THE WINTER OF DISCONTENT. iji 



work. . . . Unfortunately it cannot be said that things arc 

 often much better when the landlord retains the cottages under 

 his control. If the landlord is neglectful the cottages fall into 

 decay, and, no new ones being built, the labourers and their 

 families dwell in ruins, fit only for bats and owls, till their collapse 

 drives their tenants out of the village." 1 



One of the worst reports comes from Wiltshire. 



" The cottages in this village (Edington, near Westbury)," 

 reports the lecturer, " are in the most awful state of dilapidation 

 that it is possible to conceive. They are to be seen in every 

 stage of ruin from the cottage that is barely tenable to the 

 heap of rubbish that marks the spot where a cottage formerly 

 stood. One I inspected consisted of four rooms, two up and two 

 down, with what had been formerly a small brewhouse and 

 wash-house attached. It adjoined another which was long 

 past being tenable, and was already a dangerous ruin. To 

 describe the occupied house is almost impossible. The front 

 room downstairs, which was the best, measured 15 ft. 8 in. by 

 8 ft. 2-J- in., the height being 5 ft. 10 in. It was lighted by a 

 window which the occupier had put in at her own expense ; the 

 old window had fallen out through decay, and the landlord 

 refused to replace it. It was the only room where cooking 

 could be done or meals taken, but it had no cupboard. A crazy 

 staircase, that threatened to give waj^ at every step, led to the 

 room above. This was the same in length and breadth, but it 

 had an average height of 5 ft. 8 in. only. The roof was in holes, 

 and the ceiling, which was cracked and blistered to an almost 

 inconceivable extent, had been falling bit by bit for years. No 

 repairs had been done to this or any other room by the landlord 

 for years. The window is 18 in. square, but the walls are so 

 built that only a small ray of light can enter. The back bedroom 

 beggars description. Half one side of the room has literally 

 fallen out into the garden, and has been in this condition for 

 years. Old skirts and rags are hung over great holes to keep 

 out wind and rain. But in spite of every precaution, the place 

 in bad weather and in winter is a swamp. The ceiling which is 

 falling day })y day slopes in such a way that there is only a small 

 space in which a man of average height can stand upright. The 

 ' room ' below this is no better than a yard, and is open to the 

 weather on two sides. Of the brewhouse only the walls remain ; 

 the door and the roof have rotted away. The whole building 

 will probably be blown down by the first rough wind. 



" Another house which the lecturer visited consisted of three 

 rooms. Its walls were bulging out, and had great fissures 



1 Amongst the Agricultural Labourers, 1892. 



