the ragged trousered philanthropists-第99章

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All　through　the　winter；　the　wise；　practical；　philanthropic；　fat　persons　whom　the　people　of　Mugsborough　had　elected　to　manage　their　affairs　…　or　whom　they　permitted　to　manage　them　without　being　elected　…　continued　to　grapple；　or　to　pretend　to　grapple；　with　the　‘problem'　of　unemployment　and　poverty。　　They　continued　to　hold　meetings；　rummage　and　jumble　sales；　entertainments　and　special　services。　　They　continued　to　distribute　the　rotten　cast…off　clothing　and　boots；　and　the　nourishment　tickets。　　They　were　all　so　sorry　for　the　poor；　especially　for　the　‘dear　little　children'。　　They　did　all　sorts　of　things　to　help　the　children。　　In　fact；　there　was　nothing　that　they　would　not　do　for　them　except　levy　a　halfpenny　rate。　　It　would　never　do　to　do　that。　　It　might　pauperize　the　parents　and　destroy　parental　responsibility。　　They　evidently　thought　that　it　would　be　better　to　destroy　the　health　or　even　the　lives　of　the　‘dear　little　children'　than　to　pauperize　the　parents　or　undermine　parental　responsibility。　　These　people　seemed　to　think　that　the　children　were　the　property　of　their　parents。　　They　did　not　have　sense　enough　to　see　that　the　children　are　not　the　property　of　their　parents　at　all；　but　the　property　of　the　community。　　When　they　attain　to　manhood　and　womanhood　they　will　be；　if　mentally　or　physically　inefficient；　a　burden　on　the　community；　if　they　become　criminals；　they　will　prey　upon　the　community；　and　if　they　are　healthy；　educated　and　brought　up　in　good　surroundings；　they　will　become　useful　citizens；　able　to　render　valuable　service；　not　merely　to　their　parents；　but　to　the　community。　Therefore　the　children　are　the　property　of　the　community；　and　it　is　the　business　and　to　the　interest　of　the　community　to　see　that　their　constitutions　are　not　undermined　by　starvation。　　The　Secretary　of　the　local　Trades　Council；　a　body　formed　of　delegates　from　all　the　different　trades　unions　in　the　town；　wrote　a　letter　to　the　Obscurer；　setting　forth　this　view。　　He　pointed　out　that　a　halfpenny　rate　in　that　town　would　produce　a　sum　of　？00；　which　would　be　more　than　sufficient　to　provide　food　for　all　the　hungry　schoolchildren。　　In　the　next　issue　of　the　paper　several　other　letters　appeared　from　leading　citizens；　including；　of　course；　Sweater；　Rushton；　Didlum　and　Grinder；　ridiculing　the　proposal　of　the　Trades　Council；　who　were　insultingly　alluded　to　as　‘pothouse　politicians'；　‘beer…sodden　agitators'　and　so　forth。　　Their　right　to　be　regarded　as　representatives　of　the　working　men　was　denied；　and　Grinder；　who；　having　made　inquiries　amongst　working　men；　was　acquainted　with　the　facts；　stated　that　there　was　scarcely　one　of　the　local　branches　of　the　trades　unions　which　had　more　than　a　dozen　members；　and　as　Grinder's　statement　was　true；　the　Secretary　was　unable　to　contradict　it。　　The　majority　of　the　working　men　were　also　very　indignant　when　they　heard　about　the　Secretary's　letter：　they　said　the　rates　were　quite　high　enough　as　it　was；　and　they　sneered　at　him　for　presuming　to　write　to　the　papers　at　all：

‘Who　the　bloody　'ell　was　'e？'　they　said。　　‘'E　was　not　a　Gentleman！　　'E　was　only　a　workin'　man　the　same　as　themselves　…　a　common　carpenter！　What　the　'ell　did　'e　know　about　it？　　Nothing。　　'E　was　just　trying　to　make　'isself　out　to　be　Somebody；　that　was　all。　　The　idea　of　one　of　the　likes　of　them　writing　to　the　papers！'

One　day；　having　nothing　better　to　do；　Owen　was　looking　at　some　books　that　were　exposed　for　sale　on　a　table　outside　a　second…hand　furniture　shop。　　One　book　in　particular　took　his　attention：　he　read　several　pages　with　great　interest；　and　regretted　that　he　had　not　the　necessary　sixpence　to　buy　it。　　The　title　of　the　book　was：　Consumption：　Its　Causes　and　Its　Cure。　　The　author　was　a　well…known　physician　who　devoted　his　whole　attention　to　the　study　of　that　disease。　　Amongst　other　things；　the　book　gave　rules　for　the　feeding　of　delicate　children；　and　there　were　also　several　different　dietaries　recommended　for　adult　persons　suffering　from　the　disease。　　One　of　these　dietaries　amused　him　very　much；　because　as　far　as　the　majority　of　those　who　suffer　from　consumption　are　concerned；　the　good　doctor　might　just　as　well　have　prescribed　a　trip　to　the　moon：

‘Immediately　on　waking　in　the　morning；　half　a　pint　of　milk　…　this　should　be　hot；　if　possible　…　with　a　small　slice　of　bread　and　butter。

