the ragged trousered philanthropists-第103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！


before。

‘Another　way　of　preventing　over　production　of　mere　necessaries　and　comforts　will　be　to　employ　a　large　number　of　workers　producing　the　refinements　and　pleasures　of　life；　more　artistic　houses；　furniture；　pictures；　musical　instruments　and　so　forth。

‘In　the　centre　of　every　district　a　large　Institute　or　pleasure　house　could　be　erected；　containing　a　magnificently　appointed　and　decorated　theatre；　Concert　Hall；　Lecture　Hall；　Gymnasium；　Billiard　Rooms；　Reading　Rooms；　Refreshment　Rooms；　and　so　on。　　A　detachment　of　the　Industrial　Army　would　be　employed　as　actors；　artistes；　musicians；　singers　and　entertainers。　　In　fact　everyone　that　could　be　spared　from　the　most　important　work　of　all　…　that　of　producing　the　necessaries　of　life　…　would　be　employed　in　creating　pleasure；　culture；　and　education。　All　these　people　…　like　the　other　branches　of　the　public　service　…　would　be　paid　with　paper　money；　and　with　it　all　of　them　would　be　able　to　purchase　abundance　of　all　those　things　which　constitute　civilization。

‘Meanwhile；　as　a　result　of　all　this；　the　kind…hearted　private　employers　and　capitalists　would　find　that　no　one　would　come　and　work　for　them　to　be　driven　and　bullied　and　sweated　for　a　miserable　trifle　of　metal　money　that　is　scarcely　enough　to　purchase　sufficient　of　the　necessaries　of　life　to　keep　body　and　soul　together。

‘These　kind…hearted　capitalists　will　protest　against　what　they　will　call　the　unfair　competition　of　State　industry；　and　some　of　them　may　threaten　to　leave　the　country　and　take　their　capital　with　them。。。　　As　most　of　these　persons　are　too　lazy　to　work；　and　as　we　will　not　need　their　money；　we　shall　be　very　glad　to　see　them　go。　　But　with　regard　to　their　real　capital　…　their　factories；　farms；　mines　or　machinery　…　that　will　be　a　different　matter。。。　　To　allow　these　things　to　remain　idle　and　unproductive　would　constitute　an　injury　to　the　community。　　So　a　law　will　be　passed；　declaring　that　all　land　not　cultivated　by　the　owner；　or　any　factory　shut　down　for　more　than　a　specified　time；　will　be　taken　possession　of　by　the　State　and　worked　for　the　benefit　of　the　community。。。　　Fair　compensation　will　be　paid　in　paper　money　to　the　former　owners；　who　will　be　granted　an　income　or　pension　of　so　much　a　year　either　for　life　or　for　a　stated　period　according　to　circumstances　and　the　ages　of　the　persons　concerned。

‘As　for　the　private　traders；　the　wholesale　and　retail　dealers　in　the　things　produced　by　labour；　they　will　be　forced　by　the　State　competition　to　close　down　their　shops　and　warehouses　…　first；　because　they　will　not　be　able　to　replenish　their　stocks；　and；　secondly；　because　even　if　they　were　able　to　do　so；　they　would　not　be　able　to　sell　them。　　This　will　throw　out　of　work　a　great　host　of　people　who　are　at　present　engaged　in　useless　occupations；　the　managers　and　assistants　in　the　shops　of　which　we　now　see　half　a　dozen　of　the　same　sort　in　a　single　street；　the　thousands　of　men　and　women　who　are　slaving　away　their　lives　producing　advertisements；　for；　in　most　cases；　a　miserable　pittance　of　metal　money；　with　which　many　of　them　are　unable　to　procure　sufficient　of　the　necessaries　of　life　to　secure　them　from　starvation。

