the ragged trousered philanthropists-第37节

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s　the　had　the　money　to　pay　for　it。　　Most　of　you　here；　for　instance；　would　think　and　say　so。　　Even　as　you　think　at　present　that　it's　right　for　so　few　people　to　own　the　Earth；　the　Minerals　and　the　Water；　which　are　all　just　as　necessary　as　is　the　air。　　In　exactly　the　same　spirit　as　you　now　say：　〃It's　Their　Land；〃　〃It's　Their　Water；〃　〃It's　Their　Coal；〃　〃It's　Their　Iron；〃　so　you　would　say　〃It's　Their　Air；〃　〃These　are　their　gasometers；　and　what　right　have　the　likes　of　us　to　expect　them　to　allow　us　to　breathe　for　nothing？〃　　And　even　while　he　is　doing　this　the　air　monopolist　will　be　preaching　sermons　on　the　Brotherhood　of　Man；　he　will　be　dispensing　advice　on　〃Christian　Duty〃　in　the　Sunday　magazines；　he　will　give　utterance　to　numerous　more　or　less　moral　maxims　for　the　guidance　of　the　young。　　And　meantime；　all　around；　people　will　be　dying　for　want　of　some　of　the　air　that　he　will　have　bottled　up　in　his　gasometers。　　And　when　you　are　all　dragging　out　a　miserable　existence；　gasping　for　breath　or　dying　for　want　of　air；　if　one　of　your　number　suggests　smashing　a　hole　in　the　side　of　one　of　th　gasometers；　you　will　all　fall　upon　him　in　the　name　of　law　and　order；　and　after　doing　your　best　to　tear　him　limb　from　limb；　you'll　drag　him；　covered　with　blood；　in　triumph　to　the　nearest　Police　Station　and　deliver　him　up　to　〃justice〃　in　the　hope　of　being　given　a　few　half…pounds　of　air　for　your　trouble。'

‘I　suppose　you　think　the　landlords　ought　to　let　people　live　in　their　'ouses　for　nothing？'　said　Crass；　breaking　the　silence　that　followed。

‘Certainly；'　remarked　Harlow；　pretending　to　be　suddenly　converted　to　Owen's　views；　‘I　reckon　the　landlord　ought　to　pay　the　rent　to　the　tenant！'

‘Of　course；　Landlordism　is　not　the　only　cause；'　said　Owen；　ignoring　these　remarks。　‘　The　wonderful　system　fosters　a　great　many　others。　Employers　of　labour；　for　instance；　are　as　great　a　cause　of　poverty　as　landlords　are。'

This　extraordinary　statement　was　received　with　astonished　silence。

‘Do　you　mean　to　say　that　if　I'm　out　of　work　and　a　master　gives　me　a　job；　that　'e's　doin'　me　a　injury？'　said　Crass　at　length。

‘No；　of　course　not；'　replied　Owen。

‘Well；　what　the　bloody　'ell　DO　yer　mean；　then？'

‘I　mean　this：　supposing　that　the　owner　of　a　house　wishes　to　have　it　repainted。　　What　does　he　usually　do？'

‘As　a　rule；　'e　goes　to　three　or　four　master　painters　and　asks　'em　to　give　'im　a　price　for　the　job。'

‘Yes；　and　those　master　painters　are　so　eager　to　get　the　work　that　they　cut　the　price　down　to　what　they　think　is　the　lowest　possible　point；'　answered　Owen；　‘and　the　lowest　usually　gets　the　job。　　The　successful　tenderer　has　usually　cut　the　price　so　fine　that　to　make　it　pay　he　has　to　scamp　the　work；　pay　low　wages；　and　drive　and　sweat　the　men　whom　he　employs。　　He　wants　them　to　do　two　days'　work　for　one　day's　pay。　　The　result　is　that　a　job　which　…　if　it　were　done　properly　…　would　employ　say　twenty　men　for　two　months；　is　rushed　and　scamped　in　half　that　time　with　half　that　number　of　men。

