the ragged trousered philanthropists-第93节

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s　Unions。　　（Loud　laughter。）　　It　had　been　proved　that　the　notoriously　short　lives　of　the　working　people　…　whose　average　span　of　life　was　about　twenty　years　less　than　that　of　the　well…to…do　classes　…　their　increasingly　inferior　physique；　and　the　high　rate　of　mortality　amongst　their　children　was　caused　by　the　wretched　remuneration　they　received　for　hard　and　tiring　work；　the　excessive　number　of　hours　they　have　to　work；　when　employed；　the　bad　quality　of　their　food；　the　badly　constructed　and　insanitary　homes　their　poverty　compels　them　to　occupy；　and　the　anxiety；　worry；　and　depression　of　mind　they　have　to　suffer　when　out　of　employment。　　（Cries　of　‘Rot'；　‘Bosh'；　and　loud　laughter。）　　Councillor　Didlum　said；　‘Rot'。　　It　was　a　very　good　word　to　describe　the　disease　that　was　sapping　the　foundations　of　society　and　destroying　the　health　and　happiness　and　the　very　lives　of　so　many　of　their　fellow　countrymen　and　women。　　（Renewed　merriment　and　shouts　of　‘Go　and　buy　a　red　tie。'）　　He　appealed　to　the　members　to　reject　the　resolution。　　He　was　very　glad　to　say　that　he　believed　it　was　true　that　the　workmen　in　the　employ　of　the　Corporation　were　a　little　better　off　than　those　in　the　employ　of　private　contractors；　and　if　it　were　so；　it　was　as　it　should　be。　　They　had　need　to　be　better　off　than　the　poverty…stricken；　half…starved　poor　wretches　who　worked　for　private　firms。

Councillor　Didlum　said　that　it　was　very　evident　that　Dr　Weakling　had　obtained　his　seat　on　that　Council　by　false　pretences。　　If　he　had　told　the　ratepayers　that　he　was　a　Socialist；　they　would　never　have　elected　him。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　Practically　every　Christian　minister　in　the　country　would　agree　with　him　（Didlum）　when　he　said　that　the　poverty　of　the　working　classes　was　caused　not　by　the　‘wretched　remuneration　they　receive　as　wages'；　but　by　Drink。　　（Loud　applause。）　　And　he　was　very　sure　that　the　testimony　of　the　clergy　of　all　denominations　was　more　to　be　relied　upon　than　the　opinion　of　a　man　like　Dr　Weakling。　　（Hear；　hear。）

Dr　Weakling　said　that　if　some　of　the　clergymen　referred　to　or　some　of　the　members　of　the　council　had　to　exist　and　toil　amid　the　same　sordid　surroundings；　overcrowding　and　ignorance　as　some　of　the　working　classes；　they　would　probably　seek　to　secure　some　share　of　pleasure　and　forgetfulness　in　drink　themselves！　　（Great　uproar　and　shouts　of　‘Order'；　‘Withdraw'；　‘Apologize'。）

Councillor　Grinder　said　that　even　if　it　was　true　that　the　haverage　lives　of　the　working　classes　was　twenty　years　shorter　than　those　of　the　better　classes；　he　could　not　see　what　it　had　got　to　do　with　Dr　Weakling。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　So　long　as　the　working　class　was　contented　to　die　twenty　years　before　their　time；　he　failed　to　see　what　it　had　got　to　do　with　other　people。　　They　was　not　runnin'　short　of　workers；　was　they？　　There　was　still　plenty　of　'em　left。　　（Laughter。）　　So　long　as　the　workin'　class　was　satisfied　to　die　orf　…　let　'em　die　orf！　　It　was　a　free　country。　　（Applause。）　　The　workin'　class　adn't　arst　Dr　Weakling　to　stick　up　for　them；　had　they？　　If　they　wasn't　satisfied；　they　would　stick　up　for　theirselves！　　The　working　men　didn't　want　the　likes　of　Dr　Weakling　to　stick　up　for　them；　and　they　would　let　'im　know　it　when　the　next　election　came　round。　　If　he　（Grinder）　was　a　wordly　man；　he　would　not　mind　betting　that　the　workin'　men　of　Dr　Weakling's　ward　would　give　him　‘the　dirty　kick　out'　next　November。　　（Applause。）

Councillor　Weakling；　who　knew　that　this　was　probably　true；　made　no　further　protest。　　Rushton's　proposition　was　carried；　and　then　the　Clerk　announced　that　the　next　item　was　the　resolution　Mr　Didlum　had　given　notice　of　at　the　last　meeting；　and　the　Mayor　accordingly　called　upon　that　gentleman。

Councillor　Didlum；　who　was　received　with　loud　cheers；　said　that　unfortunately　a　certain　member　of　that　Council　seemed　to　think　he　had　a　right　to　oppose　nearly　everything　that　was　brought　forward。

（The　majority　of　the　members　of　the　Band　glared　malignantly　at　Weakling。）

He　hoped　that　for　once　the　individual　he　referred　to　would　have　the　decency　to　restrain　himself；　because　the　resolution　he　（Didlum）　was　about　to　have　the　honour　of　proposing　was　one　that　he　believed　no　right…minded　man　…　no　matter　what　his　politics　or　religious　opinions　…　could　possibly　object　to；　and　he　trusted　that　for　the　credit　of　the　Council　it　would　be　entered　on　the　records　as　an　unopposed　motion。　The　resolution　was　as　follows：

‘That　from　this　date　all　the　meetings　of　this　Council　shall　be　opened　with　prayer　and　closed　with　the　singing　of　the　Doxology。'　（Loud　applause。）

