the ragged trousered philanthropists-第73章

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d　to　go　to　school　hungry　all　the　same。

To　judge　them　by　their　profession。　and　their　performances；　it　appeared　that　these　good　kind　persons　were　willing　to　do　any　mortal　thing　for　the　‘dear　little　children'　except　allow　them　to　be　fed。

If　these　people　had　really　meant　to　do　what　they　pretended；　they　would　not　have　cared　whether　they　paid　the　money　to　a　rate…collector　or　to　the　secretary　of　a　charity　society　and　they　would　have　preferred　to　accomplish　their　object　in　the　most　efficient　and　economical　way。

But　although　they　would　not　allow　the　children　to　be　fed；　they　went　to　church　and　to　chapel；　glittering　with　jewellery；　their　fat　carcases　clothed　in　rich　raiment；　and　sat　with　smug　smiles　upon　their　faces　listening　to　the　fat　parsons　reading　out　of　a　Book　that　none　of　them　seemed　able　to　understand；　for　this　was　what　they　read：

‘And　Jesus　called　a　little　child　unto　Him；　and　set　him　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　said：　Whosoever　shall　receive　one　such　little　child　in　My　name；　receiveth　Me。　　But　whoso　shall　offend　one　of　these　little　ones；　it　were　better　for　him　that　a　millstone　were　hanged　about　his　neck　and　that　he　were　drowned　in　the　depth　of　the　sea。

‘Take　heed　that　ye　despise　not　one　of　these　little　ones；　for　I　say　unto　you　that　in　heaven　their　angels　do　always　behold　the　face　of　My　Father。'

And　this：　‘Then　shall　He　say　unto　them：　Depart　from　me；　ye　cursed；　into　the　everlasting　fire　prepared　for　the　devil　and　his　angels：　for　I　was　an　hungered　and　ye　gave　Me　no　meat：　I　was　thirsty　and　ye　gave　Me　no　drink：　I　was　a　stranger　and　ye　took　Me　not　in；　naked；　and　ye　clothed　Me　not。

‘Then　shall　they　answer：　〃Lord；　when　saw　we　Thee　an　hungered　or　athirst　or　a　stranger　or　naked；　or　sick；　and　did　not　minister　unto　Thee？〃　and　He　shall　answer　them；　〃Verily　I　say　unto　you；　inasmuch　as　ye　did　it　not　to　one　of　the　least　of　these；　ye　did　it　not　to　Me。〃'

These　were　the　sayings　that　the　infidel　parsons　mouthed　in　the　infidel　temples　to　the　richly　dressed　infidel　congregations；　who　heard　but　did　not　understand；　for　their　hearts　were　become　gross　and　their　ears　dull　of　hearing。　　And　meantime；　all　around　them；　in　the　alley　and　the　slum；　and　more　terrible　still　…　because　more　secret　…　in　the　better　sort　of　streets　where　lived　die　respectable　class　of　skilled　artisans；　the　little　children　became　thinner　and　paler　day　by　day　for　lack　of　proper　food；　and　went　to　bed　early　because　there　was　no　fire。

Sir　Graball　D'Encloseland；　the　Member　of　Parliament　for　the　borough；　was　one　of　the　bitterest　opponents　of　the　halfpenny　rate；　but　as　he　thought　it　was　probable　that　there　would　soon　be　another　General　Election　and　he　wanted　the　children's　fathers　to　vote　for　him　again；　he　was　willing　to　do　something　for　them　in　another　way。　　He　had　a　ten…year…old　daughter　whose　birthday　was　in　that　month；　so　the　kind…　hearted　Baronet　made　arrangements　to　give　a　Tea　to　all　the　school　children　in　the　town　in　honour　of　the　occasion。　　The　tea　was　served　in　the　schoolrooms　and　each　child　was　presented　with　a　gilt…edged　card　on　which　was　a　printed　portrait　of　the　little　hostess；　with　‘From　your　loving　little　friend；　Honoria　D'Encloseland'；　in　gold　letters。　During　the　evening　the　little　girl；　accompanied　by　Sir　Graball　and　Lady　D'Encloseland；　motored　round　to　all　the　schools　where　the　tea　was　being　consumed：　the　Baronet　made　a　few　remarks；　and　Honoria　made　a　pretty　little　speech；　specially　learnt　for　the　occasion；　at　each　place；　and　they　were　loudly　cheered　and　greatly　admired　in　response。　The　enthusiasm　was　not　confined　to　the　boys　and　girls；　for　while　the　speechmaking　was　going　on　inside；　a　little　crowd　of　grown…up　children　were　gathered　round　outside　the　entrance；　worshipping　the　motor　car：　and　when　the　little　party　came　out　the　crowd　worshipped　them　also；　going　into　imbecile　ecstasies　of　admiration　of　their　benevolence　and　their　beautiful　clothes。

For　several　weeks　everybody　in　the　town　was　in　raptures　over　this　tea　…　or；　rather；　everybody　except　a　miserable　little　minority　of　Socialists；　who　said　it　was　bribery；　an　electioneering　dodge；　that　did　no　real　good；　and　who　continued　to　clamour　for　a　halfpenny　rate。

