in darkest england and the way out-第54节

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g　what　the　American　humourist　said　was　the　chief　end　of　man　in　these　modern　times；　namely；　〃ten　per　cent。〃　　To　obtain　a　ten　per　cent。　what　will　not　men　do？　　They　will　penetrate　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　explore　the　depths　of　the　sea；　ascend　the　snow…capped　mountain's　highest　peak；　or　navigate　the　air；　if　they　can　be　guaranteed　a　ten　per　cent。　　I　do　not　venture　to　suggest　that　the　business　of　a　Poor　Man's　Bank　would　yield　ten　per　cent。；　or　even　five；　but　I　think　it　might　be　made　to　pay　its　expenses；　and　the　resulting　gain　to　the　community　would　be　enormous。

Ask　any　merchant　in　your　acquaintance　where　his　business　would　be　if

he　had　no　banker；　and　then；　when　you　have　his　answer；　ask　yourself　whether　it　would　not　be　an　object　worth　taking　some　trouble　to　secure；　to　furnish　the　great　mass　of　our　fellow　countrymen；　on　sound　business　principles　with　the　advantages　of　the　credit　system；　which　is　found　to　work　so　beneficially　for　the　〃well…to…do〃　few。

Some　day　I　hope　the　State　may　be　sufficiently　enlightened　to　take　up　this　business　itself；　at　present　it　is　left　in　the　hands　of　the　pawnbroker　and　the　loan　agency；　and　a　set　of　sharks；　who　cruelly　prey　upon　the　interests　of　the　poor。　　The　establishment　of　land　banks；　where　the　poor　man　is　almost　always　a　peasant；　has　been　one　of　the　features　of　modern　legislation　in　Russia；　Germany；　and　elsewhere。　The　institution　of　a　Poor　Man's　Bank　will　be；　I　hope；　before　long；　one　of　the　recognised　objects　of　our　own　government。

Pending　that　I　venture　to　throw　out　a　suggestion；　without　in　any　way　pledging　myself　to　add　this　branch　of　activity　to　the　already　gigantic　range　of　operations　foreshadowed　in　this　bookWould　it　not　be　possible　for　some　philanthropists　with　capital　to　establish　on　clearly　defined　principles　a　Poor　Man's　Bank　for　the　making　of　small　loans　on　good　security；　or　making　advances　to　those　who　are　in　danger　of　being　overwhelmed　by　sudden　financial　pressurein　fact；　for　doing　for　the　〃little　man〃　what　all　the　banks　do　for　the　〃big　man〃？　　Meanwhile；　should　it　enter　into　the　heart　of　some　benevolently　disposed　possessor　of　wealth　to　give　the　price　of　a　racehorse；　or　of　an　〃old　master；〃　to　form　the　nucleus　of　the　necessary　capital；　I　will　certainly　experiment　in　this　direction。

I　can　anticipate　the　sneer　of　the　cynic　who　scoffs　at　what　he　calls　my　glorified　pawnshop。　　I　am　indifferent　to　his　sneers。　　A　Mont　de　Piete　the　very　name　（Mount　of　Piety）　shows　that　the　Poor　Man's　Bank　is　regarded　as　anything　but　an　objectionable　institution　across　the　Channelmight　be　an　excellent　institution　in　England。　　Owing；　however；　to　the　vested　interests　of　the　existing　traders　it　might　be　impossible　for　the　State　to　establish　it；　excepting　at　a　ruinous　expense。　　There　would　be　no　difficulty；　however；　of　instituting　a　private　Mont　de　Piete；　which　would　confer　an　incalculable　boon　upon　the　struggling　poor。

Further；　I　am　by　no　means　indisposed　to　recognise　the　necessity　of　dealing　with　this　subject　in　connection　with　the　Labour　Bureau；　provided　that　one　clearly　recognised　principle　can　be　acted　upon。　That　principle　is　that　a　man　shall　be　free　to　bind　himself　as　security　for　the　repayment　of　a　loan；　that　is　to　pledge　himself　to　work　for　his　rations　until　such　time　as　he　has　repaid　capital　and　interest。　An　illustration　or　two　will　explain　what　I　mean。　　Here　is　a　carpenter　who　comes　to　our　Labour　shed；　he　is　an　honest；　decent　man；　who　has　by　sickness　or　some　other　calamity　been　reduced　to　destitution。　　He　has　by　degrees　pawned　one　article　after　another　to　keep　body　and　soul　together；　until　at　last　he　has　been　compelled　to　pawn　his　tools。　We　register　him；　and　an　employer　comes　along　who　wants　a　carpenter　whom　we　can　recommend。　　We　at　once　suggest　this　man；　but　then　arises　this　difficulty。　　He　has　no　tools；　what　are　we　to　do？　　As　things　are　at　present；　the　man　loses　the　job　and　continues　on　our　hands。　　Obviously　it　is　most　desirable　in　the　interest　of　the　community　that　the　man　should　get　his　tools　out　of　pawn；　but　who　is　to　take　the　responsibility　of　advancing　the　money　to　redeem　them？　　This　difficulty　might　be　met；　I　think；　by　the　man　entering　into　a　legal　undertaking　to　make　over　his　wages　to　us；　or　such　proportion　of　them　as　would　be　convenient　to　his　circumstances；　we　in　return　undertaking　to　find　him　in　food　and　shelter　until　such　time　as　he　has　repaid　the　advance　made。　　That　obligation　it　would　be　the　truest　kindness　to　enforce　with　Rhadamantine　severity。　Until　the　man　is　out　of　debt　he　is　not　his　own　master。　　All　that　he　can　make　over　his　actual　rations　and　Shelter　money　should　belong　to　his　creditor。　　Of　course　such　an　arrangement　might　be　varied　indefinitely　by　private　agreement；　the　repayment　of　instalments　could　be　spread　ever　a　longer　or　shorter　time；　but　the　mainstay　of　the　whole　principle　would　be　the　execution　of　a　legal　agreement　by　which　the　man　makes　over　the　whole　product　of　his　labour　to　the　Bank　until　he　has　repaid；　his　debt。

