the ragged trousered philanthropists-第92节

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Councillor　Didlum　proposed　that　the　offer　of　the　‘Cosy　Corner　Refreshment　Co。　Ltd'　be　accepted　and　the　required　alterations　proceeded　with　at　once。　　The　Kiosk　had　brought　in　no　rent　for　nearly　two　years；　but；　apart　from　that　consideration；　if　they　accepted　this　offer　they　would　be　able　to　set　some　of　the　unemployed　to　work。　（Applause。）

Councillor　Rushton　seconded。

Dr　Weakling　pointed　out　that　as　the　proposed　alterations　would　cost　about　？75　…　according　to　the　estimate　of　the　Borough　Engineer　…　and；　the　rent　being　only　？0　a　year；　it　would　mean　that　the　Council　would　be　？5　out　of　pocket　at　the　end　of　the　five　years；　to　say　nothing　of　the　expense　of　keeping　the　place　in　repair　during　all　that　time。　（Disturbance。）　　He　moved　as　an　amendment　that　the　alterations　be　made；　and　that　they　then　invite　tenders；　and　let　the　place　to　the　highest　bidder。　　（Great　uproar。）

Councillor　Rushton　said　he　was　disgusted　with　the　attitude　taken　up　by　that　man　Weakling。　　（Applause。）　　Perhaps　it　was　hardly　right　to　call　him　a　man。　　（Hear！　Hear！）　　In　the　matter　of　these　alterations　they　had　had　the　use　of　Councillor　Grinder's　brains：　it　was　he　who　first　thought　of　making　these　improvements　in　the　Kiosk；　and　therefore　he　…　or　rather　the　company　he　represented　…　had　a　moral　right　to　the　tenancy。　　（Loud　cheers。）

Dr　Weakling　said　that　he　thought　it　was　understood　that　when　a　man　was　elected　to　that　Council　it　was　because　he　was　supposed　to　be　willing　to　use　his　brains　for　the　benefit　of　his　constituents。　　（Sardonic　laughter。）

The　Mayor　asked　if　there　was　any　seconder　to　Weakling's　amendment；　and　as　there　was　not　the　original　proposition　was　put　and　carried。

Councillor　Rushton　suggested　that　a　large　shelter　with　seating　accommodation　for　about　two　hundred　persons　should　be　erected　on　the　Grand　Parade　near　the　Kiosk。　　The　shelter　would　serve　as　a　protection　against　rain；　or　the　rays　of　the　sun　in　summer。　　It　would　add　materially　to　the　comfort　of　visitors　and　would　be　a　notable　addition　to　the　attractions　of　the　town。

Councillor　Didlum　said　it　was　a　very　good　idear；　and　proposed　that　the　Surveyor　be　instructed　to　get　out　the　plans。

Dr　Weakling　opposed　the　motion。　　（Laughter。）　　It　seemed　to　him　that　the　object　was　to　benefit；　not　the　town；　but　Mr　Grinder。　（Disturbance。）　　If　this　shelter　were　erected；　it　would　increase　the　value　of　the　Kiosk　as　a　refreshment　bar　by　a　hundred　per　cent。　　If　Mr　Grinder　wanted　a　shelter　for　his　customers　he　should　pay　for　it　himself。　　（Uproar。）　　He　（Dr　Weakling）　was　sorry　to　have　to　say　it；　but　he　could　not　help　thinking　that　this　was　a　Put…up　job。　　（Loud　cries　of　‘Withdraw'　‘Apologize'　‘Cast　'im　out'　and　terrific　uproar。）

Weakling　did　not　apologize　or　withdraw；　but　he　said　no　more。　　Didlum's　proposition　was　carried；　and　the　‘hand'　went　on　to　the　next　item　on　the　agenda；　which　was　a　proposal　by　Councillor　Didlum　to　increase　the　salary　of　Mr　Oyley　Sweater；　the　Borough　Engineer；　from　fifteen　pounds　to　seventeen　pounds　per　week。

