the ragged trousered philanthropists-第106章

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　in　overcrowded　hovels。

These　human　beings　had　such　a　strange　system　of　arranging　their　affairs　that　if　anyone　were　to　go　and　burn　down　a　lot　of　the　houses　he　would　be　conferring　a　great　boon　upon　those　who　had　built　them；　because　such　an　act　would　‘Make　a　lot　more　work！'

Another　very　comical　thing　was　that　thousands　of　people　wore　broken　boots　and　ragged　clothes；　while　millions　of　pairs　of　boots　and　abundance　of　clothing；　which　they　had　helped　to　make；　were　locked　up　in　warehouses；　and　the　System　had　the　keys。

Thousands　of　people　lacked　the　necessaries　of　life。　　The　necessaries　of　life　are　all　produced　by　work。　　The　people　who　lacked　begged　to　be　allowed　to　work　and　create　those　things　of　which　they　stood　in　need。　But　the　System　prevented　them　from　so　doing。

If　anyone　asked　the　System　why　it　prevented　these　people　from　producing　the　things　of　which　they　were　in　want；　the　System　replied：

‘Because　they　have　already　produced　too　much。　　The　markets　are　glutted。　　The　warehouses　are　filled　and　overflowing；　and　there　is　nothing　more　for　them　to　do。'

There　was　in　existence　a　huge　accumulation　of　everything　necessary。　　A　great　number　of　the　people　whose　labour　had　produced　that　vast　store　were　now　living　in　want；　but　the　System　said　that　they　could　not　be　permitted　to　partake　of　the　things　they　had　created。　　Then；　after　a　time；　when　these　people；　being　reduced　to　the　last　extreme　of　misery；　cried　out　that　they　and　their　children　were　dying　of　hunger；　the　System　grudgingly　unlocked　the　doors　of　the　great　warehouses；　and　taking　out　a　small　part　of　the　things　that　were　stored　within；　distributed　it　amongst　the　famished　workers；　at　the　same　time　reminding　them　that　it　was　Charity；　because　all　the　things　in　the　warehouses；　although　they　had　been　made　by　the　workers；　were　now　the　property　of　the　people　who　do　nothing。

And　then　the　starving；　bootless；　ragged；　stupid　wretches　fell　down　and　worshipped　the　System；　and　offered　up　their　children　as　living　sacrifices　upon　its　altars；　saying：

‘This　beautiful　System　is　the　only　one　possible；　and　the　best　that　human　wisdom　can　devise。　　May　the　System　live　for　ever！　　Cursed　be　those　who　seek　to　destroy　the　System！'

As　the　absurdity　of　the　thing　forced　itself　upon　him；　Owen；　in　spite　of　the　unhappiness　he　felt　at　the　sight　of　all　the　misery　by　which　he　was　surrounded；　laughed　aloud　and　said　to　himself　that　if　he　was　sane；　then　all　these　people　must　be　mad。

In　the　face　of　such　colossal　imbecility　it　was　absurd　to　hope　for　any　immediate　improvement。　　The　little　already　accomplished　was　the　work　of　a　few　self…sacrificing　enthusiasts；　battling　against　the　opposition　of　those　they　sought　to　benefit；　and　the　results　of　their　labours　were；　in　many　instances；　as　pearls　cast　before　the　swine　who　stood　watching　for　opportunities　to　fall　upon　and　rend　their　benefactors。

There　was　only　one　hope。　　It　was　possible　that　the　monopolists；　encouraged　by　the　extraordinary　stupidity　and　apathy　of　the　people　would　proceed　to　lay　upon　them　even　greater　burdens；　until　at　last；　goaded　by　suffering；　and　not　having　sufficient　intelligence　to　understand　any　other　remedy；　these　miserable　wretches　would　turn　upon　their　oppressors　and　drown　both　them　and　their　System　in　a　sea　of　blood。

Besides　the　work　at　the　Kiosk；　towards　the　end　of　March　things　gradually　began　to　improve　in　other　directions。　　Several　firms　began　to　take　on　a　few　hands。　　Several　large　empty　houses　that　were　relet　had　to　be　renovated　for　their　new　tenants；　and　there　was　a　fair　amount　of　inside　work　arising　out　of　the　annual　spring…cleaning　in　other　houses。　　There　was　not　enough　work　to　keep　everyone　employed；　and　most　of　those　who　were　taken　on　as　a　rule　only　managed　to　make　a　few　hours　a　week；　but　still　it　was　better　than　absolute　idleness；　and　there　also　began　to　be　talk　of　several　large　outside　jobs　that　were　to　be　done　as　soon　as　the　weather　was　settled。

This　bad　weather；　by　the　way；　was　a　sort　of　boon　to　the　defenders　of　the　present　system；　who　were　hard…up　for　sensible　arguments　to　explain　the　cause　of　poverty。　　One　of　the　principal　causes　was；　of　course；　the　weather；　which　was　keeping　everything　back。　　There　was　not　the　slightest　doubt　that　if　only　the　weather　would　allow　there　would　always　be　plenty　of　work；　and　poverty　would　be　abolished。

