the ragged trousered philanthropists-第138章

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‘Keep　horder〃　shouted　Philpot；　fiercely；　striking　the　table　with　the　hammer；　and　there　were　loud　shouts　of　‘Chair'　and　‘Chuck　'im　out；'　from　several　quarters。

When　order　was　restored；　the　lecturer　proceeded：

‘So　it　is　not　true　that　practically　the　suite　state　of　affairs　as　we　have　today　has　always　existed。　　It　is　not　true　that　anything　like　the　poverty　that　prevails　at　present　existed　at　any　previous　period　of　the　world's　history。　　When　the　workers　were　the　property　of　their　masters；　it　was　to　their　owners'　interest　to　see　that　they　were　properly　clothed　and　fed；　they　were　not　allowed　to　be　idle；　and　they　were　not　allowed　to　starve。　　Under　Feudalism　also；　although　there　were　certain　intolerable　circumstances；　the　position　of　the　workers　was；　economically；　infinitely　better　than　it　is　today。　　The　worker　was　in　subjection　to　his　Lord；　but　in　return　his　lord　had　certain　responsibilities　and　duties　to　perform；　and　there　was　a　large　measure　of　community　of　interest　between　them。

‘I　do　not　intend　to　dwell　upon　this　pout　at　length；　but　in　support　of　what　I　have　said　I　will　quote　as　nearly　as　I　can　from　memory　the　words　of　the　historian　Froude。

‘〃I　do　not　believe；〃　says　Mr　Froude；　〃that　the　condition　of　the　people　in　Mediaeval　Europe　was　as　miserable　as　is　pretended。　　I　do　not　believe　that　the　distribution　of　the　necessaries　of　life　was　as　unequal　as　it　is　at　present。　　If　the　tenant　lived　hard；　the　lord　had　little　luxury。　　Earls　and　countesses　breakfasted　at　five　in　the　morning；　on　salt　beef　and　herring；　a　slice　of　bread　and　a　draught　of　ale　from　a　blackjack。　　Lords　and　servants　dined　in　the　same　hall　and　shared　the　same　meal。〃

‘When　we　arrive　at　the　system　that　displaced　Feudalism；　we　find　that　the　condition　of　the　workers　was　better　in　every　way　than　it　is　at　present。　　The　instruments　of　production　…　the　primitive　machinery　and　the　tools　necessary　for　the　creation　of　wealth　…　belonged　to　the　skilled　workers　who　used　them；　and　the　things　they　produced　were　also　the　property　of　those　who　made　them。

‘In　those　days　a　master　painter；　a　master　shoemaker；　a　master　saddler；　or　any　other　master　tradesmen；　was　really　a　skilled　artisan　working　on　his　own　account。　　He　usually　had　one　or　two　apprentices；　who　were　socially　his　equals；　eating　at　the　same　table　and　associating　with　the　other　members　of　his　family。　　It　was　quite　a　common　occurrence　for　the　apprentice　…　after　he　had　attained　proficiency　in　his　work　…　to　marry　his　master's　daughter　and　succeed　to　his　master's　business。　　In　those　days　to　be　a　〃master〃　tradesman　meant　to　be　master　of　the　trade；　not　merely　of　some　underpaid　drudges　in　one's　employment。　　The　apprentices　were　there　to　master　the　trade；　qualifying　themselves　to　become　master　workers　themselves；　not　mere　sweaters　and　exploiters　of　the　labour　of　others；　but　useful　members　of　society。　　In　those　days；　because　there　was　no　labour…saving　machinery　the　community　was　dependent　for　its　existence　on　the　productions　of　hand　labour。　　Consequently　the　majority　of　the　people　were　employed　in　some　kind　of　productive　work；　and　the　workers　were　honoured　and　respected　citizens；　living　in　comfort　on　the　fruits　of　their　labour。　　They　were　not　rich　as　we　understand　wealth　now；　but　they　did　not　starve　and　they　were　not　regarded　with　contempt；　as　are　their　successors　of　today。

‘The　next　great　change　came　with　the　introduction　of　steam　machinery。　That　power　came　to　the　aid　of　mankind　in　their　struggle　for　existence；　enabling　them　to　create　easily　and　in　abundance　those　things　of　which　they　had　previously　been　able　to　produce　only　a　bare　sufficiency。　　A　wonderful　power　…　equalling　and　surpassing　the　marvels　that　were　imagined　by　the　writers　of　fairy　tales　and　Eastern　stories　…　a　power　so　vast　…　so　marvellous；　that　it　is　difficult　to　find　words　to　convey　anything　like　an　adequate　conception　of　it。

