§4 TlMEHRf. 



is a grave responsibility in permitting social reform to 

 stand almost still whilst it urges on the sanitary improve- 

 ment of the people. To be beneficial the two measures 

 must be synergetic. It is quite right that the people 

 should have pure air, pure water and pure food, but for 

 those who cannot get the money to procure the latter, 

 what does it all mean but that they should not beget in- 

 fe6tious diseases to the possible and probable injury of 

 the affluent ! Starvation is not contagious, perhaps it 

 would be better for all if it were so, there would be 

 pleasant legislation to obviate it then, instead of measures 

 that make many almost rather die than avail themselves 

 of their cold charity. Yet hunger is as keen in the pure 

 as in the foul air and it becomes of little use to the star- 

 velings to know that their healthy though wasted corpses 

 eventually shall be washed in pure water! To the impa- 

 tient socialist it may seem in the face of such things that 

 our legislators see the force of urging on the sanitary 

 horse, it brings benefits to them but the social reform one 

 may graze by the ways'de ! In justice to them we know 

 that they cannot help themselves, but the ignorant and 

 impartial are seldom just. Still, the fa6l remains that 

 an augmented and healthy hungry population must work 

 cheaply. The sanitary reformers are doing their work, 

 it is not for them to pause, but the effe6l of all their efforts 

 when unaided by a commensurate system of social reform 

 becomes as we have shewn a somewhat self-defeating 

 work. In an earlier part of this paper reference in pas- 

 sing was made to the drink evil, which is regarded by 

 almost every one, even the votaries at its shrine in their 

 Sdue intervals, as the Jons et origo of most of the social 

 misery of our working class, but if we lift up the edge of 