Councillor　Didlum　said　that　when　they　had　a　good　man　they　ought　to　appreciate　him。　　（Applause。）　　Compared　with　other　officials；　the　Borough　Engineer　was　not　fairly　paid。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　The　magistrates'　clerk　received　seventeen　pounds　a　week。　　The　Town　Clerk　seventeen　pounds　per　week。　　He　did　not　wish　it　to　be　understood　that　he　thought　those　gentlemen　were　overpaid　…　far　from　it。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　It　was　not　that　they　got　too　much　but　that　the　Engineer　got　too　little。　　How　could　they　expect　a　man　like　that　to　exist　on　a　paltry　fifteen　pounds　a　week？　　Why；　it　was　nothing　more　or　less　than　sweating！　　（Hear；　hear。）　　He　had　much　pleasure　in　moving　that　the　Borough　Engineer's　salary　be　increased　to　seventeen　pounds　a　week；　and　that　his　annual　holiday　be　extended　from　a　fortnight　to　one　calendar　month　with　hard　la…　he　begged　pardon　…　with　full　pay。　　（Loud　cheers。）

Councillor　Rushton　said　that　he　did　not　propose　to　make　a　long　speech　…　it　was　not　necessary。　　He　would　content　himself　with　formally　seconding　Councillor　Didlum's　excellent　proposition。　　（Applause。）

Councillor　Weakling；　whose　rising　was　greeted　with　derisive　laughter；　said　he　must　oppose　the　resolution。　　He　wished　it　to　be　understood　that　he　was　not　actuated　by　any　feeling　of　personal　animosity　towards　the　Borough　Engineer；　but　at　the　same　time　he　considered　it　his　duty　to　say　that　in　his　（Dr　Weakling's）　opinion；　that　official　would　be　dear　at　half　the　price　they　were　now　paying　him。　　（Disturbance。）　　He　did　not　appear　to　understand　his　business；　nearly　all　the　work　that　was　done　cost　in　the　end　about　double　what　the　Borough　Engineer　estimated　it　could　be　done　for。　　（Liar。）　　He　considered　him　to　be　a　grossly　incompetent　person　（uproar）　and　was　of　opinion　that　if　they　were　to　advertise　they　could　get　dozens　of　better　men　who　would　be　glad　to　do　the　work　for　five　pounds　a　week。　　He　moved　that　Mr　Oyley　Sweater　be　asked　to　resign　and　that　they　advertise　for　a　man　at　five　pounds　a　week。　　（Great　uproar。）

Councillor　Grinder　rose　to　a　point　of　order。　He　appealed　to　the　Chairman　to　squash　the　amendment。　　（Applause。）

Councillor　Didlum　remarked　that　he　supposed　Councillor　Grinder　meant　‘quash'：　in　that　case；　he　would　support　the　suggestion。

Councillor　Grinder　said　it　was　about　time　they　put　a　stopper　on　that　feller　Weakling。　　He　（Grinder）　did　not　care　whether　they　called　it　squashing　or　quashing；　it　was　all　the　same　so　long　as　they　nipped　him　in　the　bud。　　（Cheers。）　　The　man　was　a　disgrace　to　the　Council；　always　interfering　and　hindering　the　business。

The　Mayor　…　Alderman　Sweater　…　said　that　he　did　not　think　it　consistent　with　the　dignity　of　that　Council　to　waste　any　more　time　over　this　scurrilous　amendment。　　（Applause。）　　He　was　proud　to　say　that　it　had　never　even　been　seconded；　and　therefore　he　would　put　Mr　Didlum's　resolution　…　a　proposition　which　he　had　no　hesitation　in　saying　reflected　the　highest　credit　upon　that　gentleman　and　upon　all　those　who　supported　it。　　（Vociferous　cheers。）

All　those　who　were　in　favour　signified　their　approval　in　the　customary　manner；　and　as　Weakling　was　the　only　one　opposed；　the　resolution　was　carried　and　the　meeting　proceeded　to　the　next　business。

