Produced by MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) ROUND ABOUT A POUND A WEEK ROUND ABOUT A POUND A WEEK BY MRS. PEMBER REEVES [Illustration] LONDON G. BELL AND SONS, LTD. 1913 TO MY FELLOW-WORKER E. C. L. PREFACE I am glad to take this opportunity to acknowledge the use I have made of a manuscript written by Mrs. Charlotte Wilson, Hon. Secretary of the Fabian Women’s Group. The manuscript was founded on a lecture, entitled “The Economic Disintegration of the Family,” delivered by Mrs. Wilson to the Fabian Society in June, 1909. Not only ideas contained in the lecture, but also some of the wording of the manuscript, have been used in the last two chapters. I wish also to thank Dr. Ethel Bentham for the invaluable professional service rendered by her during the five years of the investigation. M. S. REEVES. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE DISTRICT 1 II. THE PEOPLE 8 III. HOUSING 21 IV. FURNITURE—SLEEPING ACCOMMODATION—EQUIPMENT FOR COOKING AND BATHING 46 V. THRIFT 66 VI. BUDGETS 75 VII. FOOD: CHIEF ARTICLES OF DIET 94 VIII. BUYING, STORING, AND CARING FOR FOOD 104 IX. ACTUAL MENUS OF SEVERAL WORKING MEN’S FAMILIES 113 X. AMOUNT SPENT A HEAD ON FOOD—PER WEEK, PER DAY 132 XI. THE POOR AND MARRIAGE 146 XII. MOTHERS’ DAYS 159 XIII. THE CHILDREN 176 XIV. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF WORK 195 XV. THE STANDARD OF COMFORT 211 XVI. THE STATE AS GUARDIAN 223 ROUND ABOUT A POUND A WEEK CHAPTER I THE DISTRICT