the ragged trousered philanthropists-第104章

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one　of　them　had　begun　to　separate　from　the　upper　and　he　had　sewn　these　parts　together　with　a　few　stitches　of　copper　wire。　　He　had　been　out　of　employment　for　several　weeks　and　it　was　evident　from　the　pinched　expression　of　his　still　haggard　face　that　during　that　time　he　had　not　had　sufficient　to　eat。　　This　man　was　not　a　drunkard；　neither　was　he　one　of　those　semi…mythical　persons　who　are　too　lazy　to　work。　　He　was　married　and　had　several　children。　　One　of　them；　a　boy　of　fourteen　years　old；　earned　five　shillings　a　week　as　a　light　porter　at　a　Grocer's。

Being　a　householder　the　man　had　a　vote；　but　he　had　never　hitherto　taken　much　interest　in　what　he　called　‘politics'。　　In　his　opinion；　those　matters　were　not　for　the　likes　of　him。　　He　believed　in　leaving　such　difficult　subjects　to　be　dealt　with　by　his　betters。　　In　his　present　unhappy　condition　he　was　a　walking　testimonial　to　the　wisdom　and　virtue　and　benevolence　of　those　same　‘betters'　who　have　hitherto　managed　the　affairs　of　the　world　with　results　so　very　satisfactory　for　themselves。

‘I　should　like　to　ask　the　speaker；'　he　said；　‘supposin'　all　this　that　'e　talks　about　is　done　…　what's　to　become　of　the　King；　and　the　Royal　Family；　and　all　the　Big　Pots？'

‘'Ear；　'ear；'　cried　Crass；　eagerly　…　and　Ned　Dawson　and　the　man　behind　the　moat　both　said　that　that　was　what　they　would　like　to　know；　too。

‘I　am　much　more　concerned　about　what　is　to　become　of　ourselves　if　these　things　are　not　done；'　replied　Barrington。　　‘I　think　we　should　try　to　cultivate　a　little　more　respect　of　our　own　families　and　to　concern　ourselves　a　little　less　about　〃Royal〃　Families。　　I　fail　to　see　any　reason　why　we　should　worry　ourselves　about　those　people；　they're　all　right　…　they　have　all　they　need；　and　as　far　as　I　am　aware；　nobody　wishes　to　harm　them　and　they　are　well　able　to　look　after　themselves。　They　will　fare　the　same　as　the　other　rich　people。'

‘I　should　like　to　ask；'　said　Harlow；　‘wot's　to　become　of　all　the　gold　and　silver　and　copper　money？　　Wouldn't　it　be　of　no　use　at　all？'

‘It　would　be　of　far　more　use　under　Socialism　than　it　is　at　present。　The　State　would　of　course　become　possessed　of　a　large　quantity　of　it　in　the　early　stages　of　the　development　of　the　Socialist　system；　because　…　at　first　…　while　the　State　would　be　paying　all　its　officers　and　productive　workers　in　paper；　the　rest　of　the　community　…　those　not　in　State　employ　…　would　be　paying　their　taxes　in　gold　as　at　present。　All　travellers　on　the　State　railways　…　other　than　State　employees　…　would　pay　their　fares　in　metal　money；　and　gold　and　silver　would　pour　into　the　State　Treasury　from　many　other　sources。　　The　State　would　receive　gold　and　silver　and　…　for　the　most　part　…　pay　out　paper。　　By　the　time　the　system　of　State　employment　was　fully　established；　gold　and　silver　would　only　be　of　value　as　metal　and　the　State　would　purchase　it　from　whoever　possessed　and　wished　to　sell　it　…　at　so　much　per　pound　as　raw　material：　instead　of　hiding　it　away　in　the　vaults　of　banks；　or　locking　it　up　in　iron　safes；　we　shall　make　use　of　it。　　Some　of　the　gold　will　be　manufactured　into　articles　of　jewellery；　to　be　sold　for　paper　money　and　worn　by　the　sweethearts　and　wives　and　daughters　of　the　workers；　some　of　it　will　be　beaten　out　into　gold　leaf　to　be　used　in　the　decoration　of　the　houses　of　the　citizens　and　of　public　buildings。　　As　for　the　silver；　it　will　be　made　into　various　articles　of　utility　for　domestic　use。　　The　workers　will　not　then；　as　now；　have　to　eat　their　food　with　poisonous　lead　or　brass　spoons　and　forks；　we　shall　have　these　things　of　silver　and　if　there　is　not　enough　silver　we　shall　probably　have　a　non…poisonous　alloy　of　that　metal。'

