the ragged trousered philanthropists-第154节

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　fountain　on　the　Grand　Parade　in　the　centre　of　the　town；　one　saw　a　succession　of　pine…clad　hills。　　To　the　south；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　stretched　a　vast；　cultivated　plain　that　extended　to　the　south　coast；　one　hundred　miles　away。　　The　climate　was　supposed　to　be　cool　in　summer　and　mild　in　winter。

The　town　proper　nestled　in　the　valley：　to　the　west；　the　most　beautiful　and　sheltered　part　was　the　suburb　of　Irene：　here　were　the　homes　of　the　wealthy　residents　and　prosperous　tradespeople；　and　numerous　boarding…houses　for　the　accommodation　of　well…to…do　visitors。　　East；　the　town　extended　up　the　slope　to　the　top　of　the　hill　and　down　the　other　side　to　the　suburb　of　Windley；　where　the　majority　of　the　working　classes　lived。

Years　ago；　when　the　facilities　for　foreign　travel　were　fewer　and　more　costly；　Mugsborough　was　a　favourite　resort　of　the　upper　classes；　but　of　late　years　most　of　these　patriots　have　adopted　the　practice　of　going　on　the　Continent　to　spend　the　money　they　obtain　from　the　working　people　of　England。　　However；　Mugsborough　still　retained　some　semblance　of　prosperity。　　Summer　or　winter　the　place　was　usually　fairly　full　of　what　were　called　good…class　visitors；　either　holidaymakers　or　invalids。　　The　Grand　Parade　was　generally　crowded　with　well…dressed　people　and　carriages。　　The　shops　appeared　to　be　well…patronized　and　at　the　time　of　our　story　an　air　of　prosperity　pervaded　the　town。　　But　this　fair　outward　appearance　was　deceitful。　　The　town　was　really　a　vast　whited　sepulchre；　for　notwithstanding　the　natural　advantages　of　the　place　the　majority　of　the　inhabitants　existed　in　a　state　of　perpetual　poverty　which　in　many　cases　bordered　on　destitution。　　One　of　the　reasons　for　this　was　that　a　great　part　of　the　incomes　of　the　tradespeople　and　boarding…house…keepers　and　about　a　third　of　the　wages　of　the　working　classes　were　paid　away　as　rent　and　rates。

For　years　the　Corporation　had　been　borrowing　money　for　necessary　public　works　and　improvements；　and　as　the　indebtedness　of　the　town　increased　the　rates　rose　in　proportion；　because　the　only　works　and　services　undertaken　by　the　Council　were　such　as　did　not　yield　revenue。　Every　public　service　capable　of　returning　direct　profit　was　in　the　hands　of　private　companies；　and　the　shares　of　the　private　companies　were　in　the　hands　of　the　members　of　the　Corporation；　and　the　members　of　the　Corporation　were　in　the　hands　of　the　four　most　able　and　intellectual　of　their　number；　Councillors　Sweater；　Rushton；　Didlum　and　Grinder；　each　of　whom　was　a　director　of　one　or　more　of　the　numerous　companies　which　battened　on　the　town。

The　Tramway　Company；　the　Water　Works　Company；　the　Public　Baths　Company；　the　Winter　Gardens　Company；　the　Grand　Hotel　Company　and　numerous　others。　　There　was；　however；　one　Company　in　which　Sweater；　Rushton；　Didlum　and　Grinder　had　no　shares；　and　that　was　the　Gas　Company；　the　oldest　and　most　flourishing　of　them　all。　　This　institution　had　grown　with　the　place；　most　of　the　original　promoters　were　dead；　and　the　greater　number　of　the　present　shareholders　were　non…residents；　although　they　lived　on　the　town；　they　did　not　live　in　it。

The　profits　made　by　this　Company　were　so　great　that；　being　prevented　by　law　from　paying　a　larger　dividend　than　ten　percent；　they　frequently　found　it　a　difficult　matter　to　decide　what　to　do　with　the　money。　　They　paid　the　Directors　and　principal　officials　…　themselves　shareholders；　of　course　…　enormous　salaries。　　They　built　and　furnished　costly　and　luxurious　offices　and　gave　the　rest　to　the　shareholders　in　the　form　of　Bonuses。

There　was　one　way　in　which　the　Company　might　have　used　some　of　the　profits：　it　might　have　granted　shorter　hours　and　higher　wages　to　the　workmen　whose　health　was　destroyed　and　whose　lives　were　shortened　by　the　terrible　labour　of　the　retort…houses　and　the　limesheds；　but　of　course　none　of　the　directors　or　shareholders　ever　thought　of　doing　that。　　It　was　not　the　business　of　the　Company　to　concern　itself　about　them。

Years　ago；　when　it　might　have　been　done　for　a　comparatively　small　amount；　some　hare…brained　Socialists　suggested　that　the　town　should　buy　the　Gas　Works；　but　the　project　was　wrecked　by　the　inhabitants；　upon　whom　the　mere　mention　of　the　word　Socialist　had　the　same　effect　that　the　sight　of　a　red　rag　is　popularly　supposed　to　have　on　a　bull。

Of　course；　even　now　it　was　still　possible　to　buy　out　the　Company；　but　it　was　supposed　that　it　would　cost　so　much　that　it　was　generally　considered　to　be　impracticable。

Although　they　declined　to　buy　the　Gas　works；　the　people　of　Mugsborough　had　to　buy　the　gas。　　The　amount　paid　by　the　municipality　to　the　Company　for　the　public　lighting　of　the　town　loomed　large　in　the　accounts　of　the　Council。　　They　managed　to　get　some　of　their　own　back　by　imposing　a　duty　of　two　shillings　a　ton　upon　coals　imported　into　the　Borough；　but　although　it　cost　the　Gas　Works　a　lot　of　money　for　coal　dues　the　Company　in　its　turn　got　its　own　back　by　increasing　the　price　of　gas　they　sold　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　town。。。







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