the ragged trousered philanthropists-第130节

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y　to　come　and　work　under　existing　conditions　and　if　they　were　to　do　so　they　would　be　doing　more　harm　than　good　…　they　would　be　doing　some　poor　wretches　out　of　employment。　　They　are　not　to　be　blamed；　the　people　who　are　to　blame　are　the　working　classes　themselves；　who　demand　and　vote　for　the　continuance　of　the　present　system。　　As　for　the　other　class　of　loafers　…　those　at　the　bottom；　the　tramps　and　people　of　that　sort；　if　they　were　to　become　sober　and　industrious　tomorrow；　they　also　would　be　doing　more　harm　than　good　to　the　other　workers；　it　would　increase　the　competition　for　work。　　If　all　the　loafers　in　Mugsborough　could　suddenly　be　transformed　into　decent　house　painters　next　week；　Nimrod　might　be　able　to　cut　down　the　wages　another　penny　an　hour。　　I　don't　wish　to　speak　disrespectfully　of　these　tramps　at　all。　　Some　of　them　are　such　simply　because　they　would　rather　starve　than　submit　to　the　degrading　conditions　that　we　submit　to；　they　do　not　see　the　force　of　being　bullied　and　chased；　and　driven　about　in　order　to　gain　semi…starvation　and　rags。　　They　are　able　to　get　those　without　working；　and　I　sometimes　think　that　they　are　more　worthy　of　respect　and　are　altogether　a　nobler　type　of　beings　than　a　lot　of　broken…spirited　wretches　like　ourselves；　who　are　always　at　the　mercy　of　our　masters；　and　always　in　dread　of　the　sack。'

‘Any　more　questions？'　said　the　chairman。

‘Do　you　mean　to　say　as　the　time　will　ever　come　when　the　gentry　will　mix　up　on　equal　terms　with　the　likes　of　us？'　demanded　the　man　behind　the　moat；　scornfully。

‘Oh；　no；'　replied　the　lecturer。　　When　we　get　Socialism　there　won't　be　any　people　like　us。　　Everybody　will　be　civilized。'

The　man　behind　the　moat　did　not　seem　very　satisfied　with　this　answer；　and　told　the　others　that　he　could　not　see　anything　to　laugh　at。

‘Is　there　any　more　questions？'　cried　Philpot。　　‘Now　is　your　chance　to　get　some　of　your　own　back；　but　don't　hall　speak　at　once。'

‘I　should　like　to　know　who's　goin'　to　do　all　the　dirty　work？'　said　Slyme。　　‘If　everyone　is　to　be　allowed　to　choose　'is　own　trade；　who'd　be　fool　enough　to　choose　to　be　a　scavenger；　a　sweep；　a　dustman　or　a　sewer　man？　nobody　wouldn't　want　to　do　such　jobs　as　them　and　everyone　would　be　after　the　soft　jobs。'

‘Of　course；'　cried　Crass；　eagerly　clutching　at　this　last　straw。　　‘The　thing　sounds　all　right　till　you　comes　to　look　into　it；　but　it　wouldn't　never　work！'

‘It　would　be　very　easy　to　deal　with　any　difficulty　of　that　sort；'　replied　Barrington；　‘if　it　were　found　that　too　many　people　were　desirous　of　pursuing　certain　callings；　it　would　be　known　that　the　conditions　attached　to　those　kinds　of　work　were　unfairly　easy；　as　compared　with　other　lines；　so　the　conditions　in　those　trades　would　be　made　more　severe。　　A　higher　degree　of　skill　would　be　required。　　If　we　found　that　too　many　persons　wished　to　be　doctors；　architects；　engineers　and　so　forth；　we　would　increase　the　severity　of　the　examinations。　　This　would　scare　away　all　but　the　most　gifted　and　enthusiastic。　　We　should　thus　at　one　stroke　reduce　the　number　of　applicants　and　secure　the　very　best　men　for　the　work　…　we　should　have　better　doctors；　better　architects；　better　engineers　than　before。

‘As　regards　those　disagreeable　tasks　for　which　there　was　a　difficulty　in　obtaining　volunteers；　we　should　adopt　the　opposite　means。　　Suppose　that　six　hours　was　the　general　thing；　and　we　found　that　we　could　not　get　any　sewer　men；　we　should　reduce　the　hours　of　labour　in　that　department　to　four；　or　if　necessary　to　two；　in　order　to　compensate　for　the　disagreeable　nature　of　the　work。

‘Another　way　out　of　such　difficulties　would　be　to　have　a　separate　division　of　the　Industrial　army　to　do　all　such　work；　and　to　make　it　obligatory　for　every　man　to　put　in　his　first　year　of　State　service　as　a　member　of　this　corps。　　There　would　be　no　hardship　in　that。　　Everyone　gets　the　benefit　of　such　work；　there　would　be　no　injustice　in　requiring　everyone　to　share。　　This　would　have　the　effect　also　of　stimulating　invention；　it　would　be　to　everyone's　interest　to　think　out　means　of　doing　away　with　such　kinds　of　work　and　there　is　no　doubt　that　most　of　it　will　be　done　by　machinery　in　some　way　or　other。　　A　few　years　ago　the　only　way　to　light　up　the　streets　of　a　town　was　to　go　round　to　each　separate　gas　lamp　and　light　each　jet；　one　at　a　time：　now；　we　press　a　few　buttons　and　light　up　the　town　with　electricity。　In　the　future　we　shall　probably　be　able　to　press　a　button　and　flush　the　sewers。'

‘What　about　religion？'　said　Slyme。　　‘I　suppose　there　won't　be　no　churches　nor　chapels；　we　shall　all　have　to　be　atheists。'