‘As　far　as　I　can　make　out；'　said　Harlow；　‘the　paper　money　will　be　just　as　valuable　as　gold　and　silver　is　now。　　Well；　wot's　to　prevent　artful　dodgers　like　old　Misery　and　Rushton　saving　it　up　and　buying　and　selling　things　with　it；　and　so　livin'　without　work？'

‘Of　course；'　said　Crass；　scornfully。　　‘It　would　never　do！'

‘That's　a　very　simple　matter；　any　man　who　lives　without　doing　any　useful　work　is　living　on　the　labour　of　others；　he　is　robbing　others　of　part　of　the　result　of　their　labour。　　The　object　of　Socialism　is　to　stop　this　robbery；　to　make　it　impossible。　　So　no　one　will　be　able　to　hoard　up　or　accumulate　the　paper　money　because　it　will　be　dated；　and　will　become　worthless　if　it　is　not　spent　within　a　certain　time　after　its　issue。　　As　for　buying　and　selling　for　profit　…　from　whom　would　they　buy？　　And　to　whom　would　they　sell？'

‘Well；　they　might　buy　some　of　the　things　the　workers　didn't　want；　for　less　than　the　workers　paid　for　them；　and　then　they　could　sell　'em　again。'

‘They'd　have　to　sell　them　for　less　than　the　price　charged　at　the　National　Stores；　and　if　you　think　about　it　a　little　you'll　see　that　it　would　not　be　very　profitable。　　It　would　be　with　the　object　of　preventing　any　attempts　at　private　trading　that　the　Administration　would　refuse　to　pay　compensation　to　private　owners　in　a　lump　sum。　　All　such　compensations　would　be　paid；　as　I　said；　in　the　form　of　a　pension　of　so　much　per　year。

‘Another　very　effective　way　to　prevent　private　trading　would　be　to　make　it　a　criminal　offence　against　the　well…being　of　the　community。　At　present　many　forms　of　business　are　illegal　unless　you　take　out　a　licence；　under　Socialism　no　one　would　be　allowed　to　trade　without　a　licence；　and　no　licences　would　be　issued。'

‘Wouldn't　a　man　be　allowed　to　save　up　his　money　if　he　wanted　to；　demanded　Slyme　with　indignation。

‘There　will　be　nothing　to　prevent　a　man　going　without　some　of　the　things　he　might　have　if　he　is　foolish　enough　to　do　so；　but　he　would　never　be　able　to　save　up　enough　to　avoid　doing　his　share　of　useful　service。　　Besides；　what　need　would　there　be　for　anyone　to　save？　　One's　old　age　would　be　provided　for。　　No　one　could　ever　be　out　of　employment。　　If　one　was　ill　the　State　hospitals　and　Medical　Service　would　be　free。　　As　for　one's　children；　they　would　attend　the　State　Free　Schools　and　Colleges　and　when　of　age　they　would　enter　the　State　Service；　their　futures　provided　for。　　Can　you　tell　us　why　anyone　would　need　or　wish　to　save？'

Slyme　couldn't。

‘Are　there　any　more　questions？'　demanded　Philpot。

‘While　we　are　speaking　of　money；'　added　Barrington；　‘I　should　like　to　remind　you　that　even　under　the　present　system　there　are　many　things　which　cost　money　to　maintain；　that　we　enjoy　without　having　to　pay　for　directly。　　The　public　roads　and　pavements　cost　money　to　make　and　maintain　and　light。　　So　do　the　parks；　museums　and　bridges。　　But　they　are　free　to　all。　　Under　a　Socialist　Administration　this　principle　will　be　extended　…　in　addition　to　the　free　services　we　enjoy　now　we　shall　then　maintain　the　trains　and　railways　for　the　use　of　the　public；　free。　And　as　time　goes　on；　this　method　of　doing　business　will　be　adopted　in　many　other　directions。'

‘I've　read　somewhere；'　said　Harlow；　‘that　whenever　a　Government　in　any　country　has　started　issuing　paper　money　it　has　always　led　to　bankruptcy。　　How　do　you　know　that　the　same　thing　would　not　happen　under　a　Socialist　Administration？'

‘'Ear；　'ear；'　said　Crass。　　‘I　was　just　goin'　to　say　the　same　thing。'

