576 NOTES AND EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 



labours, and government will then have solved one of the most trouble- 

 some problems which have puzzled the heads of many dozens of politi- 

 cal economists. 



But, alas ! there exists in this country (especially among the Conserva- 

 tives) a very extensive and a very inveterate dislike to all change in 

 regularly established institutions ; and, perhaps, it is rather too much to 

 expect, that so abrupt a conclusion to official labours as the one just 

 hinted at would be suffered. Well, then, as it is the attribute of great 

 minds not to create difficulties, but to overcome them, we have advice 

 to tender, even under the slow and sure system. It is well known that 

 leather contains a large portion of nutriment either of farina or gelatine, 

 or both, we forget which might be made easily and cheaply available 

 as food for the support of our pauper population. Now when we con- 

 sider the myriads of half-worn-out shoes (soles as well as upper leathers) 

 that are cast away by improvident people in the course of one year, it 

 must be instantly plain that a very shameful waste is permitted in an 

 article applicable to one of the grandest objects which can engage the 

 labour of man, namely the extrication of human food from surrounding 

 substances ! Need we say another word ? We are not writing an essay, 

 and are content, therefore, to leave the suggestion to keen-witted and 

 intelligent overseers with this simple declaration, however : that we 

 will undertake to demonstrate the fact that there will be found as much, 

 if not more, of nutritive matter in " thirteen ounces," (the official modi- 

 cum) of shoe-soup, as in many of those usually prepared for similar 

 purposes. Let no one be startled at the novelty of the aliment and 

 thence doubt its aptitude gas was doubted on its first introduction ! 

 The digestive apparatus of paupers, be it remembered, is proverbially in 

 good condition, and a decoction of shoes, boots, &c., would make very 

 excellent chyle that is to say, quite good enough for the ordinary wants 

 of such persons. A little attention should of course be paid to the removal 

 of dirt and other impurities from the raw material before submitting it 

 to the culinary process ; but on no account ought hob or other nails 

 to be withdrawn. Most preparations of iron are strengthening, and the 

 diet in such cases would thus exert not only a tonic and sedative influence 

 upon the stomach, but be at the same time its own condiment. Gloves, 

 saddle-seats, buckskin smalls, &c. are equally appropriate, of course. We 

 desire to arrogate no undue degree of credit for this suggestion. We 

 once heard of a respectable person (Scotch or Irish, we forget which) 

 who out of six shillings a week supported himself, a wife, and five 

 healthy children and saved money ! Shoe-soup was the favourite diet of 

 the family ! 



These remarks, we trust, will not be misconstrued ; we desire to stand 

 well with all parties. We concur with the commissioners in deeming 

 the purvey of the fifteen-penny overseers highly objectionable ; we con- 

 cur with the overseers in deprecating an insufficient allowance of food to 

 the poor. We blame nobody, and heartily pity the necessitous.. 



