the ragged trousered philanthropists-第79章

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‘Wotcher　mean；　equivalent？'　cried　Crass。　　‘Why　the　'ell　don't　yer　talk　plain　English　without　draggin'　in　a　lot　of　long　words　wot　nobody　can't　understand？'

‘I　mean　this；'　replied　Owen；　speaking　very　slowly。　　‘Everything　is　produced　by　the　people　in　number　four。　　In　return　for　their　work　they　are　given　…　Money；　and　the　things　they　have　made　become　the　property　of　the　people　who　do　nothing。　　Then；　as　the　money　is　of　no　use；　the　workers　go　to　shops　and　give　it　away　in　exchange　for　some　of　the　things　they　themselves　have　made。　　They　spend　…　or　give　back　…　ALL　their　wages；　but　as　the　money　they　got　as　wages　is　not　equal　in　value　to　the　things　they　produced；　they　find　that　they　are　only　able　to　buy　back　a　VERY　SMALL　PART。　　So　you　see　that　these　little　discs　of　metal　…　this　Money　…　is　a　device　for　enabling　those　who　do　not　work　to　rob　the　workers　of　the　greater　part　of　the　fruits　of　their　toil。'

The　silence　that　ensued　was　broken　by　Crass。

‘It　sounds　very　pretty；'　he　sneered；　‘but　I　can't　make　no　'ead　or　tail　of　it；　meself。'

‘Look　here！'　cried　Owen。　　‘The　producing　class　…　these　people　in　number　four　are　supposed　to　be　paid　for　their　work。　　Their　wages　are　supposed　to　be　equal　in　value　to　their　work。　　But　it's　not　so。　　If　it　were；　by　spending　all　their　wages；　the　producing　class　would　be　able　to　buy　back　All　they　had　produced。'

Owen　ceased　speaking　and　silence　once　more　ensued。　　No　one　gave　any　sign　of　understanding；　or　of　agreeing　or　of　disagreeing　with　what　he　had　said。　　Their　attitude　was　strictly　neutral。　　Barrington's　pipe　had　gone　out　during　the　argument。　　He　relit　it　from　the　fire　with　a　piece　of　twisted　paper。

‘If　their　wages　were　really　equal　in　value　to　the　product　of　their　labour；'　Owen　repeated；　‘they　would　be　able　to　buy　back　not　a　small　part　…　but　the　Whole。'　。。。

At　this；　a　remark　from　Bundy　caused　a　shout　of　laughter；　and　when　Wantley　added　point　to　the　joke　by　making　a　sound　like　the　discharge　of　a　pistol　the　merriment　increased　tenfold。

‘Well；　that's　done　it；'　remarked　Easton；　as　he　got　up　and　opened　the　window。

‘It's　about　time　you　was　buried；　if　the　smell's　anything　to　go　by；'　said　Harlow；　addressing　Wantley；　who　laughed　and　appeared　to　think　he　had　distinguished　himself。

‘But　even　if　we　include　the　whole　of　the　working　classes；'　continued　Owen；　‘that　is；　the　people　in　number　three　as　well　as　those　in　number　four；　we　find　that　their　combined　wages　are　insufficient　to　buy　the　things　made　by　the　producers。　　The　total　value　of　the　wealth　produced　in　this　country　during　the　last　year　was　？；800；000；000；　and　the　total　amount　paid　in　wages　during　the　same　period　was　only　？00；000；000。　　In　other　words；　by　means　of　the　Money　Trick；　the　workers　were　robbed　of　two…thirds　of　the　value　of　their　labour。　　All　the　people　in　numbers　three　and　four　are　working　and　suffering　and　starving　and　fighting　in　order　that　the　rich　people　in　numbers　one　and　two　may　live　in　luxury；　and　do　nothing。　　These　are　the　wretches　who　cause　poverty：　they　not　only　devour　or　waste　or　hoard　the　things　made　by　the　worker；　but　as　soon　as　their　own　wants　are　supplied　…　they　compel　the　workers　to　cease　working　and　prevent　them　producing　the　things　they　need。　　Most　of　these　people！'　cried　Owen；　his　usually　pale　face　flushing　red　and　his　eyes　shining　with　sudden　anger；　‘most　of　these　people　do　not　deserve　to　be　called　human　beings　at　all！　　They're　devils！　　They　know　that　whilst　they　are　indulging　in　pleasures　of　every　kind　…　all　around　them　men　and　women　and　little　children　are　existing　in　want　or　dying　of　hunger。'

The　silence　which　followed　was　at　length　broken　by　Harlow：

‘You　say　the　workers　is　entitled　to　all　they　produce；　but　you　forget　there's　the　raw　materials　to　pay　for。　　They　don't　make　them；　you　know。'

‘Of　course　the　workers　don't　create　the　raw　materials；'　replied　Owen。　‘But　I　am　not　aware　that　the　capitalists　or　the　landlords　do　so　either。　　The　raw　materials　exist　in　abundance　in　and　on　the　earth；　but　they　are　of　no　use　until　labour　has　been　applied　to　them。'

