the ragged trousered philanthropists-第104章

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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　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　wa