‘This　means　that　…　in　one　such　case　as　this　…　ten　men　are　deprived　of　one　month's　employment；　and　ten　other　men　are　deprived　of　two　months'　employment；　and　all　because　the　employers　have　been　cutting　each　other's　throats　to　get　the　work。'

‘And　we　can't　'elp　ourselves；　you　nor　me　either；'　said　Harlow。　‘Supposing　one　of　us　on　this　job　was　to　make　up　'is　mind　not　to　tear　into　it　like　we　do；　but　just　keep　on　steady　and　do　a　fair　day's　work：　wot　would　'appen？'

No　one　answered；　but　the　same　thought　was　in　everyone's　mind。　　Such　a　one　would　be　quickly　marked　by　Hunter；　and　even　if　the　latter　failed　to　notice　it　would　not　be　long　before　Crass　reported　his　conduct。

‘We　can't　'elp　ourselves；'　said　Easton；　gloomily。　　‘If　one　man　won't　do　it　there's　twenty　others　ready　to　take　'is　place。'

‘We　could　help　ourselves　to　a　certain　extent　if　we　would　stand　by　each　other。　　If；　for　instance；　we　all　belonged　to　the　Society；'　said　Owen。

‘I　don't　believe　in　the　Society；'　observed　Crass。　　‘I　can't　see　as　it's　right　that　a　inferior　man　should　'ave　the　same　wages　as　me。'

‘They're　a　drunken　lot　of　beer…swillers；'　remarked　Slyme。　　‘That's　why　they　always　'as　their　meetings　in　public　'ouses。'

Harlow　made　no　comment　on　this　question。　　He　had　at　one　time　belonged　to　the　Union　and　he　was　rather　ashamed　of　having　fallen　away　from　it。

‘Wot　good　'as　the　Society　ever　done　'ere？'　said　Easton。　　‘None　that　I　ever　'eard　of。'

‘It　might　be　able　to　do　some　good　if　most　of　us　belonged　to　it；　but　after　all；　that's　another　matter。　　Whether　we　could　help　ourselves　or　not；　the　fact　remains　that　we　don't。　　But　you　must　admit　that　this　competition　of　the　employers　is　one　of　the　causes　of　unemployment　and　poverty；　because　it's　not　only　in　our　line　…　exactly　the　same　thing　happens　in　every　other　trade　and　industry。　　Competing　employers　are　the　upper　and　nether　millstones　which　grind　the　workers　between　them。'

‘I　suppose　you　think　there　oughtn't　to　be　no　employers　at　all？'　sneered　Crass。　　‘Or　p'raps　you　think　the　masters　ought　to　do　all　the　bloody　work　theirselves；　and　give　us　the　money？'

‘I　don't　see　'ow　its　goin'　to　be　altered；'　remarked　Harlow。　　‘There　MUST　be　masters；　and　SOMEONE　'as　to　take　charge　of　the　work　and　do　the　thinkin'。'

‘Whether　it　can　be　altered　or　not；'　said　Owen；　‘Landlordism　and　Competing　Employers　are　two　of　the　causes　of　poverty。　　But　of　course　they're　only　a　small　part　of　the　system　which　produces　luxury；　refinement　and　culture　for　a　few；　and　condemns　the　majority　to　a　lifelong　struggle　with　adversity；　and　many　thousands　to　degradation；　hunger　and　rags。　　This　is　the　system　you　all　uphold　and　defend；　although　you　don't　mind　admitting　that　it　has　made　the　world　into　a　hell。'

Crass　slowly　drew　the　Obscurer　cutting　from　his　waistcoat　pocket；　but　after　a　moment's　thought　he　replaced　it；　deciding　to　defer　its　production　till　a　more　suitable　occasion。

‘But　you　'aven't　told　us　yet　'ow　you　makes　out　that　money　causes　poverty；'　cried　Harlow；　winking　at　the　others。　　‘That's　what　I'M　anxious　to　'ear　about！'

‘So　am　I；'　remarked　the　man　behind　the　moat。　　‘I　was　just　wondering　whether　I　'adn't　better　tell　ole　Misery　that　I　don't　want　no　wages　this　week。'

