Before any man is employed as a street-orderly, he is called upon to answer certain questions, and the replies from 67 men to these questions supply a fund of curious and important information—important to all but those who account the lot of the poor of no importance. In presenting these details, I beg to express my obligations to Mr. Colin Mackenzie, the enlightened and kindly secretary of the Association.
I shall first show what is the order of the questioning, then what were the answers, and I shall afterwards recapitulate, with a few comments, the salient characteristics of the whole.
The questions are after this fashion; the one I adduce having been asked of a scavager to whom a preference was given:—
The Parish of St. Mary, Paddington.—Questions asked of Parish Scavagers, applying for employment as Street-Orderlies, with the answers appended.
Name?—W—— C——.
Age?—35 years.
How long a scavenger?—Three months.
What occupation previously?—Gentleman’s footman.
Married or single?—Married.
Reading, writing, or other education?—Yes.