‘Everybody　will　be　perfectly　free　to　enjoy　their　own　opinions　and　to　practise　any　religion　they　like；　but　no　religion　or　sect　will　be　maintained　by　the　State。　　If　any　congregation　or　body　of　people　wish　to　have　a　building　for　their　own　exclusive　use　as　a　church　or　chapel　or　lecture　hall　it　will　be　supplied　to　them　by　the　State　on　the　same　terms　as　those　upon　which　dwelling　houses　will　be　supplied；　the　State　will　construct　the　special　kind　of　building　and　the　congregation　will　have　to　pay　the　rent；　the　amount　to　be　based　on　the　cost　of　construction；　in　paper　money　of　course。　　As　far　as　the　embellishment　or　decoration　of　such　places　is　concerned；　there　will　of　course　be　nothing　to　prevent　the　members　of　the　congregation　if　they　wish　from　doing　any　such　work　as　that　themselves　in　their　own　spare　time　of　which　they　will　have　plenty。'

‘If　everybody's　got　to　do　their　share　of　work；　where's　the　minister　and　clergymen　to　come　from？'

‘There　are　at　least　three　ways　out　of　that　difficulty。　　First；　ministers　of　religion　could　be　drawn　from　the　ranks　of　the　Veterans　…　men　over　forty…five　years　old　who　had　completed　their　term　of　State　service。　　You　must　remember　that　these　will　not　be　worn　out　wrecks；　as　too　many　of　the　working　classes　are　at　that　age　now。　　They　will　have　had　good　food　and　clothing　and　good　general　conditions　all　their　lives；　and　consequently　they　will　be　in　the　very　prime　of　life。　　They　will　be　younger　than　many　of　us　now　are　at　thirty；　they　will　be　ideal　men　for　the　positions　we　are　speaking　of。　　All　well　educated　in　their　youth；　and　all　will　have　had　plenty　of　leisure　for　self　culture　during　the　years　of　their　State　service　and　they　will　have　the　additional　recommendation　that　their　congregation　will　not　be　required　to　pay　anything　for　their　services。

‘Another　way：　If　a　congregation　wished　to　retain　the　full…time　services　of　a　young　man　whom　they　thought　specially　gifted　but　who　had　not　completed　his　term　of　State　service；　they　could　secure　him　by　paying　the　State　for　his　services；　thus　the　young　man　would　still　remain　in　State　employment；　he　would　still　continue　to　receive　his　pay　from　the　National　Treasury；　and　at　the　age　of　forty…five　would　be　entitled　to　his　pension　like　any　other　worker；　and　after　that　the　congregation　would　not　have　to　pay　the　State　anything。

‘A　third　…　and　as　it　seems　to　me；　the　most　respectable　way　…　would　be　for　the　individual　in　question　to　act　as　minister　or　pastor　or　lecturer　or　whatever　it　was；　to　the　congregation　without　seeking　to　get　out　of　doing　his　share　of　the　State　service。　　The　hours　of　obligatory　work　would　be　so　short　and　the　work　so　light　that　he　would　have　abundance　of　leisure　to　prepare　his　orations　without　sponging　on　his　co…religionists。'

‘'Ear；　'ear！'　cried　Harlow。

‘Of　course；'　added　Barrington；　‘it　would　not　only　be　congregations　of　Christians　who　could　adopt　any　of　these　methods。　　It　is　possible　that　a　congregation　of　agnostics；　for　instance；　might　want　a　separate　building　or　to　maintain　a　lecturer。'

‘What　the　'ell's　an　agnostic？'　demanded　Bundy。

‘An　agnostic；'　said　the　man　behind　the　moat；　‘is　a　bloke　wot　don't　believe　nothing　unless　'e　see　it　with　'is　own　eyes。'

‘All　these　details；'　continued　the　speaker；　‘of　the　organization　of　affairs　and　the　work　of　the　Co…operative　Commonwealth；　are　things　which　do　not　concern　us　at　all。　　They　have　merely　been　suggested　by　different　individuals　as　showing　some　ways　in　which　these　things　could　be　arranged。　　The　exact　methods　to　be　adopted　will　be　decided　upon　by　the　opinion　of　the　majority　when　the　work　is　being　done。　　Meantime；　what　we　have　to　do　is　to　insist　upon　the　duty　of　the　State　to　provide　productive　work　for　the　unemployed；　the　State　feeding　of　schoolchildren；　the　nationalization　or　Socialization　of　Railways；　Land；　the　Trusts；　and　all　public　services　that　are　still　in　the　hands　of　private　companies。　　If　you　wish　to　see　these　things　done；　you　must　cease　from　voting　for　Liberal　and　Tory　sweaters；　shareholders　of　companies；　lawyers；　aristocrats；　and　capitalists；　and　you　must　fill　the　House　of　Commons　with　Revolutionary　Socialists。　　That　is　…　with　men　who　are　in　favour　of　completely　changing　the　present　system。　　And　in　the　day　that　you　do　that；　you　will　have　solved　the　poverty　〃problem〃。　　No　more　tramping　the　streets　begging　for　a　job！　　No　more　hungry　children　at　home。　　No　more　broken　boots　and　ragged　clothes。　　No　more　women　and　children　killing　themselves　with　painful　labour　whilst　strong　men　stand　idly　by；　but　joyous　work　and　joyous　leisure　for　all。'

‘Is　there　any　more　questions？'　cried　Philpot。

‘Is　it　true；'　said　Easton；　‘that　Socialists　intend　to　do　away　with　the　Army　and　Navy？'

‘Yes；　it　is　tr