‘The　masons；　carpenters；　painters。　glaziers；　and　all　the　others　engaged　in　maintaining　these　unnecessary　stores　and　shops　will　all　be　thrown　out　of　employment；　but　all　of　them　who　are　willing　to　work　will　be　welcomed　by　the　State　and　will　be　at　once　employed　helping　either　to　produce　or　distribute　the　necessaries　and　comforts　of　life。　　They　will　have　to　work　fewer　hours　than　before。。。　　They　will　not　have　to　work　so　hard　…　for　there　will　be　no　need　to　drive　or　bully；　because　there　will　be　plenty　of　people　to　do　the　work；　and　most　of　it　will　be　done　by　machinery　…　and　with　their　paper　money　they　will　be　able　to　buy　abundance　of　the　things　they　help　to　produce。　　The　shops　and　stores　where　these　people　were　formerly　employed　will　be　acquired　by　the　State；　which　will　pay　the　former　owners　fair　compensation　in　the　same　manner　as　to　the　factory　owners。　　Some　of　the　buildings　will　be　utilized　by　the　State　as　National　Service　Stores；　others　transformed　into　factories　and　others　will　be　pulled　down　to　make　room　for　dwellings；　or　public　buildings。。。　　It　will　be　the　duty　of　the　Government　to　build　a　sufficient　number　of　houses　to　accommodate　the　families　of　all　those　in　its　employment；　and　as　a　consequence　of　this　and　because　of　the　general　disorganization　and　decay　of　what　is　now　called　〃business〃；　all　other　house　property　of　all　kinds　will　rapidly　depreciate　in　value。　　The　slums　and　the　wretched　dwellings　now　occupied　by　the　working　classes　…　the　miserable；　uncomfortable；　jerry…built　〃villas〃　occupied　by　the　lower　middle　classes　and　by　〃business〃　people；　will　be　left　empty　and　valueless　upon　the　hands　of　their　rack　renting　landlords；　who　will　very　soon　voluntarily　offer　to　hand　them　and　the　ground　they　stand　upon　to　the　state　on　the　same　terms　as　those　accorded　to　the　other　property　owners；　namely　…　in　return　for　a　pension。　　Some　of　these　people　will　be　content　to　live　in　idleness　on　the　income　allowed　them　for　life　as　compensation　by　the　State：　others　will　devote　themselves　to　art　or　science　and　some　others　will　offer　their　services　to　the　community　as　managers　and　superintendents；　and　the　State　will　always　be　glad　to　employ　all　those　who　are　willing　to　help　in　the　Great　Work　of　production　and　distribution。

‘By　this　time　the　nation　will　be　the　sole　employer　of　labour；　and　as　no　one　will　be　able　to　procure　the　necessaries　of　life　without　paper　money；　and　as　the　only　way　to　obtain　this　will　be　working；　it　will　mean　that　every　mentally　and　physically　capable　person　in　the　community　will　be　helping　in　the　great　work　of　PRODUCTION　and　DISTRIBUTION。　　We　shall　not　need　as　at　present；　to　maintain　a　police　force　to　protect　the　property　of　the　idle　rich　from　the　starving　wretches　whom　they　have　robbed。　　There　will　be　no　unemployed　and　no　overlapping　of　labour；　which　will　be　organized　and　concentrated　for　the　accomplishment　of　the　only　rational　object　…　the　creation　of　the　things　we　require。。。　　For　every　one　labour…saving　machine　in　use　today；　we　will；　if　necessary；　employ　a　thousand　machines！　and　consequently　there　will　be　produced　such　a　stupendous；　enormous；　prodigious；　overwhelming　abundance　of　everything　that　soon　the　Community　will　be　faced　once　more　with　the　serious　problem　of　OVER…PRODUCTION。

‘To　deal　with　this；　it　will　be　necessary　to　reduce　the　hours　of　our　workers　to　four　or　five　hours　a　day。。。　　All　young　people　will　be　allowed　to　continue　at　public　schools　and　universities　and　will　not　be　required　to　take　any　part　in　the　work　or　the　nation　until　they　are　twenty…one　years　of　age。　　At　the　age　of　forty…five；　everyone　will　be　allowed　to　retire　from　the　State　service　on　full　pay。。。　　All　these　will　be　able　to　spend　the　rest　of　their　days　according　to　their　own　inclinations；　some　will　settle　down　quietly　at　home；　and　amuse　themselves　in　the　same　ways　as　people　of　wealth　and　leisure　do　at　the　present　day　…　with　some　hobby；　or　by　taking　part　in　the　organization　of　social　functions；　such　as　balls；　parties；　entertainments；　the　organization　of　Public　Games　and　Athletic　Tournaments；　Races　and　all　kinds　of　sports。

‘Some　will　prefer　to　continue　in　the　service　of　the　State。　　Actors；　artists；　sculptors；　musicians　and　others　will　go　on　working　for　their　own　pleasure　and　honour。。。　　Some　will　devote　their　leisure　to　science；　art；　or　literature。　　Others　will　prefer　to　travel　on　the　State　steamships　to　different　parts　of　the　world　to　see　for　themselves　all　those　things　of　which　most　of　us　have　now　but　a　dim　and　vague　conception。　　The　wonders　of　India　and　Egypt；　the　glories　of　Rome；　the　artistic　treasures　of　the　continent　and　the　sublime　scenery　of　other　lands。