‘But　then；　you　see；　the　earth　belongs　to　the　landlords！'　cried　Crass；　unguardedly。

‘I　know　that；　and　of　course　you　think　it's　right　that　the　whole　country　should　belong　to　a　few　people　…'

‘I　must　call　the　lecturer　to　horder；'　interrupted　Philpot。　　‘The　land　question　is　not　before　the　meeting　at　present。'

‘You　talk　about　the　producers　being　robbed　of　most　of　the　value　of　what　they　produce；'　said　Harlow；　‘but　you　must　remember　that　it　ain't　all　produced　by　hand　labour。　　What　about　the　things　what's　made　by　machinery？'

‘The　machines　themselves　were　made　by　the　workers；'　returned　Owen；　‘but　of　course　they　do　not　belong　to　the　workers；　who　have　been　robbed　of　them　by　means　of　the　Money　Trick。'

‘But　who　invented　all　the　machinery？'　cried　Crass。

‘That's　more　than　you　or　I　or　anyone　else　can　say；'　returned　Owen；　‘but　it　certainly　wasn't　the　wealthy　loafer　class；　or　the　landlords；　or　the　employers。　　Most　of　the　men　who　invented　the　machinery　lived　and　died　unknown；　in　poverty　and　often　in　actual　want。　　The　inventors　too　were　robbed　by　the　exploiter…of…labour　class。　　There　are　no　men　living　at　present　who　can　justly　claim　to　have　invented　the　machinery　that　exists　today。　　The　most　they　can　truthfully　say　is　that　they　have　added　to　or　improved　upon　the　ideas　of　those　who　lived　and　worked　before　them。　　Even　Watt　and　Stevenson　merely　improved　upon　steam　engines　and　locomotives　already　existing。　　Your　question　has　really　nothing　to　do　with　the　subject　we　are　discussing：　we　are　only　trying　to　find　out　why　the　majority　of　people　have　to　go　short　of　the　benefits　of　civilization。　　One　of　the　causes　is　…　the　majority　of　the　population　are　engaged　in　work　that　does　not　produce　those　things；　and　most　of　what　IS　produced　is　appropriated　and　wasted　by　those　who　have　no　right　to　it。

‘The　workers　produce　Everything！　　If　you　walk　through　the　streets　of　a　town　or　a　city；　and　look　around；　Everything　that　you　can　see　…　Factories；　Machinery；　Houses；　Railways；　Tramways；　Canals；　Furniture；　Clothing；　Food　and　the　very　road　or　pavement　you　stand　upon　were　all　made　by　the　working　class；　who　spend　all　their　wages　in　buying　back　only　a　very　small　part　of　the　things　they　produce。　　Therefore　what　remains　in　the　possession　of　their　masters　represents　the　difference　between　the　value　of　the　work　done　and　the　wages　paid　for　doing　it。　This　systematic　robbery　has　been　going　on　for　generations；　the　value　of　the　accumulated　loot　is　enormous；　and　all　of　it；　all　the　wealth　at　present　in　the　possession　of　the　rich；　is　rightly　the　property　of　the　working　class　…　it　has　been　stolen　from　them　by　means　of　the　Money　Trick。'　。。。

For　some　moments　an　oppressive　silence　prevailed。　　The　men　stared　with　puzzled；　uncomfortable　looks　alternately　at　each　other　and　at　the　drawings　on　the　wall。　　They　were　compelled　to　do　a　little　thinking　on　their　own　account；　and　it　was　a　process　to　which　they　were　unaccustomed。　　In　their　infancy　they　had　been　taught　to　distrust　their　own　intelligence　and　to　leave　〃thinking'　to　their　‘pastors'　and　masters　and　to　their　‘betters'　generally。　　All　their　lives　they　had　been　true　to　this　teaching；　they　had　always　had　blind；　unreasoning　faith　in　the　wisdom　and　humanity　of　their　pastors　and　masters。　　That　was　the　reason　why　they　and　their　children　had　been　all　their　lives　on　the　verge　of　starvation　and　nakedness；　whilst　their　‘betters'　…　who　did　nothing　but　the　thinking　…　went　clothed　in　purple　and　fine　linen　and　fared　sumptuously　every　day。

Several　men　had　risen　from　their　seats　and　were　attentively　studying　the　diagrams　Owen　had　drawn　on　the　wall；　and　nearly　all　the　others　were　making　the　same　mental　efforts　…　they　were　trying　to　think　of　something　to　say　in　defence　of　those　who　robbed　them　of　the　fruits　of　their　toil。

‘I　don't　see　no　bloody　sense　in　always　runnin'　down　the　rich；'　said　Harlow　at　last。　　‘There's　always　been　rich　and　poor　in　the　world　and　there　always　will　be。'

‘Of　course；'　said　Slyme。　　‘It　says　in　the　Bible　that　the　poor　shall　always　be　with　us。'

‘What　the　bloody　'ell　kind　of　system　do　you　think　we　ought　to　'ave？'　demanded　Crass。　　‘If　everything's　wrong；　'ow's　it　goin'　to　be　altered？'

At　this；　everybody　brightened　up　again；　and　exchanged　looks