Page:The social and moral elevation of our working classes.pdf/9

 pure air and cleanliness, who spread disease around them, and in other ways bring many evils on the community at large. Many of our labourers, and even of our tradesmen, who are in the receipt of tolerable wages, are quite content to live with their families in a single apartment, which suffices for meals and sleep, and for all their purposes of domestic economy. Even their washing is done there, although the most complete washing and drying establishments have been provided for their accommodation. Our washhouses on Usher's Island are but little used. Their erection has, so far, proved a failure.

These evils do not arise from want of means; for the well paid tradesman is little more attentive to these decencies of life, than the labourer who only earns one half or one third the wages. We must endeavour to implant the desire for comforts; to persuade the people that their health and their happiness would be largely encreased [sic] by such alterations in their mode of living. In order to effect this change in the habits of the poor, those in higher position must show a better example than they now do. Sanatory [sic] regulations are in the hands of our authorities, and they are sadly neglected. How can we expect the poor to appreciate the virtue of cleanliness in their habitations, while the rich allow themselves to be surrounded by filth and all manner of nastiness in our public thoroughfares, in our more private streets, and in all our lanes and alleys? If we be inattentive to neatness in our own mansions, if our windows be left dirty, and paint is seldom used to give at least an external evidence of our love of cleanliness and order, we cannot expect that the poor will be very particular in these respects. Some legal difficulties, likewise, which stand in the way of the easy transfer of property in lands and houses, need to be removed out of the way. This should be pressed on our government.

These matters should be ever impressed on public attention, as some of the actual and daily necessary duties of life. Their proper performance would tend greatly to elevate our working classes.

The use of tobacco has a deteriorating influence; as it engenders filthy habits, injures the health, and absorbs a large amount of money annually, its use tends greatly to retard the social and moral elevation of our people. It is therefore a practice which should be discouraged by our intelligent classes.

I do not think any great elevation in the social and moral character of our working classes can be secured, until they are taught to exercise economy and the habit of forethought in the management of their affairs. Fire insurance is a means of guarding against distress and misery, which they seldom, I may almost say never, resort to; and life insurance is a provision which but few of them make for their families. In these respects, however, they deserve but little censure from their more intelligent brethren, who are likewise very inattentive to the duty of thus guarding against calamity and making some provision for those who are dependent on them. These are duties which I hold every man is bound, in honesty to his family and in moral responsibility to society, to perform, unless he have, by some other means, laid up a provision