‘Thus　…　for　the　first　time　in　the　history　of　humanity　…　the　benefits　and　pleasures　conferred　upon　mankind　by　science　and　civilization　will　be　enjoyed　equally　by　all；　upon　the　one　condition；　that　they　shall　do　their　share　of　the　work；　that　is　necessary　in　order　to；　make　all　these　things　possible。

‘These　are　the　principles　upon　which　the　CO…OPERATIVE　COMMONWEALTH　of　the　future　will　be　organized。　　The　State　in　which　no　one　will　be　distinguished　or　honoured　above　his　fellows　except　for　Virtue　or　Talent。　　Where　no　man　will　find　his　profit　in　another's　loss；　and　we　shall　no　longer　be　masters　and　servants；　but　brothers；　free　men；　and　friends。　　Where　there　will　be　no　weary；　broken　men　and　women　passing　their　joyless　lives　in　toil　and　want；　and　no　little　children　crying　because　they　are　hungry　or　cold。

‘A　State　wherein　it　will　be　possible　to　put　into　practice　the　teachings　of　Him　whom　so　many　now　pretend　to　follow。　　A　society　which　shall　have　justice　and　co…operation　for　its　foundation；　and　International　Brotherhood　and　love　for　its　law。

　　　　　　　　‘Such　are　the　days　that　shall　be！　but　　　　　　　　　What　are　the　deeds　of　today；　　　　　　　　　In　the　days　of　the　years　we　dwell　in；　　　　　　　　　That　wear　our　lives　away？　　　　　　　　　Why；　then；　and　for　what　we　are　waiting？　　　　　　　　　There　are　but　three　words　to　speak　　　　　　　　　〃We　will　it；〃　and　what　is　the　foreman　　　　　　　　　but　the　dream　strong　wakened　and　weak？　　　　　　　　　‘Oh；　why　and　for　what　are　we　waiting；　while　　　　　　　　　our　brothers　droop　and　die？　　　　　　　　　And　on　every　wind　of　the　heavens；　a　　　　　　　　　wasted　life　goes　by。　　　　　　　　　‘How　long　shall　they　reproach　us；　where　　　　　　　　　crowd　on　crowd　they　dwell　　　　　　　　　Poor　ghosts　of　the　wicked　city；　　　　　　　　　gold　crushed；　hungry　hell？　　　　　　　　　‘Through　squalid　life　they　laboured　in　　　　　　　　　sordid　grief　they　died　　　　　　　　　Those　sons　of　a　mighty　mother；　those　　　　　　　　　props　of　England's　pride。　　　　　　　　　They　are　gone；　there　is　none　can　undo　　　　　　　　　it；　nor　save　our　souls　from　the　curse；　　　　　　　　　But　many　a　million　cometh；　and　shall　　　　　　　　　they　be　better　or　worse？

　　　　　　　　‘It　is　We　must　answer　and　hasten　and　open　wide　the　door；　　　　　　　　　For　the　rich　man's　hurrying　terror；　and　the　slow　foot　hope　of　　　　　　　　　the　poor；　　　　　　　　　Yea；　the　voiceless　wrath　of　the　wretched　and　their　unlearned　　　　　　　　　discontent；　　　　　　　　　We　must　give　it　voice　and　wisdom；　till　the　waiting　tide　be　　　　　　　　　spent　　　　　　　　　Come　then　since　all　things　call　us；　the　living　and　the　dead；　　　　　　　　　And　o'er　the　weltering　tangle　a　glimmering　light　is　shed。'

As　Barrington　descended　from　the　Pulpit　and　walked　back　to　his　accustomed　seat；　a　loud　shout　of　applause　burst　from　a　few　men　in　the　crowd；　who　stood　up　and　waved　their　caps　and　cheered　again　and　again。　When　order　was　restored；　Philpot　rose　and　addressed　the　meeting：

‘Is　there　any　gentleman　wot　would　like　to　ask　the　Speaker　a　question？'

No　one　spoke　and　the　Chairman　again　put　the　question　without　obtaining　any　response；　but　at　length　one　of　the　new　hands　who　had　been　‘taken　on'　about　a　week　previously　to　replace　another　painter　who　had　been　sacked　for　being　too　slow　…　stood　up　and　said　there　was　one　point　that　he　would　like　a　little　more　information　about。　　This　man　had　two　patches　on　the　seat　of　his　trousers；　which　were　also　very　much　frayed　and　ragged　at　the　bottoms　of　the　legs：　the　lining　of　his　coat　was　all　in　rags；　as　were　also　the　bottoms　of　the　sleeves；　his　boots　were　old　and　had　been　many　times　mended　and　patched；　the　sole　of　one　of　them　had　begun　to　separate　from　the　upper　and　he　had　sewn　these　parts　together　with　a　few　sti