Rushton　&　Co。　had　a　fair　share　of　what　work　there　was；　and　Crass；　Sawkins；　Slyme　and　Owen　were　kept　employed　pretty　regularly；　although　they　did　not　start　until　half　past　eight　and　left　off　at　four。　　At　different　houses　in　various　parts　of　the　town　they　had　ceilings　to　wash　off　and　distemper；　to　strip　the　old　paper　from　the　walls；　and　to　repaint　and　paper　the　rooms；　and　sometimes　there　were　the　venetian　blinds　to　repair　and　repaint。　　Occasionally　a　few　extra　hands　were　taken　on　for　a　few　days；　and　discharged　again　as　soon　as　the　job　they　were　taken　on　to　do　was　finished。

The　defenders　of　the　existing　system　may　possibly　believe　that　the　knowledge　that　they　would　be　discharged　directly　the　job　was　done　was　a　very　good　incentive　to　industry；　that　they　would　naturally　under　these　circumstances　do　their　best　to　get　the　work　done　as　quickly　as　possible。　　But　then　it　must　be　remembered　that　most　of　the　defenders　of　the　existing　system　are　so　constituted；　that　they　can　believe　anything　provided　it　is　not　true　and　sufficiently　silly。

All　the　same；　it　was　a　fact　that　the　workmen　did　do　their　very　best　to　get　over　this　work　in　the　shortest　possible　time；　because　although　they　knew　that　to　do　so　was　contrary　to　their　own　interests；　they　also　knew　that　it　would　be　very　much　more　contrary　to　their　interests　not　to　do　so。　　Their　only　chance　of　being　kept　on　if　other　work　came　in　was　to　tear　into　it　for　all　they　were　worth。　　Consequently；　most　of　the　work　was　rushed　and　botched　and　slobbered　over　in　about　half　the　time　that　it　would　have　taken　to　do　it　properly。　　Rooms　for　which　the　customers　paid　to　have　three　coats　of　paint　were　scamped　with　one　or　two。　　What　Misery　did　not　know　about　scamping　and　faking　the　work；　the　men　suggested　to　and　showed　him　in　the　hope　of　currying　favour　with　him　in　order　that　they　might　get　the　preference　over　others　and　be　sent　for　when　the　next　job　came　in。　　This　is　the　principal　incentive　provided　by　the　present　system；　the　incentive　to　cheat。　　These　fellows　cheated　the　customers　of　their　money。　　They　cheated　themselves　and　their　fellow　workmen　of　work；　and　their　children　of　bread；　but　it　was　all　for　a　good　cause　…　to　make　profit　for　their　master。

Harlow　and　Slyme　did　one　job　…　a　room　that　Rushton　&　Co。　had　contracted　to　paint　three　coats。　　It　was　finished　with　two　and　the　men　cleared　away　their　paints。　　The　next　day；　when　Slyme　wept　there　to　paper　the　room；　the　lady　of　the　house　said　that　the　painting　was　not　yet　finished　…　it　was　to　have　another　coat。　　Slyme　assured　her　that　it　had　already　had　three；　but；　as　the　lady　insisted；　Slyme　went　to　the　shop　and　sought　out　Misery。　　Harlow　had　been　stood　off；　as　there　was　not　another　job　in　just　then；　but　fortunately　he　happened　to　be　standing　in　the　street　outside　the　shop；　so　they　called　him　and　then　the　three　of　them　went　round　to　the　job　and　swore　that　the　room　had　had　three　coats。　　The　lady　protested　that　it　was　not　so。　　She　had　watched　the　progress　of　the　work。　　Besides；　it　was　impossible；　they　had　only　been　there　three　days。　　The　first　day　they　had　not　put　any　paint　on　at　all；　they　had　done　the　ceiling　and　stripped　the　walls；　the　painting　was　not　started　till　the　second　day。　　How　then　could　it　have　had　three　coats？　　Misery　explained　the　mystery：　he　said　that　for　first　coating　they　had　an　extra　special　very　fast…drying　paint　…　paint　that　dried　so　quickly　that　they　were　able　to　give　the　work　two　coats　in　one　day。　　For　instance；　one　man　did　the　window；　the　other　the　door：　when　these　were　finished　both　men　did　the　skirting；　by　the　time　the　skirting　was　finished　the　door　and　window　were　dry　enough　to　second　coat；　and　then；　on　the　following　day　…　the　finishing　coat！

Of　course；　this　extra　special　quick…drying　paint　was　very　expensive；　but　the　firm　did　not　mind　that。　　They　knew　that　most　of　their　customers　wished　to　have　their　work　finished　as　quickly　as　possible；　and　their　study　was　to　give　satisfaction　to　the　custom