XVII
 

THE  SLUMS'  POINT  OF  VIEW
 


 

all
 

life in the
 

AVING spent practical ^
tenement locality, and having watched for
many years the spread of the liberal and
educational tendencies among my people, I could
not fail to be struck by a certain palpable oversight
on the part of the many professional and volunteer
educators and philanthropists who have invaded
our precincts with the best intent. Perhaps I am
wrong in my observation and deduction, or, per¬
haps, if this oversight exists it is intentional and for
good reasons. However, being of the belief that
an honest opinion is always worthy of a hearing,
I will state my case and am only too willing to be
proven wrong. You see, we—the under-dogs—
have not many opportunities to express ourselves.
Labour disputes are arbitrated, capital is always
willing to meet its employees at the conference table,
but philanthropy and pauperism have not yet
reached that degree of mutual cooperation. As it
is, philanthropy is active, pauperism is passive; one
prescribes, the other takes the medicine without
doubting or caring very much for its efficiency.
And there is good reason for arbitration in our

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