‘If　the　Government　of　a　country　began　to　issue　large　amounts　of　paper　money　under　the　present　system；'　Barrington　replied；　‘it　would　inevitably　lead　to　bankruptcy；　for　the　simple　reason　that　paper　money　under　the　present　system　…　bank…notes；　bank　drafts；　postal　orders；　cheques　or　any　other　form　…　is　merely　a　printed　promise　to　pay　the　amount　…　in　gold　or　silver　…　on　demand　or　at　a　certain　date。　　Under　the　present　system　if　a　Government　issues　more　paper　money　than　it　possesses　gold　and　silver　to　redeem；　it　is　of　course　bankrupt。　　But　the　paper　money　that　will　be　issued　under　a　Socialist　Administration　will　not　be　a　promise　to　pay　in　gold　or　silver　on　demand　or　at　any　time。　　It　will　be　a　promise　to　supply　commodities　to　the　amount　specified　on　the　note；　and　as　there　could　be　no　dearth　of　those　things　there　could　be　no　possibility　of　bankruptcy。'

‘I　should　like　to　know　who's　goin'　to　appoint　the　hofficers　of　this　'ere　hindustrial　harmy；'　said　the　man　on　the　pail。　　‘We　don't　want　to　be　bullied　and　chivied　and　chased　about　by　a　lot　of　sergeants　and　corporals　like　a　lot　of　soldiers；　you　know。'

‘'Ear。　'ear；'　said　Crass。　　‘You　must　'ave　some　masters。　　Someone's　got　to　be　in　charge　of　the　work。'

‘We　don't　have　to　put　up　with　any　bullying　or　chivying　or　chasing　now；　do　we？'　said　Barrington。　　‘So　of　course　we　could　not　have　anything　of　that　sort　under　Socialism。　　We　could　not　put　up　with　it　at　all！　　Even　if　it　were　only　for　four　or　five　hours　a　day。　　Under　the　present　system　we　have　no　voice　in　appointing　our　masters　and　overseers　and　foremen　…　we　have　no　choice　as　to　what　master　we　shall　work　under。　　If　our　masters　do　not　treat　us　fairly　we　have　no　remedy　against　them。　Under　Socialism　it　will　be　different；　the　workers　will　be　part　of　the　community；　the　officers　or　managers　and　foremen　will　be　the　servants　of　the　community；　and　if　any　one　of　these　men　were　to　abuse　his　position　he　could　be　promptly　removed。　　As　for　the　details　of　the　organization　of　the　Industrial　Army；　the　difficulty　is；　again；　not　so　much　to　devise　a　way；　but　to　decide　which　of　many　ways　would　be　the　best；　and　the　perfect　way　will　probably　be　developed　only　after　experiment　and　experience。　　The　one　thing　we　have　to　hold　fast　to　is　the　fundamental　principle　of　State　employment　or　National　service。　Production　for　use　and　not　for　profit。　　The　national　organization　of　industry　under　democratic　control。　　One　way　of　arranging　this　business　would　be　for　the　community　to　elect　a　Parliament　in　much　the　same　way　as　is　done　at　present。　　The　only　persons　eligible　for　election　to　be　veterans　of　the　industrial　Army；　men　and　women　who　had　put　in　their　twenty…five　years　of　service。

‘This　Administrative　Body　would　have　control　of　the　different　State　Departments。　　There　would　be　a　Department　of　Agriculture；　a　Department　of　Railways　and　so　on；　each　with　its　minister　and　staff。

‘All　these　Members　of　Parliament　would　be　the　relatives　…　in　some　cases　the　mothers　and　fathers　of　those　in　the　Industrial　Service；　and　they　would　be　relied　upon　to　see　that　the　conditions　of　that　service　were　the　best　possible。

‘As　for　the　different　branches　of　the　State　Service；　they　could　be　organized　on　somewhat　the　same　lines　as　the　different　branches　of　the　Public　Service　are　now　…　like　the　Navy；　the　Post　Office　and　as　the　State　Railways　in　some　other　countries；　or　as　are　the　different　branches　of　the　Military　Army；　with　the　difference　that　all　promotions　will　be　from　the　ranks；　by　examinations；　and　by　merit　only。　　As　every　recruit　will　have　had　the　same　class　of　education　they　will　all　have　absolute　equality　of　opportunity　and　the　men　who　would　attain　to　positions　of　authority　would　be　the　best　men；　and　not　as　at　present；　the　worst。'

‘How　do　you　make　that　out？'　demanded　Crass。

‘Under　the　present　system；　the　men　who　become　masters　and　employers　succeed　because　they　are　cunning　and　selfish；　not　because　they　understand　or　are　capable　of　doing　the　work　out　of　which　they　make　their　money。　　Most　of　the　employers　in　the　building　trade　for　instance　would　be　incapable　of　doing　any　skilled　work。　　Very　few　of　them　would　be　worth　their　salt　as　journeymen。　　The　only　work　they　do　is　to