the ragged trousered philanthropists-第123章

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son。

This　poor　wretch　was　scarcely　ever　seen　without　a　load　of　some　sort　or　other：　carrying　a　sack　of　cement　or　plaster；　a　heavy　ladder；　a　big　bucket　of　mortar；　or　dragging　a　load　of　scaffolding　on　a　cart。　　He　must　have　been　nearly　as　strong　as　a　horse；　because　after　working　in　this　manner　for　Rushton　&　Co。　from　six　in　the　morning　till　half　past　five　at　night；　he　usually　went　to　work　in　his　garden　for　two　or　three　hours　after　tea；　and　frequently　went　there　for　an　hour　or　so　in　the　morning　before　going　to　work。　　The　poor　devil　needed　the　produce　of　his　garden　to　supplement　his　wages；　for　he　had　a　wife　and　three　children　to　provide　for　and　he　earned　only　…　or　rather；　to　be　correct；　he　was　paid　only　…　fourpence　an　hour。

There　was　an　old　house　to　which　they　were　making　some　alterations　and　repairs；　and　there　was　a　lot　of　old　wood　taken　out　of　it：　old；　decayed　floorboards　and　stuff　of　that　kind；　wood　that　was　of　no　use　whatever　except　to　burn。

Bundy　and　his　mate　were　working　there；　and　one　night；　Misery　came　a　few　minutes　before　half　past　five　and　caught　Dawson　in　the　act　of　tying　up　a　small　bundle　of　this　wood。　　When　Hunter　asked　him　what　he　was　going　to　do　with　it　he　made　no　attempt　at　prevarication　or　concealment：　he　said　he　was　going　to　take　it　home　for　fire…wood；　because　it　was　of　no　other　use。　　Misery　kicked　up　a　devil　of　a　row　and　ordered　him　to　leave　the　wood　where　it　was：　it　had　to　be　taken　to　the　yard；　and　it　was　nothing　to　do　with　Dawson　or　anyone　else　whether　it　was　any　use　or　not！　　If　he　caught　anyone　taking　wood　away　he　would　sack　them　on　the　spot。　　Hunter　shouted　very　loud　so　that　all　the　others　might　hear；　and　as　they　were　all　listening　attentively　in　the　next　room；　where　they　were　taking　their　aprons　off　preparatory　to　going　home；　they　got　the　full　benefit　of　his　remarks。

The　following　Saturday　when　the　hands　went　to　the　office　for　their　money　they　were　each　presented　with　a　printed　card　bearing　the　following　legend：

　　　　Under　no　circumstances　is　any　article　or　material；　however　　　　　trifling；　to　be　taken　away　by　workmen　for　their　private　use；　　　　　whether　waste　material　or　not；　from　any　workshop　or　place　where　　　　　work　is　being　done。　　Foremen　are　hereby　instructed　to　see　that　　　　　this　order　is　obeyed　and　to　report　any　such　act　coming　to　their　　　　　knowledge。　　Any　man　breaking　this　rule　will　be　either　dismissed　　　　　without　notice　or　given　into　custody。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Rushton　&　Co。

Most　of　the　men　took　these　cards　with　the　envelopes　containing　their　wages　and　walked　away　without　making　any　comment　…　in　fact；　most　of　them　were　some　distance　away　before　they　realized　exactly　what　the　card　was　about。　　Two　or　three　of　them　stood　a　few　steps　away　from　the　pay　window　in　full　view　of　Rushton　and　Misery　and　ostentatiously　tore　the　thing　into　pieces　and　threw　them　into　the　street。　　One　man　remained　at　the　pay　window　while　he　read　the　card　…　and　then　flung　it　with　an　obscene　curse　into　Rushton's　face；　and　demanded　his　back　day；　which　they　gave　him　without　any　remark　or　delay；　the　other　men　who　were　not　yet　paid　having　to　wait　while　he　made　out　his　time…sheet　for　that　morning。

The　story　of　this　card　spread　all　over　the　place　in　a　very　short　time。　It　became　the　talk　of　every　shop　in　the　town。　　Whenever　any　of　Rushton's　men　encountered　the　employees　of　another　firm；　the　latter　used　to　shout　after　them　…　‘However　trifling！'　…　or　‘Look　out；　chaps！　'Ere　comes　some　of　Rushton's　pickpockets。'

Amongst　Rushton's　men　themselves　it　became　a　standing　joke　or　form　of　greeting　to　say　when　one　met　another　…　‘Remember！　　However　trifling！'

If　one　of　their　number　was　seen　going　home　with　an　unusual　amount　of　paint　or　whitewash　on　his　hands　or　clothes；　the　others　would　threaten　to　report　him　for　stealing　the　material。　　They　used　to　say　that　however　trifling　the　quantity；　it　was　against　orders　to　take　it　away。

Harlow　drew　up　a　list　of　rules　which　he　said　Mr　Rushton　had　instructed　him　to　communicate　to　the　men。　　One　of　these　rules　provided　that　everybody　was　to　be　weighed　upon　arrival　at　the　job　in　the　morning　and　again　at　leaving…off　time：　any　man　found　to　have　increased　in　weight　was　to　be　discharged。

