the ragged trousered philanthropists-第101节

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Cave'　would　have　lasted　at　least　six　months；　and　they　would　have　had　more　hands　on　it　too！　　But　it　would　have　been　done　properly；　not　messed　up　like　that　was：　all　the　woodwork　would　have　been　rubbed　down　with　pumice　stone　and　water：　all　the　knots　cut　out　and　the　holes　properly　filled　up；　and　the　work　properly　rubbed　down　with　glass…paper　between　every　coat。　　But　nowadays　the　only　place　you'd　see　a　bit　of　pumice　stone　was　in　a　glass　case　in　a　museum；　with　a　label　on　it。

　　　　　　　　　　　‘Pumice　Stone：　formerly　used　by　house…painters。'

Most　of　them　spoke　of　those　bygone　times　with　poignant　regret；　but　there　were　a　few　…　generally　fellows　who　had　been　contaminated　by　contact　with　Socialists　or　whose　characters　had　been　warped　and　degraded　by　the　perusal　of　Socialist　literature　…　who　said　that　they　did　not　desire　to　work　overtime　at　all　…　ten　hours　a　day　were　quite　enough　for　them　…　in　fact　they　would　rather　do　only　eight。　　What　they　wanted；　they　said；　was　not　more　work；　but　more　grub；　more　clothes；　more　leisure；　more　pleasure　and　better　homes。　　They　wanted　to　be　able　to　go　for　country　walks　or　bicycle　rides；　to　go　out　fishing　or　to　go　to　the　seaside　and　bathe　and　lie　on　the　beach　and　so　forth。　　But　these　were　only　a　very　few；　there　were　not　many　so　selfish　as　this。　　The　majority　desired　nothing　but　to　be　allowed　to　work；　and　as　for　their　children；　why；　‘what　was　good　enough　for　themselves　oughter　be　good　enough　for　the　kids'。

They　often　said　that　such　things　as　leisure；　culture；　pleasure　and　the　benefits　of　civilization　were　never　intended　for　‘the　likes　of　us'。

They　did　not　…　all　…　actually　say　this；　but　that　was　what　their　conduct　amounted　to；　for　they　not　only　refused　to　help　to　bring　about　a　better　state　of　things　for　their　children；　but　they　ridiculed　and　opposed　and　cursed　and　abused　those　who　were　trying　to　do　it　for　them。　The　foulest　words　that　came　out　of　their　mouths　were　directed　against　the　men　of　their　own　class　in　the　House　of　Commons　…　the　Labour　Members　…　and　especially　the　Socialists；　whom　they　spoke　of　as　fellows　who　were　too　bloody　lazy　to　work　for　a　living；　and　who　wanted　the　working　classes　to　keep　them。

Some　of　them　said　that　they　did　not　believe　in　helping　their　children　to　become　anything　better　than　their　parents　had　been　because　in　such　cases　the　children；　when　they　grew　up；　‘looked　down'　upon　and　were　ashamed　of　their　fathers　and　mothers！　　They　seemed　to　think　that　if　they　loved　and　did　their　duty　to　their　children；　the　probability　was　that　the　children　would　prove　ungrateful：　as　if　even　if　that　were　true；　it　would　be　any　excuse　for　their　indifference。

Another　cause　of　the　shortage　of　work　was　the　intrusion　into　the　trade　of　so　many　outsiders：　fellows　like　Sawkins　and　the　other　lightweights。　Whatever　other　causes　there　were；　there　could　be　no　doubt　that　the　hurrying　and　scamping　was　a　very　real　one。　　Every　‘job'　had　to　be　done　at　once！　as　if　it　were　a　matter　of　life　or　death！　　It　must　be　finished　by　a　certain　time。　　If　the　‘job'　was　at　an　empty　house；　Misery's　yarn　was　that　it　was　let！　the　people　were　coming　in　at　the　end　of　the　week！　therefore　everything　must　be　finished　by　Wednesday　night。　　All　the　ceilings　had　to　be　washed　off；　the　walls　stripped　and　repapered；　and　two　coats　of　paint　inside　and　outside　the　house。　　New　drains　were　to　be　put　in；　and　all　broken　windows　and　locks　and　broken　plaster　repaired。　　A　number　of　men　…　usually　about　half　as　many　as　there　should　have　been　…　would　be　sent　to　do　the　work；　and　one　man　was　put　in　charge　of　the　‘job'。　　These　sub…foremen　or　‘coddies'　knew　that　if　they　‘made　their　jobs　pay'　they　would　be　put　in　charge　of　others　and　be　kept　on　in　preference　to　other　men　as　long　as　the　firm　had　any　work；　so　they　helped　Misery　to　scheme　and　scamp　the　work　and　watched　and　drove　the　men　under　their　charge；　and　these　latter　poor　wretches；　knowing　that　their　only　chance　of　retaining　their　employment　was　to　‘tear　into　it'；　tore　into　it　like　so　many　maniacs。　　Instead　of　cleaning　any　parts　of　the　woodwork　that　were　greasy　or　very　dirty；　they　brushed　them　over　with　a　coat　of　spirit　varnish　before　painting　to　make　sure　that　the　paint　would　dry：　places　where　the　plaster　of　the　walls　was　damaged　were　repaired　with　what　was　humorously　called　‘garden　cement'　…　which　was　the　technical　term　for　dirt　out　of　the　garden　…　and　the　surface　was　skimmed　over　with　proper　material。　Ceilings　that　were　not　very　dirty　were　not　washed　off；　but　dusted；　and　lightly　gone　over　with　a　thin　coat　of　whitewash。　　The　old　paper　was　often　left　upon　the　wails　of　rooms　that　were　supposed　to　be　stripped　before　being　repapered；　and　to　conceal　this　the　joints　of　the　old　paper　were　rubbed　down　so　that　they　should　not　be　perceptible　through　the　new　paper。　　As　far　as　possible；　Misery　and　the　sub…foreman　avoided　doing　the　work　the　customers　paid　for；　and　even　what　little　they　did　was　hurried　over　anyhow。