Councillor　Rushton　said　that　several　influential　ratepayers　and　employers　of　labour　had　complained　to　him　about　the　high　wages　of　the　Corporation　workmen；　some　of　whom　were　paid　sevenpence…halfpenny　an　hour。　　Sevenpence　an　hour　was　the　maximum　wage　paid　to　skilled　workmen　by　private　employers　in　that　town；　and　he　failed　to　see　why　the　Corporation　should　pay　more。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　It　had　a　very　bad　effect　on　the　minds　of　the　men　in　the　employment　of　private　firms；　tending　to　make　them　dissatisfied　with　their　wages。　　The　same　state　of　affairs　prevailed　with　regard　to　the　unskilled　labourers　in　the　Council's　employment。　　Private　employers　could　get　that　class　of　labour　for　fourpence…halfpenny　or　fivepence　an　hour；　and　yet　the　corporation　paid　fivepence…halfpenny　and　even　sixpence　for　the　same　class　of　work。　（Shame。）　　It　was　not　fair　to　the　ratepayers。　　（Hear；　hear。）　Considering　that　the　men　in　the　employment　of　the　Corporation　had　almost　constant　work；　if　there　was　to　be　a　difference　at　all；　they　should　get　not　more；　but　less；　than　those　who　worked　for　private　firms。　　（Cheers。）　　He　moved　that　the　wages　of　the　Corporation　workmen　be　reduced　in　all　cases　to　the　same　level　as　those　paid　by　private　firms。

Councillor　Grinder　seconded。　　He　said　it　amounted　to　a　positive　scandal。　　Why；　in　the　summer…time　some　of　these　men　drew　as　much　as　35/…　in　a　single　week！　　（Shame。）　and　it　was　quite　common　for　unskilled　labourers　…　fellers　who　did　nothing　but　the　very　hardest　and　most　laborious　work；　sich　as　carrying　sacks　of　cement；　or　digging　up　the　roads　to　get　at　the　drains；　and　sich…like　easy　jobs　…　to　walk　off　with　25/…　a　week！　　（Sensation。）　　He　had　often　noticed　some　of　these　men　swaggering　about　the　town　on　Sundays；　dressed　like　millionaires　and　cigared　up！　　They　seemed　quite　a　different　class　of　men　from　those　who　worked　for　private　firms；　and　to　look　at　the　way　some　of　their　children　was　dressed　you'd　think　their　fathers　was　Cabinet　Minstrels！　No　wonder　the　ratepayers　complained　ot　the　high　rates。　　Another　grievance　was　that　all　the　Corporation　workmen　were　allowed　two　days'　holiday　every　year；　in　addition　to　the　Bank　Holidays；　and　were　paid　for　them！　　（Cries　of　‘shame'；　‘Scandalous'；　‘Disgraceful'；　etc。）　　No　private　contractor　paid　his　men　for　Bank　Holidays；　and　why　should　the　Corporation　do　so？　　He　had　much　pleasure　in　seconding　Councillor　Rushton's　resolution。

Councillor　Weakling　opposed　the　motion。　He　thought　that　35/…　a　week　was　little　enough　for　a　man　to　keep　a　wife　and　family　with　（Rot）；　even　if　all　the　men　got　it　regularly；　which　they　did　not。　　Members　should　consider　what　was　the　average　amount　per　week　throughout　the　whole　year；　not　merely　the　busy　time；　and　if　they　did　that　they　would　find　that　even　the　skilled　men　did　not　average　more　than　25/…　a　week；　and　in　many　cases　not　so　much。　　If　this　subject　had　not　been　introduced　by　Councillor　Rushton；　he　（Dr　Weakling）　had　intended　to　propose　that　the　wages　of　the　Corporation　workmen　should　be　increased　to　the　standard　recognized　by　the　Trades　Unions。　　（Loud　laughter。）　　It　had　been　proved　that　the　notoriou