‘At　breakfast：　half　a　pint　of　milk；　with　coffee；　chocolate；　or　oatmeal：　eggs　and　bacon；　bread　and　butter；　or　dry　toast。

‘At　eleven　o'clock：　half　a　pint　of　milk　with　an　egg　beaten　up　in　it　or　some　beef　tea　and　bread　and　butter。

‘At　one　o'clock：　half　a　pint　of　warm　milk　with　a　biscuit　or　sandwich。

‘At　two　o'clock：　fish　and　roast　mutton；　or　a　mutton　chop；　with　as　much　fat　as　possible：　poultry；　game；　etc。；　may　be　taken　with　vegetables；　and　milk　pudding。

‘At　five　o'clock：　hot　milk　with　coffee　or　chocolate；　bread　and　butter；　watercress；　etc。

‘At　eight　o'clock：　a　pint　of　milk；　with　oatmeal　or　chocolate；　and　gluten　bread；　or　two　lightly　boiled　eggs　with　bread　and　butter。

‘Before　retiring　to　rest：　a　glass　of　warm　milk。

‘During　the　night：　a　glass　of　milk　with　a　biscuit　or　bread　and　butter　should　be　placed　by　the　bedside　and　be　eaten　if　the　patient　awakes。'

Whilst　Owen　was　reading　this　book；　Crass；　Harlow；　Philpot　and　Easton　were　talking　together　on　the　other　side　of　the　street；　and　presently　Crass　caught　sight　of　him。　　They　had　been　discussing　the　Secretary's　letter　re　the　halfpenny　rate；　and　as　Owen　was　one　of　the　members　of　the　Trades　Council；　Crass　suggested　that　they　should　go　across　and　tackle　him　about　it。

‘How　much　is　your　house　assessed　at？'　asked　Owen　after　listening　for　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　to　Crass's　objection。

‘Fourteen　pound；'　replied　Crass。

‘That　means　that　you　would　have　to　pay　sevenpence　per　year　if　we　had　a　halfpenny　rate。　　Wouldn't　it　be　worth　sevenpence　a　year　to　you　to　know　that　there　were　no　starving　children　in　the　town？'

‘Why　should　I　'ave　to　'elp　to　keep　the　children　of　a　man　who's　too　lazy　to　work；　or　spends　all　'is　money　on　drink？'　shouted　Crass。　　‘'Ow　are　yer　goin'　to　make　out　about　the　likes　o'　them？'

‘If　his　children　are　starving　we　should　feed　them　first；　and　punish　him　afterwards。'

‘The　rates　is　quite　high　enough　as　it　is；'　grumbled　Harlow；　who　had　four　children　himself。

‘That's　quite　true；　but　you　must　remember　that　the　rates　the　working　classes　at　present　pay　are　spent　mostly　for　the　benefit　of　other　people。　　Good　roads　are　maintained　for　people　who　ride　in　motor　cars　and　carriages；　the　Park　and　the　Town　Band　for　those　who　have　leisure　to　enjoy　them；　the　Police　force　to　protect　the　property　of　those　who　have　something　to　lose；　and　so　on。　　But　if　we　pay　this　rate　we　shall　get　something　for　our　money。'

‘We　gets　the　benefit　of　the　good　roads　when　we　'as　to　push　a　'andcart　with　a　load　o'　paint　and　ladders；'　said　Easton。

‘Of　course；'　said　Crass；　‘and　besides；　the　workin'　class　gets　the　benefit　of　all　the　other　things　too；　because　it　all　makes　work。'

‘Well；　for　my　part；'　said　Philpot；　‘I　wouldn't　mind　payin'　my　share　towards　a　'appeny　rate；　although　I　ain't　got　no　kids　o'　me　own。'

The　hostility　of　most　of。the　working　men　to　the　proposed　rate　was　almost　as　bitter　as　that　of　the　‘better'　classes　…　the　noble…minded　philanthropists　who　were　always　gushing　out　their　sympathy　for　the　‘dear　little　ones'；　the　loathsome　hypocrites　who　pretended　that　there　was　no　need　to　levy　a　rate　because　they　were　willing　to　give　sufficient　money　in　the　form　of　charity　to　meet　the　case：　but　the　children　continued　to　go　hungry　all　the　same。

‘Loathsome　hypocrites'　may　seem　a　hard　saying；　but　it　was　a　matter　of　common　knowledge　that　the　majority　of　the　children　attending　the　local　elementary　schools　were　insufficiently　fed。　　It　was　admitted　that　the　money　that　could　be　raised　by　a　halfpenny　rate　would　be　more　than　sufficient　to　provide　them　all　with　one　good　meal　every　day。　　The　charity…mongers　who　professed　such　extravagant　sympathy　with　the　‘dear　little　children'　resisted　the　levying　of　the　rate　‘because　it　would　press　so　heavily　on　the　poorer　ratepayers'；　and　said　that　they　were　willing　to　give　more　in　voluntary　charity　than　the　rate　would　amount　to：　but；　the　‘dear　little　children'　…　as　they　were　so　fond　of　calling　them　…　continued　to