Mistreatment in the streets!

 To survive in the streets of London one must find a means to do so or the future will not look bright. One way young boys are choosing to earn a living is by being a shoe-black boy. These boys roam the streets, waiting for those who might need to rid of the dullness of their shoes. However, they have been facing some serious problems in trying to earn their money.  The police have been harassing them at every opportunity possible. They treat the shoe-black boys only but one rank above a smuggler! They will not allow the independent shoe-black boys to stand in one spot at a time on the streets and if they are caught lingering, the police kick the boys’ deposit boxes in the street, among the carriages and waste. The shoe-blacks often lose their earnings and sometimes have their blacking spilt when these interactions with the authorities occur. The police do not understand why these boys do not join the Boot-Black Brigade, a legitimate alliance of shoe-blacks which the authorities approve of. It costs five shilling a year to pay for a shoe-blacking license to be official in this job and approved by the police.  Everyone should be free to choose if they want to work independently or not, especially in this area of expertise. Do not stand for this intolerable behavior by the authorities good people, the shoe-black boys only intend to shine your shoes for a small gratitude! If you see any of these incidents occurring on the streets, I encourage you to stand up for what is right and not allow these young children be treated in such a despicable manner! 

Dawn Kelly