There　was　also　much　cursing　and　covert　resentment　about　it；　the　men　used　to　say　that　such　a　thing　as　that　looked　well　coming　from　the　likes　of　Rushton　and　Hunter；　and　they　used　to　remind　each　other　of　the　affair　of　the　marble…topped　console　table；　the　barometer；　the　venetian　blinds　and　all　the　other　robberies。

None　of　them　ever　said　anything　to　either　Misery　or　Rushton　about　the　cards；　but　one　morning　when　the　latter　was　reading　his　letters　at　the　breakfast　table；　on　opening　one　of　them　he　found　that　it　contained　one　of　the　notices；　smeared　with　human　excrement。　　He　did　not　eat　any　more　breakfast　that　morning。

It　was　not　to　be　much　wondered　at　that　none　of　them　had　the　courage　to　openly　resent　the　conditions　under　which　they　had　to　work；　for　although　it　was　summer；　there　were　many　men　out　of　employment；　and　it　was　much　easier　to　get　the　sack　than　it　was　to　get　another　job。

None　of　the　men　were　ever　caught　stealing　anything；　however　trifling；　but　all　the　same　during　the　course　of　the　summer　five　or　six　of　them　were　captured　by　the　police　and　sent　to　jail　…　for　not　being　able　to　pay　their　poor　rates。

All　through　the　summer　Owen　continued　to　make　himself　objectionable　and　to　incur　the　ridicule　of　his　fellow　workmen　by　talking　about　the　causes　of　poverty　and　of　ways　to　abolish　it。

Most　of　the　men　kept　two　shillings　or　half　a　crown　of　their　wages　back　from　their　wives　for　pocket　money；　which　they　spent　on　beer　and　tobacco。　　There　were　a　very　few　who　spent　a　little　more　than　this；　and　there　were　a　still　smaller　number　who　spent　so　much　in　this　way　that　their　families　had　to　suffer　in　consequence。

Most　of　those　who　kept　back　half　a　crown　or　three　shillings　from　their　wives　did　so　on　the　understanding　that　they　were　to　buy　their　clothing　out　of　it。　　Some　of　them　had　to　pay　a　shilling　a　week　to　a　tallyman　or　credit　clothier。　　These　were　the　ones　who　indulged　in　shoddy　new　suits　…　at　long　intervals。　　Others　bought　…　or　got　their　wives　to　buy　for　them　…　their　clothes　at　second…hand　shops；　‘paying　off'　about　a　shilling　or　so　a　week　and　not　receiving　the　things　till　they　were　paid　for。

There　were　a　very　large　proportion　of　them　who　did　not　spend　even　a　shilling　a　week　for　drink：　and　there　were　numerous　others　who；　while　not　being　formally　total　abstainers；　yet　often　went　for　weeks　together　without　either　entering　a　public　house　or　tasting　intoxicating　drink　in　any　form。

Then　there　were　others　who；　instead　of　drinking　tea　or　coffee　or　cocoa　with　their　dinners　or　suppers；　drank　beer。　　This　did　not　cost　more　than　the　teetotal　drinks；　but　all　the　same　there　are　some　persons　who　say　that　those　who　swell　the　‘Nation's　Drink　Bill'　by　drinking　beer　with　their　dinners　or　suppers　are　a　kind　of　criminal；　and　that　they　ought　to　be　compelled　to　drink　something　else：　that　is；　if　they　are　working　people。　　As　for　the　idle　classes；　they　of　course　are　to　be　allowed　to　continue　to　make　merry；　‘drinking　whisky；　wine　and　sherry'；　to　say　nothing　of　having　their　beer　in　by　the　barrel　and　the　dozen　…　or　forty　dozen　…　bottles。　　But　of　course　that's　a　different　matter；　because　these　people　make　so　much　money　out　of　the　labour　of　the　working　classes　that　they　can　afford　to　indulge　in　this　way　without　depriving　their　children　of　the　necessaries　of　life。

There　is　no　more　cowardly；　dastardly　slander　than　is　contained　in　the　assertion　that　the　majority　or　any　considerable　proportion　of　working　men　neglect　their　families　through　drink。　　It　is　a　condemned　lie。　There　are　some　who　do；　but　they　are　not　even　a　large　minority。　　They　are　few　and　far　between；　and　are　regarded　with　contempt　by　their　fellow　workmen。

It　will　be　said　that　their　families　had　to　suffer　for　want　of　even　the　little　that　most　of　them　spent　in　that　way：　but　the　persons　that　use　this　argument　should　carry　it　to　its　logical　conclusion。　　Tea　is　an　unnecessary　and　harmful　drink；　it　has　been　condemned　by　medical　men　so　often　that　to　enumerate　its　evil　qualities　here　would　be　waste　of　time。　　The　same　can　be　said　of　nearly　all　the　cheap　temp