amply　compensated　BY　THE　CHARMS　WHICH　LIBERTY　DISPENSES。

In　Munich；　almost　all　the　Poor　provide　their　own　lodgings；　and　twice　a　year　have　certain　allowances　in　money；　to　assist　them　in　paying　their　rent。Many　among　them　who　are　single；　have　indeed；　no　lodgings　they　can　call　their　own。　　They　go　to　certain　public…houses　to　sleep；　where　they　are　furnished　with　what　is　called　a　bed；　in　a　garret；　for　one　creutzer；　（equal　to　about　one…third　of　a　penny；）　a…night；　and　for　two　creutzers　a…night　they　get　a　place　in　a　tolerably　good　bed　in　a　decent　room　in　a　public…house　of　more　repute。

There　are；　however；　among　the　Poor；　many　who　are　infirm；　and　not　able　to　shift　for　themselves　in　the　public…houses；　and　have　not　families；　or　near　relations；　to　take　care　of　them。　For　these；　a　particular　arrangement　has　lately　been　made　at　Munich。　　Such　of　them　as　have　friends　or　acquaintances　in　town　with　whom　they　can　lodge；　are　permitted　to　do　so；　but　if　they　cannot　find　out　lodgings　themselves；　they　have　the　option；　either　to　be　placed　in　some　private　family　to　be　taken　care　of；　or　go　to　a　home　which　has　lately　been　purchased　and　fitted　up　as　an　hospital　for　lodging　them＇14＇。

This　house　is　situated　in　a　fine　airy　situation；　on　a　small　eminence　upon　the　banks　of　the　Isar；　and　overlooks　the　whole　of　the　town；the　plain　in　which　it　is　situated；and　the　river。　It　is　neatly　built；　and　has　a　spacious　garden　belonging　to　it。　There　are　seventeen　good　rooms　in　the　house；　in　which　it　is　supposed　about　eighty　persons　may　be　lodged。　These　will　all　be　fed　from　one　kitchen；　and　such　of　them　who　are　very　infirm；　will　have　others　less　infirm　placed　in　the　same　room　with　them；　to　assist　them；　and　wait　upon　them。The　cultivation　of　the　garden　will　be　their　amusement；　and　the　produce　of　it　their　property。　They　will　be　furnished　with　work　suitable　to　their　strength；　and　for　all　the　labour　they　perform；　will　be　paid　in　money；　which　will　be　left　at　their　own　disposal。They　will　be　furnished　with　food；　medicine；　and　clothing；　gratis；　and　to　those　who　are　not　able　to　earn　any　thing　by　labour；　a　small　sum　of　money　will　be　given　weekly；　to　enable　them　to　purchase　tobacco；　snuff；　or　any　other　article　of　humble　luxury　to　which　they　may　have　been　accustomed。

I　could　have　wished　that　this　asylum　had　been　nearer　to　the　house　of　industry。　　It　is　indeed　not　very　far　from　it；　perhaps　not　more　than　400　yards；　but　still　that　is　too　far。Had　it　been　under　the　same　roof；　or　adjoining　to　it；　those　who　are　lodged　in　it　might　have　been　fed　from　the　public　kitchen　of　the　general　establishment；　and　have　been　under　the　immediate　inspection　of　the　principal　officers　of　the　house　of　industry。　　It　would　likewise　have　rendered　the　establishment　very　interesting　to　those　who　visit　it；　which　is　an　object　of　more　real　importance　th