the ragged trousered philanthropists-第57章

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s　battle　the　weak　and　the　virtuous　fare　the　worst。　　Even　those　whose　exceptional　abilities　or　opportunities　enable　them　to　succeed；　are　compelled　to　practise　selfishness；　because　a　man　of　exceptional　ability　who　was　not　selfish　would　devote　his　abilities　to　relieving　the　manifest　sufferings　of　others；　and　not　to　his　own　profit；　and　if　he　did　the　former　he　would　not　be　successful　in　the　sense　that　the　world　understands　the　word。　　All　those　who　really　seek　to　〃Love　their　neighbour　as　themselves〃；　or　to　return　good　for　evil；　the　gentle；　the　kind；　and　all　those　who　refrain　from　doing　to　others　the　things　they　would　not　like　to　suffer　themselves；　all　these　are　of　necessity　found　amongst　the　vanquished；　because　only　the　worst　…　only　those　who　are　aggressive；　cunning；　selfish　and　mean　are　fitted　to　survive。　　And　all　these　people　in　numbers　three　and　four　are　so　fully　occupied　in　this　dreadful　struggle　to　secure　a　little；　that　but　few　of　them　pause　to　inquire　why　there　are　not　more　of　the　things　they　are　fighting　for；　or　why　it　is　necessary　to　fight　like　this　at　all！'

For　a　few　minutes　silence　prevailed；　each　man's　mind　being　busy　trying　to　think　of　some　objection　to　the　lecturer's　arguments。

‘How　could　the　small　number　of　people　in　number　one　and　two　consume　as　much　as　you've　given　'em　in　your　drorin'？'　demanded　Crass。

‘They　don't　actually　consume　all　of　it；'　replied　Owen。　　‘Much　of　it　is　wantonly　wasted。　　They　also　make　fortunes　by　selling　some　of　it　in　foreign　countries；　but　they　consume　a　great　part　of　it　themselves；　because　the　amount　of　labour　expended　on　the　things　enjoyed　by　these　people　is　greater　than　that　expended　in　the　production　of　the　things　used　by　the　workers。　　Most　of　the　people　who　do　nothing　get　the　best　of　everything。　　More　than　three…quarters　of　the　time　of　the　working　classes　is　spent　in　producing　the　things　used　by　the　wealthy。　　Compare　the　quality　and　quantity　of　the　clothing　possessed　by　the　wife　or　daughter　of　a　rich　man　with　that　of　the　wife　or　daughter　of　a　worker。　The　time　and　labour　spent　on　producing　the　one　is　twenty　times　greater　in　one　case　than　in　the　other；　and　it's　the　same　with　everything　else。　Their　homes；　their　clothing；　boots；　hats；　jewellery；　and　their　food。　Everything　must　be　of　the　very　best　that　art　or　long　and　painful　labour　can　produce。　　But　for　most　of　those　whose　labour　produces　all　these　good　things　…　anything　is　considered　good　enough。　　For　themselves；　the　philanthropic　workers　manufacture　shoddy　cloth　…　that　is；　cheap　cloth　made　of　old　rags　and　dirt；　and　shoddy；　uncomfortable　ironclad　boots。　　If　you　see　a　workman　wearing　a　really　good　suit　of　clothes　you　may　safely　conclude　that　he　is　either　leading　an　unnatural　life　…　that　is；　he　is　not　married　…　or　that　he　has　obtained　it　from　a　tallyman　on　the　hire　system　and　has　not　yet　paid　for　it　…　or　that　it　is　someone　else's　cast…off　suit　that　he　has　bought　second…hand　or　had　given　to　him　by　some　charitable　person。　　It's　the　same　with　the　food。　All　the　ducks　and　geese；　pheasants；　partridges；　and　all　the　very　best　parts　of　the　very　best　meat　…　all　the　soles　and　the　finest　plaice　and　salmon　and　trout　…'

‘'Ere　chuck　it；'　cried　Harlow；　fiercely。　　‘We　don't　want　to　'ear　no　more　of　it；'　and　several　others　protested　against　the　lecturer　wasting　time　on　such　mere　details。

‘…　all　the　very　best　of　everything　is　reserved　exclusively　for　the　enjoyment　of　the　people　in　divisions　one　and　two；　while　the　workers　subsist　on　block　ornaments；　margarine；　adulterated　tea；　mysterious　beer；　and　are　content　…　only　grumbling　when　they　are　unable　to　obtain　even　such　fare　as　this。'

Owen　paused　and　a　gloomy　silence　followed；　but　suddenly　Crass　brightened　up。　　He　detected　a　serious　flaw　in　the　lecturer's　argument。

‘You　say　the　people　in　one　and　two　gets　all　the　best　of　everything；　but　what　about　the　tramps　and　beggars？　　You've　got　them　in　division　one。'