Councillor　Rushton　seconded　the　resolution；　which　was　also　supported　by　Mr　Grinder；　who　said　that　at　a　time　like　the　present；　when　there　was　sich　a　lot　of　infiddles　about　who　said　that　we　all　came　from　monkeys；　the　Council　would　be　showing　a　good　example　to　the　working　classes　by　adopting　the　resolution。

Councillor　Weakling　said　nothing；　so　the　new　rule　was　carried　nem。　con。；　and　as　there　was　no　more　business　to　be　done　it　was　put　into　operation　for　the　first　time　there　and　then。　　Mr　Sweater　conducting　the　singing　with　a　roll　of　paper　…　the　plan　of　the　drain　of　‘The　Cave'　…　and　each　member　singing　a　different　tune。

Weakling　withdrew　during　the　singing；　and　afterwards；　before　the　Band　dispersed；　it　was　agreed　that　a　certain　number　of　them　were　to　meet　the　Chief　at　the　Cave；　on　the　following　evening　to　arrange　the　details　of　the　proposed　raid　on　the　finances　of　the　town　in　connection　with　the　sale　of　the　Electric　Light　Works。



Chapter　40

Vive　la　System！


The　alterations　which　the　Corporation　had　undertaken　to　make　in　the　Kiosk　on　the　Grand　Parade　provided　employment　for　several　carpenters　and　plasterers　for　about　three　weeks；　and　afterwards　for　several　painters。　　This　fact　was　sufficient　to　secure　the　working　men's　unqualified　approval　of　the　action　of　the　Council　in　letting　the　place　to　Grinder；　and　Councillor　Weakling's　opposition　…　the　reasons　of　which　they　did　not　take　the　trouble　to　inquire　into　or　understand　…　they　as　heartily　condemned。　　All　they　knew　or　cared　was　that　he　had　tried　to　prevent　the　work　being　done；　and　that　he　had　referred　in　insulting　terms　to　the　working　men　of　the　town。　　What　right　had　he　to　call　them　half…starved；　poverty…stricken；　poor　wretches？　　If　it　came　to　being　poverty…stricken；　according　to　all　accounts；　he　wasn't　any　too　well　orf　hisself。　　Some　of　those　blokes　who　went　swaggering　about　in　frock…coats　and　pot…'ats　was　just　as　'ard　up　as　anyone　else　if　the　truth　was　known。

As　for　the　Corporation　workmen；　it　was　quite　right　that　their　wages　should　be　reduced。　　Why　should　they　get　more　money　than　anyone　else？

‘It's　us　what's　got　to　find　the　money；'　they　said。　　‘We're　the　ratepayers；　and　why　should　we　have　to　pay　them　more　wages　than　we　get　ourselves？　　And　why　should　they　be　paid　for　holidays　any　more　than　us？'

During　the　next　few　weeks　the　dearth　of　employment　continued；　for；　of　course；　the　work　at　the　Kiosk　and　the　few　others　jobs　that　were　being　done　did　not　make　much　difference　to　the　general　situation。　　Groups　of　workmen　stood　at　the　corners　or　walked　aimlessly　about　the　streets。　Most　of　them　no　longer　troubled　to　go　to　the　different　firms　to　ask　for　work；　they　were　usually　told　that　they　would　be　sent　for　if　wanted。

During　this　time　Owen　did　his　best　to　convert　the　other　men　to　his　views。　　He　had　accumulated　a　little　library　of　Socialist　books　and　pamphlets　which　he　lent　to　those　he　hoped　to　influence。　　Some　of　them　took　these　books　and　promised；　with　the　air　of　men　who　were　conferring　a　great　favour；　that　they　would　read　them。　　As　a　rule；　when　they　returned　them　it　was　with　vague　expressions　of　approval；　but　they　usually　evinced　a　disinclination　to　discuss　the　contents　in　detail　because；　in　nine　instances　out　of　ten；　they　had　not　attempted　to　read　them。　　As　for　those　who　did　make　a　half…hearted　effort　to　do　so；　in　the　majority　of　cases　their　minds　were　so　rusty　and　stultified　by　long　years　of　disuse；　that；　although　the　pamphlets　were　generally　written　in　such　simple　language　that　a　child　might　have　understood；　the　argument　was　generally　too　obscure　to　be　grasped　by　men　whose　minds　were　addled　by　the　stories　told　them　by　their　Liberal　and　Tory　masters。　　Some；　when　Owen　offered　to　lend　them　some　books　or　pamphlets　refused　to　accept　them；　and　others　who　did　him　the　great　favour　of　accepting　them；　afterwards　boasted　that　they　had　used　them　as　toilet　paper。

Owen　frequently　entered　into　long　arguments　with　the　other　men；　saying　that　it　was　the　duty　of　the　State　to　provide　productive　work　for　all　those　who　were　willing　to　do　it。　　Some　few　of　them　listened　like　men　who　only　vaguely　understood；　but　were　willing　to　be　convinced。

‘Yes；　mate。　It's　right　enough　what　you　say；'　they　would　remark。　‘Something　ought　to　be　done。'

Others　ridiculed　this　doctrine　of　State　employment：　It　was　all　very　fine；　but　where　was　the　money　to　come　from？　　And　then　those　who　had　been　disposed　to　agree　with　Owen　could　relapse　into　their　old　apathy。

There　were　others　who　did　not　listen　so　quietly；　but　shouted　with　many　curses　that　it　was　the　likes　of　such　fellows　as　Owen　who　were　responsible　for　all　the　depression　in　trade。　　All　this　talk　about　Socialism　and　State　employment　was　frightening　Capital　out　of　the　country。　　T