Take the case of one family which I picked up. There was the 
      father of some thirty years of age, his wife, and their three 
      weeks' old babe. They had been bombed out completely, had only 
      a few pennies and were going from pillar to post seeking food 
      and shelter. The father was a working man and, though having 
      each day to worry about what would happen to his wife and child, 
      had regularly to report for duty in order to hold his position. 
      Not being a skilled person, his rate of pay was extremely low, 
      in feet less than 3.10.0. per week. On this wage, however, he 
      could during normal times feed, shelter and clothe his family 
      and simultaneously put by a few pence each day. Now, his whole 
      existence is a precarious one and it is extremely doubtful whether, 
      unless the State steps in, either his wife or child will survive. 
      This is an extreme case but there are many extreme cases.
 
      
 
 
Every morning, on whatever road Birmingham is approached, 
      there are to be seen groups of shivering and distracted working-class 
      people who have waited for hours in the cold weather for some 
      kind of transport. Most of the women and children amonh these, 
      on account of their financial state, must largely depend upon 
      the kindness of motorists, not being able regularly to pay ordinary 
      transport charges.
 
      
 
 
Women with children seen along the roads very frequently follow 
      the practice of daily returning to Coventry or Birmingham, mainly 
      for two reasons. In the first place, they are not welcome at 
      their temporary refugees during the day. In the second place, 
      they wish to go into the towns where their husbands are employed 
      in order to do what they can for their husbands' comfort and 
      to have their husbands accompany them when they depart for the 
      country towards dark.
 
      
 
 
One housewife told me that although her home had been rendered 
      uninhabitable as a residence, she daily went there to cook the 
      only regular meal which her husband could enjoy.
 
      
 
 
A policy, as necessary as it may be, which imposes a dreadful 
      hardsh %ip upon working class housewives and their children is 
      one which has been adopted by road transport services. It is 
      a policy of giving first preference to actual workers. As transport 
      facilities are not ample to take care of the class of refugees 
      in question, it means that actual workers are accepted as passengers 
      and their women folk and children left to shiver on the roadside.
 
      
 
 
It ought to be stressed that the transient refugees under 
      discussion constitute, after all, only a section of the working 
      class populations of the urban areas in this part of the United 
      Kingdom. The rest remain in their homes or such shelters as may 
      be available during raids, but the women folk among the rest 
      are having their mental health gradually undermined by sheer 
      fright.
 
      
 
 
At/