‘I　think　I'll　tell　'im　on　Saterday　to　keep　MY　money　and　get　'imself　a　few　drinks　with　it；'　said　Philpot。　　‘It　might　cheer　'im　up　a　bit　and　make　'im　a　little　more　sociable　and　friendly　like。'

‘Money　IS　the　principal　cause　of　poverty；'　said　Owen。

‘'Ow　do　yer　make　it　out？'　cried　Sawkins。

But　their　curiosity　had　to　remain　unsatisfied　for　the　time　being　because　Crass　announced　that　it　was　‘just　on　it'。



Chapter　16

True　Freedom


About　three　o'clock　that　afternoon；　Rushton　suddenly　appeared　and　began　walking　silently　about　the　house；　and　listening　outside　the　doors　of　rooms　where　the　hands　were　working。　　He　did　not　succeed　in　catching　anyone　idling　or　smoking　or　talking。　　The　nearest　approach　to　what　the　men　called　‘a　capture'　that　he　made　was；　as　he　stood　outside　the　door　of　one　of　the　upper　rooms　in　which　Philpot　and　Harlow　were　working；　he　heard　them　singing　one　of　Sankey's　hymns　…　‘Work！　for　the　night　is　coming'。　　He　listened　to　two　verses　and　several　repetitions　of　the　chorus。　　Being　a　‘Christian'；　he　could　scarcely　object　to　this；　especially　as　by　peeping　through　the　partly　open　door　　he　could　see　that　they　were　suiting　the　action　to　the　word。　　When　he　went　into　the　room　they　glanced　around　to　see　who　it　was；　and　stopped　singing。　Rushton　did　not　speak；　but　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　silently　watching　them　as　they　worked；　for　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　Then；　without　having　uttered　a　syllable；　he　turned　and　went　out。

They　heard　him　softly　descend　the　stairs；　and　Harlow；　turning　to　Philpot　said　in　a　hoarse　whisper：

‘What　do　you　think　of　the　br；　standing　there　watchin'　us　like　that；　as　if　we　was　a　couple　of　bloody　convicts？　　If　it　wasn't　that　I've　got　someone　else　beside　myself　to　think　of；　I　would　'ave　sloshed　the　bloody　sod　in　the　mouth　with　this　pound　brush！'

‘Yes；　it　does　make　yer　feel　like　that；　mate；'　replied　Philpot；　‘but　of　course　we　mustn't　give　way　to　it。'

‘Several　times；'　continued　Harlow；　who　was　livid　with　anger；　‘I　was　on　the　point　of　turnin'　round　and　sayin'　to　'im；　〃What　the　bloody　'ell　do　you　mean　by　standin'　there　and　watchin'　me；　you　bloody；　psalm…singin'　swine？〃　　It　took　me　all　my　time　to　keep　it　in；　I　can　tell　you。'

Meanwhile；　Rushton　was　still　going　about　the　house；　occasionally　standing　and　watching　the　other　men　in　the　same　manner　as　he　had　watched　Philpot　and　Harlow。

None　of　the　men　looked　round　from　their　work　or　spoke　either　to　Rushton　or　to　each　other。　　The　only　sounds　heard　were　the　noises　made　by　the　saws　and　hammers　of　the　carpenters　who　were　fixing　the　frieze　rails　and　dado　rails　or　repairing　parts　of　the　woodwork　in　some　of　the　rooms。

Crass　placed　himself　in　Rushton's　way　several　times　with　the　hope　of　being　spoken　to；　but　beyond　curtly　acknowledging　the　‘foreman's'　servile　‘Good　hafternoon；　sir；'　the　master　took　no　notice　of　him。

After　about　an　hour　spent　in　this　manner　Rushton　went　away；　but　as　no　one　say　him　go；　it　was　not　until　some　considerable　time　after　his　departure　that　they　knew　that　he　was　gone。

Owen　was　secretly　very　disappointed。　　‘I　thought　he　h