‘We　all　remember　the　story；　in　The　Arabian　Nights；　of　Aladdin；　who　in　his　poverty　became　possessed　of　the　Wonderful　Lamp　and　…　he　was　poor　no　longer。　　He　merely　had　to　rub　the　Lamp　…　the　Genie　appeared；　and　at　Aladdin's　command　he　produced　an　abundance　of　everything　that　the　youth　could　ask　or　dream　of。　　With　the　discovery　of　steam　machinery；　mankind　became　possessed　of　a　similar　power　to　that　imagined　by　the　Eastern　writer。　　At　the　command　of　its　masters　the　Wonderful　Lamp　of　Machinery　produces　an　enormous；　overwhelming；　stupendous　abundance　and　superfluity　of　every　material　thing　necessary　for　human　existence　and　happiness。　　With　less　labour　than　was　formerly　required　to　cultivate　acres；　we　can　now　cultivate　miles　of　land。　　In　response　to　human　industry；　aided　by　science　and　machinery；　the　fruitful　earth　teems　with　such　lavish　abundance　as　was　never　known　or　deemed　possible　before。　　If　you　go　into　the　different　factories　and　workshops　you　will　see　prodigious　quantities　of　commodities　of　every　kind　pouring　out　of　the　wonderful　machinery；　literally　like　water　from　a　tap。

‘One　would　naturally　and　reasonably　suppose　that　the　discovery　or　invention　of　such　an　aid　to　human　industry　would　result　in　increased　happiness　and　comfort　for　every　one；　but　as　you　all　know；　the　reverse　is　the　case；　and　the　reason　of　that　extraordinary　result；　is　the　reason　of　all　the　poverty　and　unhappiness　that　we　see　around　us　and　endure　today　…　it　is　simply　because　…　the　machinery　became　the　property　of　a　comparatively　few　individuals　and　private　companies；　who　use　it　not　for　the　benefit　of　the　community　but　to　create　profits　for　themselves。

‘As　this　labour…saving　machinery　became　more　extensively　used；　the　prosperous　class　of　skilled　workers　gradually　disappeared。　　Some　of　the　wealthier　of　them　became　distributers　instead　of　producers　of　wealth；　that　is　to　say；　they　became　shopkeepers；　retailing　the　commodities　that　were　produced　for　the　most　part　by　machinery。　　But　the　majority　of　them　in　course　of　time　degenerated　into　a　class　of　mere　wage　earners；　having　no　property　in　the　machines　they　used；　and　no　property　in　the　things　they　made。

‘They　sold　their　labour　for　so　much　per　hour；　and　when　they　could　not　find　any　employer　to　buy　it　from　them；　they　were　reduced　to　destitution。

‘Whilst　the　unemployed　workers　were　starving　and　those　in　employment　not　much　better　off；　the　individuals　and　private　companies　who　owned　the　machinery　accumulated　fortunes；　but　their　profits　were　diminished　and　their　working　expenses　increased　by　what　led　to　the　latest　great　change　in　the　organization　of　the　production　of　the　necessaries　of　life　…　the　formation　of　the　Limited　Companies　and　the　Trusts；　the　decision　of　the　private　companies　to　combine　and　co…operate　with　each　other　in　order　to　increase　their　profits　and　decrease　their　working　expenses。　　The　results　of　these　combines　have　been　…　an　increase　in　the　quantities　of　the　things　produced：　a　decrease　in　the　number　of　wage　earners　employed　…　and　enormously　increased　profits　for　the　shareholders。

‘But　it　is　not　only　the　wage…earning　class　that　is　being　hurt；　for　while　they　are　being　annihilated　by　the　machinery　and　the　efficient　organization　of　industry　by　the　trusts　that　control　and　are　beginning　to　monopolize　production；　the　shopkeeping　classes　are　also　being　slowly　but　surely　crushed　out　of　existence　by　the　huge　companies　that　are　able　by　the　greater　magnitude　of　their　operations　to　buy　and　sell　more　cheaply　than　the　small　traders。

‘The　consequence　of　all　this　is　that　the　majority　of　the　people　are　in　a　condition　of　more　or　less　abject　poverty　…　living　from　hand　to　mouth。　　It　is　an　admitted　fact　that　about　thirteen　millions　of　our　people　are　always　on　the　verge　of　starvation。　　The　significant　results　of　this　poverty　face　us　on　every　side。　　The　alarming　and　persistent　increase　of　insanity。　　The　large　number　of　would…be　recruits　for　the　army　who　have　to　be　rejected　because　they　are　physically　unfit；　and　the　shameful　condition　of　the　children　of　the　poor。　　More　than　one…third　of　the　children　of　the　working　classes　in　London　have　some　sort　of　mental　or　physical　defect；　defects　in　development；　defects　of　eyesight；　abnormal　nervousness；　rickets；　and　mental　dullness。　　The　difference　in　height　and　weight　and　general　condition　of　the　children　in　poor　schools　and　the　children　of　the　so…called　better　classes；　constitutes　a　crime