the ragged trousered philanthropists-第59章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


case　a　Slop　comes　along？　　We　don't　want　to　get　runned　in；　you　know。'

‘I　don'　think　there's　any　need　for　that；'　replied　Owen；　‘there's　only　one　slop　who'd　interfere　with　us　for　playing　this　game；　and　that's　Police　Constable　Socialism。'

‘Never　mind　about　Socialism；'　said　Crass；　irritably。　　‘Get　along　with　the　bloody　trick。'

Owen　now　addressed　himself　to　the　working　classes　as　represented　by　Philpot；　Harlow　and　Easton。

‘You　say　that　you　are　all　in　need　of　employment；　and　as　I　am　the　kind…hearted　capitalist　class　I　am　going　to　invest　all　my　money　in　various　industries；　so　as　to　give　you　Plenty　of　Work。　　I　shall　pay　each　of　you　one　pound　per　week；　and　a　week's　work　is　…　you　must　each　produce　three　of　these　square　blocks。　　For　doing　this　work　you　will　each　receive　your　wages；　the　money　will　be　your　own；　to　do　as　you　like　with；　and　the　things　you　produce　will　of　course　be　mine；　to　do　as　I　like　with。　　You　will　each　take　one　of　these　machines　and　as　soon　as　you　have　done　a　week's　work；　you　shall　have　your　money。'

The　Working　Classes　accordingly　set　to　work；　and　the　Capitalist　class　sat　down　and　watched　them。　　As　soon　as　they　had　finished；　they　passed　the　nine　little　blocks　to　Owen；　who　placed　them　on　a　piece　of　paper　by　his　side　and　paid　the　workers　their　wages。

‘These　blocks　represent　the　necessaries　of　life。　　You　can't　live　without　some　of　these　things；　but　as　they　belong　to　me；　you　will　have　to　buy　them　from　me：　my　price　for　these　blocks　is　…　one　pound　each。'

As　the　working　classes　were　in　need　of　the　necessaries　of　life　and　as　they　could　not　eat；　drink　or　wear　the　useless　money；　they　were　compelled　to　agree　to　the　kind　Capitalist's　terms。　　They　each　bought　back　and　at　once　consumed　one…third　of　the　produce　of　their　labour。　The　capitalist　class　also　devoured　two　of　the　square　blocks；　and　so　the　net　result　of　the　week's　work　was　that　the　kind　capitalist　had　consumed　two　pounds　worth　of　the　things　produced　by　the　labour　of　the　others；　and　reckoning　the　squares　at　their　market　value　of　one　pound　each；　he　had　more　than　doubled　his　capital；　for　he　still　possessed　the　three　pounds　in　money　and　in　addition　four　pounds　worth　of　goods。　　As　for　the　working　classes；　Philpot；　Harlow　and　Easton；　having　each　consumed　the　pound's　worth　of　necessaries　they　had　bought　with　their　wages；　they　were　again　in　precisely　the　same　condition　as　when　they　started　work　…　they　had　nothing。

This　process　was　repeated　several　times：　for　each　week's　work　the　producers　were　paid　their　wages。　　They　kept　on　working　and　spending　all　their　earnings。　　The　kind…hearted　capitalist　consumed　twice　as　much　as　any　one　of　them　and　his　pile　of　wealth　continually　increased。　In　a　little　while　…　reckoning　the　little　squares　at　their　market　value　of　one　pound　each　…　he　was　worth　about　one　hundred　pounds；　and　the　working　classes　were　still　in　the　same　condition　as　when　they　began；　and　were　still　tearing　into　their　work　as　if　their　lives　depended　upon　it。

After　a　while　the　rest　of　the　crowd　began　to　laugh；　and　their　merriment　increased　when　the　kind…hearted　capitalist；　just　after　having　sold　a　pound's　worth　of　necessaries　to　each　of　his　workers；　suddenly　took　their　tools　…　the　Machinery　of　Production　…　the　knives　away　from　them；　and　informed　them　that　as　owing　to　Over　Production　all　his　store…houses　were　glutted　with　the　necessaries　of　life；　he　had　decided　to　close　down　the　works。

‘Well；　and　wot　the　bloody　'ell　are　we　to　do　now？'　demanded　Philpot。

‘That's　not　my　business；'　replied　the　kind…hearted　capitalist。　　‘I've　paid　you　your　wages；　and　provided　you　with　Plenty　of　Work　for　a　long　time　past。　　I　have　no　more　work　for　you　to　do　at　present。　　Come　round　again　in　a　few　months'　time　and　I'll　see　what　I　can　do　for　you。'

‘But　what　about　the　necessaries　of　life？'　demanded　Harlow。　　‘We　must　have　something　to　eat。'

‘Of　course　you　must；'　replied　the　capitalist；　affably；　‘and　I　shall　be　very　pleased　to　sell　you　some。'

‘But　we　ain't　got　no　bloody　money！'

‘Well；　you　can't　expect　me　to　give　you　my　goods　for　nothing！　　You　didn't　work　for　me　for　nothing；　you　know。　　I　paid　you　for　your　work　and　you　should　have　saved　something：　you　should　have　been　thrifty　like　me。　　Look　how　I　have　got　on　by　being　thrifty！'