‘Yes；　I　know。　　You　see；　that's　the　proper　place　for　them。　　They　belong　to　a　Loafer　class。　　They　are　no　better　mentally　or　morally　than　any　of　the　other　loafers　in　that　division；　neither　are　they　of　any　more　use。　Of　course；　when　we　consider　them　in　relation　to　the　amount　they　consume　of　the　things　produced　by　others；　they　are　not　so　harmful　as　the　other　loafers；　because　they　consume　comparatively　little。　　But　all　the　same　they　are　in　their　right　place　in　that　division。　　All　those　people　don't　get　the　same　share。　　The　section　represents　not　individuals　…　but　the　loafer　class。'

‘But　I　thought　you　said　you　was　goin'　to　prove　that　money　was　the　cause　of　poverty；'　said　Easton。

‘So　it　is；'　said　Owen。　　‘Can't　you　see　that　it's　money　that's　caused　all　these　people　to　lose　sight　of　the　true　purpose　of　labour　…　the　production　of　the　things　we　need？　　All　these　people　are　suffering　from　the　delusion　that　it　doesn't　matter　what　kind　of　work　they　do　…　or　whether　they　merely　do　nothing　…　so　long　as　they　get　MONEY　for　doing　it。　　Under　the　present　extraordinary　system；　that's　the　only　object　they　have　in　view　…　to　get　money。　　Their　ideas　are　so　topsy…turvey　that　they　regard　with　contempt　those　who　are　engaged　in　useful　work！　With　the　exception　of　criminals　and　the　poorer　sort　of　loafers；　the　working　classes　are　considered　to　be　the　lowest　and　least　worthy　in　the　community。　　Those　who　manage　to　get　money　for　doing　something　other　than　productive　work　are　considered　more　worthy　of　respect　on　that　account。　　Those　who　do　nothing　themselves；　but　get　money　out　of　the　labour　of　others；　are　regarded　as　being　more　worthy　still！　　But　the　ones　who　are　esteemed　most　of　all　and　honoured　above　all　the　rest；　are　those　who　obtain　money　for　doing　absolutely　nothing！'

‘But　I　can't　see　as　that　proves　that　money　is　the　cause　of　poverty；'　said　Easton。

‘Look　here；'　said　Owen。　　‘The　people　in　number　four　produce　everything；　don't　they？'

‘Yes；　we　knows　all　about　that；'　interrupted　Harlow。　　‘But　they　gets　paid　for　it；　don't　they？　　They　gets　their　wages。'

‘Yes；　and　what　does　their　wages　consist　of？'　said　Owen。

‘Why；　money；　of　course；'　replied　Harlow；　impatiently。

And　what　do　they　do　with　their　money　when　they　get　it？　　Do　they　eat　it；　or　drink　it；　or　wear　it？'

At　this　apparently　absurd　question　several　of　those　who　had　hitherto　been　attentive　listeners　laughed　derisively；　it　was　really　very　difficult　to　listen　patiently　to　such　nonsense。

‘Of　course　they　don't；'　answered　Harlow　scornfully。　　‘They　buy　the　things　they　want　with　it。'

‘Do　you　think　that　most　of　them　manage　to　save　a　part　of　their　wages　…　put　it　away　in　the　bank。'

‘Well；　I　can　speak　for　meself；'　replied　Harlow　amid　laughter。　　‘It　takes　me　all　my　bloody　time　to　pay　my　rent　and　other　expenses　and　to　keep　my　little　lot　in　shoe　leather；　and　it's　dam　little　I　spend　on　beer；　p'r'aps　a　tanner　or　a　bob　a　week　at　the　most。'

‘A　single　man　can　save　money　if　he　likes；'　said　Slyme。

‘I'm　not　speaking　of　single　men；'　replied　Owen。　　‘I'm　referring　to　those　who　live　natural　lives。'

‘What　about　all　the　money　what's　in　the　Post　Office　Savings　Bank；　and　Building　and　Friendly　Societies？'　said　Crass。

‘A　very　large　part　of　that　belongs　to　people　who　are　in　business；　or　who　have　some　other　source　of　income　than　their　own　wages。　　There　are　some　exceptionally　fortunate　workers　who　happen　to　have　good　situations　and　higher　wages　than　the　ordinary　run　of　workmen。　　Then　there　are　some　who　are　so　placed　…　by　letting　lodgings；　for　instance　…　that　they　are　able　to　live　rent　free。　　Others　whose　wives　go　out　to　work；　and　others　again　who　have　exceptional　jobs　and　work　a　lot　of　overtime　…　but　these　are　all　exceptional　cases。'

‘I　say　as　no　married　workin'　man　can　save　any　money　at　all！'　shouted　Harlow；　'not　unless　'e　goes　without　some　of　even　the　few　things　we　are　able　to　get　…　and　makes　'is　wife　and　kids　go　without　as　well。'

‘'Ear；　'ear；'　said　everybody　except　Crass　and　Slyme；　who　were　both　thrifty　working　men；　and　each　of　them　had　some　money　saved　in　one　or　other　of　the　institutions　mentioned。

‘Then　that　means；'　said　Owen；　‘that　means　that　the　wages　the　people　in　division　four　receive　is　not　equivalent　to　the　work　they　do。'

‘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。　　M