Take　another　instance。　　A　clerk　who　has　been　many　years　in　a　situation　and　has　a　large　family；　which　he　has　brought　up　respectably　and　educated。　　He　has　every　prospect　of　retiring　in　a　few　years　upon　a　superannuating　allowance；　but　is　suddenly　confronted　by　a　claim　often　through　no　fault　of　his　own；　of　a　sum　of　fifty　or　a　hundred　pounds；　which　is　quite　beyond　his　means。　　He　has　been　a　careful　saving　man；　who　has　never　borrowed　a　penny　in　his　life；　and　does　not　know　where　to　turn　in　his　emergency。　　If　he　can　not　raise　this　money　he　will　be　sold　up；　his　family　will　be　scattered；　his　situation　and　his　prospective　pension　will　be　lost；　and　blank　ruin　will　stare　him　in　the　face。　Now；　were　he　in　receipt　of　an　income　of　ten　times　the　amount；　he　would　probably　have　a　banking　account；　and；　in　consequence；　be　able　to　secure　an　advance　of　all　he　needed　from　his　banker。　　Why　should　he　not　be　able　to　pledge　his　salary；　or　a　portion　of　it；　to　an　Institution　which　would　enable　him　to　pay　off　his　debt；　on　terms　that；　while　sufficiently　remunerative　to　the　bank；　would　not　unduly　embarrass　him？

At　present　what　does　the　poor　wretch　do？　　He　consults　his　friends；　who；　it　is　quite　possible；　are　as　hard　up　as　himself；　or　he　applies　to　some　loan　agency；　and　as　likely　as　not　falls　into　the　hands　of　sharpers；　who　indeed；　let　him　have　the　money；　but　at　interest　altogether　out　of　proportion　to　the　risk　which　they　run；　and　use　the　advantage　which　their　position　gives　them　to　extort　every　penny　he　has。　　A　great　black　book　written　within　and　without　in　letters　of　lamentation；　mourning；　and　woe　might　be　written　on　the　dealings　of　these　usurers　with　their　victims　in　every　land。

It　is　of　little　service　denouncing　these　extortioners。　　They　have　always　existed；　and　probably　always　will；　but　what　we　can　do　is　to　circumscribe　the　range　of　their　operations　and　the　number　of　their　victims。　　This　can　only　be　done　by　a　legitimate　and　merciful　provision　for　these　poor　creatures　in　their　hours　of　desperate　need；　so　as　to　prevent　their　falling　into　the　hands　of　these　remorseless　wretches；　who　have　wrecked　the　fortunes　of　thousands；　and　driven　many　a　decent　man　to　suicide　or　a　premature　grave。

There　are　endless　ramifications　of　this　principle；　which　do　not　need　to　be　described　here；　but　before　leaving　the　subject　I　may　allude　to　an　evil　which　is　a　cruel　reality；　alas！　to　a　multitude　of　unfortunate　men　and　women。　　I　refer　to　the　working　of　the　Hire　System。　　The　decent　poor　man　or　woman　who　is　anxious　to　earn　an　honest　penny　by　the　use　of；　it　may　be　a　mangle；　or　a　sewing…machine；　a　lathe；　or　some　other　indispensable　instrument；　and　is　without　the　few　pounds　necessary　to　buy　it；　must　take　it　on　the　Hire　Systemthat　is　to　say；　for　the　accommodation　of　being　allowed　to　pay　for　the　machine　by　instalments　he　is　charged；　in　addition　to　the　full　market　value　of　his　purchase；　ten　or　twenty　times　the　amount　of　what　would　be　a　fair　rate　of　interest；　and　more　than　this　if　he　should　at　any　time；　through　misfortune；　fail　in　his　payment；　the　total　amount　already　paid　will　be　confiscated；　the　machine　seized；　and　the　money　lost。

Here　again　we　fall　back　on　our　analogy　of　what　goes　on　in　a　small　community　where　neighbours　know　each　other。　　Take；　for　instance；　when　a　lad　who　is　recognised　as　bright；　promising；　honest；　and　industrious；　who　wants　to　make　a　start　in　life　which　requires　some　little　outlay；　his　better…to…do　neighbour　will　often　assist　him　by　providing　the　capital　necessary　to　enable　him　to　make　a　way　for　himself　in　the　world。　The　neighbour　does　this　because　he　knows　the　lad；　because　the　family　is　at　least　related　by　ties　of　neighbourhood；　and　the　honour　of　the　lad's　family　is　a　security　upon　which　a　man　may　safely　advance　a　small　sum。　All　this　would　equally　apply　to　a　destitute　widow；　an　artizan　suddenly　thrown　out　of　work；　an　orphan　family；　or　the　like。　　In　the　large　City　all　this　kindly　helpfulness　disappears；　and　with　it　go　all　those　small　acts　of　service　which　are；　as　it　were；　the　buffers　which　save　men　from　being　crushed　to　death　against　the　iron　walls　of　circumstances。　　We　must　try　to　replace　them　in　some　way　or　other　if　we　are　to　get　back；　not　to　the　Garden　of　Eden；　but　to　the　ordinary　conditions　of　life；　as　they　exist　in　a　healthy；　small　community。　　No　institution；　it　is　true；　can　ever　replace　the