The　unemployed　looked　blankly　at　each　other；　but　the　rest　of　the　crowd　only　laughed；　and　then　the　three　unemployed　began　to　abuse　the　kind…hearted　Capitalist；　demanding　that　he　should　give　them　some　of　the　necessaries　of　life　that　he　had　piled　up　in　his　warehouses；　or　to　be　allowed　to　work　and　produce　some　more　for　their　own　needs；　and　even　threatened　to　take　some　of　the　things　by　force　if　he　did　not　comply　with　their　demands。　　But　the　kind…hearted　Capitalist　told　them　not　to　be　insolent；　and　spoke　to　them　about　honesty；　and　said　if　they　were　not　careful　he　would　have　their　faces　battered　in　for　them　by　the　police；　or　if　necessary　he　would　call　out　the　military　and　have　them　shot　down　like　dogs；　the　same　as　he　had　done　before　at　Featherstone　and　Belfast。

‘Of　course；'　continued　the　kind…hearted　capitalist；　‘if　it　were　not　for　foreign　competition　I　should　be　able　to　sell　these　things　that　you　have　made；　and　then　I　should　be　able　to　give　you　Plenty　of　Work　again：　but　until　I　have　sold　them　to　somebody　or　other；　or　until　I　have　used　them　myself；　you　will　have　to　remain　idle。'

‘Well；　this　takes　the　bloody　biskit；　don't　it？'　said　Harlow。

‘The　only　thing　as　I　can　see　for　it；'　said　Philpot　mournfully；　‘is　to　'ave　a　unemployed　procession。'

‘That's　the　idear；'　said　Harlow；　and　the　three　began　to　march　about　the　room　in　Indian　file；　singing：

　　　　　　　　‘We've　got　no　work　to　do…oo…oo'　　　　　　　　　We've　got　no　work　to　do…oo…oo！　　　　　　　　　Just　because　we've　been　workin'　a　dam　sight　too　hard；　　　　　　　　　Now　we've　got　no　work　to　do。'

As　they　marched　round；　the　crowd　jeered　at　them　and　made　offensive　remarks。　　Crass　said　that　anyone　could　see　that　they　were　a　lot　of　lazy；　drunken　loafers　who　had　never　done　a　fair　day's　work　in　their　lives　and　never　intended　to。

‘We　shan't　never　get　nothing　like　this；　you　know；'　said　Philpot。　‘Let's　try　the　religious　dodge。'

‘All　right；'　agreed　Harlow。　　‘What　shall　we　give　'em？'

‘I　know！'　cried　Philpot　after　a　moment's　deliberation。　　‘〃Let　my　lower　lights　be　burning。〃　　That　always　makes　'em　part　up。'

The　three　unemployed　accordingly　resumed　their　march　round　the　room；　singing　mournfully　and　imitating　the　usual　whine　of　street…singers：

　　　　　　　　‘Trim　your　fee…bil　lamp　me　brither…in；　　　　　　　　　Some　poor　sail…er　tempest　torst；　　　　　　　　　Strugglin'　'ard　to　save　the　'arb…er；　　　　　　　　　Hin　the　dark…niss　may　be　lorst；　　　　　　　　　So　let　try　lower　lights　be　burning；　　　　　　　　　Send　'er　gleam　acrost　the　wave；　　　　　　　　　Some　poor　shipwrecked；　struggling　seaman；　　　　　　　　　You　may　rescue；　you　may　save。'

‘Kind　frens；'　said　Philpot；　removing　his　cap　and　addressing　the　crowd；　‘we're　hall　honest　British　workin'　men；　but　we've　been　hout　of　work　for　the　last　twenty　years　on　account　of　foreign　competition　and　over…production。　　We　don't　come　hout　'ere　because　we're　too　lazy　to　work；　it's　because　we　can't　get　a　job。　　If　it　wasn't　for　foreign　competition；　the　kind'earted　Hinglish　capitalists　would　be　able　to　sell　their　goods　and　give　us　Plenty　of　Work；　and　if　they　could；　I　assure　you　that　we　should　hall　be　perfectly　willing　and　contented　to　go　on　workin'　our　bloody　guts　out　for　the　benefit　of　our　masters　for　the　rest　of　our　lives。　　We're　quite　willin'　to　work：　that's　hall　we　arst　for　…　Plenty　of　Work　…　but　as　we　can't　get　it　we're　forced　to　come　out　'ere　and　arst　you　to　spare　a　few　coppers　towards　a　crust　of　bread　and　a　night's　lodgin'。'

As　Philpot　held　out　his　cap　for　subscriptions；　some　of　them　attempted　to　expectorate　into　it；　but　the　more　charitable　put　in　pieces　of　cinder　or　dirt　from　the　floor；　and　the　kind…hearted　capitalist　was　so　affected　by　the　sight　of　their　misery　that　he　gave　them　one　of　the　sovereigns　he　had　in　us　pocket：　but　as　this　was　of　no　use　to　them　they　immediately　returned　it　to　him　in　exchange　for　one　of　the　small　squares　of　the　necessaries　of　life；　which　they　divided　and　greedily　devoured。　　And　when　they　had　finished　eating　they　gathered　round　the　philanthropist　and　sang；　‘For　he's　a　jolly　good　fellow；'　and　afterwards　Harlow　suggest