A　reign　of　terror　…　the　terror　of　the　sack　…　prevailed　on　all　the　‘jobs'；　which　were　carried　on　to　the　accompaniment　of　a　series　of　alarums　and　excursions：　no　man　felt　safe　for　a　moment：　at　the　most　unexpected　times　Misery　would　arrive　and　rush　like　a　whirlwind　all　over　the　‘job'。　　If　he　happened　to　find　a　man　having　a　spell　the　culprit　was　immediately　discharged；　but　he　did　not　get　the　opportunity　of　doing　this　very　often　for　everybody　was　too　terrified　to　leave　off　working　even　for　a　few　minutes'　rest。

From　the　moment　of　Hunter's　arrival　until　his　departure；　a　state　of　panic；　hurry；　scurry　and　turmoil　reigned。　　His　strident　voice　rang　through　the　house　as　he　bellowed　out　to　them　to　‘Rouse　themselves！　Get　it　done！　　Smear　it　on　anyhow！　　Tar　it　over！　　We've　got　another　job　to　start　when　you've　done　this！'

Occasionally；　just　to　keep　the　others　up　to　concert　pitch；　he　used　to　sack　one　of　the　men　for　being　too　slow。　　They　all　trembled　before　him　and　ran　about　whenever　he　spoke　to　or　called　them；　because　they　knew　that　there　were　always　a　lot　of　other　men　out　of　work　who　would　be　willing　and　eager　to　fill　their　places　if　they　got　the　sack。

Although　it　was　now　summer；　and　the　Distress　Committee　and　all　the　other　committees　had　suspended　operations；　there　was　still　always　a　large　number　of　men　hanging　about　the　vicinity　of　the　Fountain　on　the　Parade　…　The　Wage　Slave　Market。　　When　men　finished　up　for　the　firm　they　were　working　for　they　usually　made　for　that　place。　　Any　master　in　want　of　a　wage　slave　for　a　few　hours；　days　or　weeks　could　always　buy　one　there。　　The　men　knew　this　and　they　also　knew　that　if　they　got　the　sack　from　one　firm　it　was　no　easy　matter　to　get　another　job；　and　that　was　why　they　were　terrified。

When　Misery　was　gone　…　to　repeat　the　same　performance　at　some　other　job　…　the　sub…foreman　would　have　a　crawl　round　to　see　how　the　chaps　were　getting　on：　to　find　out　if　they　had　used　up　all　their　paint　yet；　or　to　bring　them　some　putty　so　that　they　should　not　have　to　leave　their　work　to　go　to　get　anything　themselves：　and　then　very　often　Rushton　himself　would　come　and　stalk　quietly　about　the　house　or　stand　silently　behind　the　men；　watching　them　as　they　worked。　　He　seldom　spoke　to　anyone；　but　just　stood　there　like　a　graven　image；　or　walked　about　like　a　dumb　animal　…　a　pig；　as　the　men　used　to　say。　　This　individual　had　a　very　exalted　idea　of　his　own　importance　and　dignity。　One　man　got　the　sack　for　presuming　to　stop　him　in　the　street　to　ask　some　questions　about　some　work　that　was　being　done。

Misery　went　round　to　all　the　jobs　the　next　day　and　told　all　the　‘coddies'　to　tell　all　the　hands　that　they　were　never　to　speak　to　Mr　Rushton　if　they　met　him　in　the　street；　and　the　following　Saturday　the　man　who　had　so　offended　was　given　his　back　day；　ostensibly　because　there　was　nothing　for　him　to　do；　but　really　for　the　reason　stated　above。

There　was　one　job；　the　outside　of　a　large　house　that　stood　on　elevated　ground　overlooking　the　town。　　The　men　who　were　working　there　were　even　more　than　usually　uncomfortable；　for　it　was　said　that　Rushton　used　to　sit　in　his　office　and　watch　them　through　a　telescope。

Sometimes；　when　it　was　really　necessary　to　get　a　job　done　by　a　certain　time；　they　had　to　work　late；　perhaps　till　eight　or　nine　o'clock。　　No　time　was　allowed　for　tea；　but　some　of　them　brought　sufficient　food　with　them　in　the　morning　to　enable　them　to　have　a　little　about　six　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Others　arranged　for　their　children　to　bring　them　some　tea　from　home。　　As　a　rule；　they　partook　of　this　without　stopping　work：　they　had　it　on　the　floor　beside　them　and　ate　and　drank　and　worked　at　the　same　time　…　a　paint…brushful　of　white　lead　in　one　hand；　and　a　piece　of　bread　and　margarine　in　the　other。　　On　some　jobs；　if　the　‘coddy'　happened　to　be　a　decent　sort；　they　posted　a　sentry　to　look　out　for　Hunter　or　Rushton　while　the　others　knocked　off　for　a　few　minutes　to　snatch　a　mouthful　of　grub；　but　it　was　not　safe　always　to　do　this；　for　there　was　often　some　crawling　sneak　with　an　ambition　to　become　a　‘coddy'　who　would　not　scruple　to　curry　favour　with　Misery　by　reporting　the　crime。

As　an　additional　precaution　against　the　possibility　of　any　of　the　men　idling　or　wasting　their　time；　each　one　was　given　a　time…sheet　on　which　he　was　required　to　account　for　every　minute　of　the　day。　　The　form　of　these　sheets　vary　slightly　with　differe