Another　specious　fraud　was　the　‘Distress　Committee'。　　This　body　…　or　corpse；　for　there　was　not　much　vitality　in　it　…　was　supposed　to　exist　for　the　purpose　of　providing　employment　for　‘deserving　cases'。　　One　might　be　excused　for　thinking　that　any　man　…　no　matter　what　his　past　may　have　been　…　who　is　willing　to　work　for　his　living　is　a　‘deserving　case'：　but　this　was　evidently　not　the　opinion　of　the　persons　who　devised　the　regulations　for　the　working　of　this　committee。　　Every　applicant　for　work　was　immediately　given　a　long　job；　and　presented　with　a　double　sheet　of　foolscap　paper　to　do　it　with。　　Now；　if　the　object　of　the　committee　had　been　to　furnish　the　applicant　with　material　for　the　manufacture　of　an　appropriate　headdress　for　himself；　no　one　could　reasonably　have　found　fault　with　them：　but　the　foolscap　was　not　to　be　utilized　in　that　way；　it　was　called　a　‘Record　Paper'；　three　pages　of　it　were　covered　with　insulting；　inquisitive；　irrelevant　questions　concerning　the　private　affairs　and　past　life　of　the　‘case'　who　wished　to　be　permitted　to　work　for　his　living；　and　all　these　had　to　be　answered　to　the　satisfaction　of　Messrs　D'Encloseland；　Bosher；　Sweater；　Rushton；　Didlum；　Grinder　and　the　other　members　of　the　committee；　before　the　case　stood　any　chance　of　getting　employment。

However；　notwithstanding　the　offensive　nature　of　the　questions　on　the　application　form；　during　the　five　months　that　this　precious　committee　was　in　session；　no　fewer　than　1；237　broken…spirited　and　humble　‘lion's　whelps'　filled　up　the　forms　and　answered　the　questions　as　meekly　as　if　they　had　been　sheep。　　The　funds　of　the　committee　consisted　of　？00；　obtained　from　the　Imperial　Exchequer；　and　about　？50　in　charitable　donations。　　This　money　was　used　to　pay　wages　for　certain　work　…　some　of　which　would　have　had　to　be　done　even　if　the　committee　had　never　existed　…　and　if　each　of　the　1；237　applicants　had　had　an　equal　share　of　the　work；　the　wages　they　would　have　received　would　have　amounted　to　about　twelve　shillings　each。　　This　was　what　the　‘practical'　persons；　the　‘business…men'；　called　‘dealing　with　the　problem　of　unemployment'。　Imagine　having　to　keep　your　family　for　five　months　with　twelve　shillings！

And；　if　you　like；　imagine　that　the　Government　grant　had　been　four　times　as　much　as　it　was；　and　that　the　charity　had　amounted　to　four　times　as　much　as　it　did；　and　then　fancy　having　to　keep　your　family　for　five　months　with　two　pounds　eight　shillings！

It　is　true　that　some　of　the　members　of　the　committee　would　have　been　very　glad　if　they　had　been　able　to　put　the　means　of　earning　a　living　within　the　reach　of　every　man　who　was　willing　to　work；　but　they　simply　did　not　know　what　to　do；　or　how　to　do　it。　　They　were　not　ignorant　of　the　reality　of　the　evil　they　were　supposed　to　be　‘dealing　with'　…　appalling　evidences　of　it　faced　them　on　every　side；　and　as；　after　all；　these　committee　men　were　human　beings　and　not　devils；　they　would　have　been　glad　to　mitigate　it　if　they　could　have　done　so　without　hurting　themselves：　but　the　truth　was　that　they　did　not　know　what　to　do！

These　are　the　‘practical'　men；　the　monopolists　of　intelligence；　the　wise　individuals　who　control　the　affairs　of　the　world：　it　is　in　accordance　with　the　ideas　of　such　men　as　these　that　the　conditions　of　human　life　are　regulated。

This　is　the　position：

It　is　admitted　that　never　before　in　the　history　of　mankind　was　it　possible　to　produce　the　necessaries　of　life　in　such　abundance　as　at　present。

The　management　of　the　affairs　of　the　world　？the　business　of　arranging　the　conditions　under　which　we　live　…　is　at　present　in　the　hands　of　Practical；　Level…headed；　Sensible　Business…men。

The　result　of　their　management　is；　that　the　majority　of　the　people　find　it　a　hard　struggle　to　live。　　Large　numbers　exist　in　perpetual　poverty：　a　great　many　more　periodically　starve：　many　actually　die　of　want：　hundreds　destroy　themselves　rather　than　continue　to　live　and　suffer。

When　the　Practical；　Level…headed；　Sensible　Business…men　are　asked　why　they　do　not　remedy　this　state　of　things；　they　reply　that　they　do　not　know　what　to　do！　or；　that　it　is　impossible　to　remedy　it！

And　yet　it　is　admitted　that　it　is　now　possible　to　produce　the　necessaries　of　life；　in　greater　abundance　than　ever　before！

With　lavish　kindness；　the　Supreme　Being　had　provided　all　things　necessary　for　the　existence　and　happiness　of　his　creatures。　　To　suggest　that　it　is　not　so　is　a　blasphemous　lie：　it　is　to　suggest　that　the　Supreme　Being　is　not　good　or　even　just。　　On　every　side　there　is　an　overflowing　superfluity　of　the　materials　requisite　for　the　production　of　all　the　necessaries　of　life：　from　these　materials　everything　we　need　may　be　produced　in　abundance　…　by　Work。　　Here　was　an　army　of　people　lacking　the　things　that　may　be　made　by　work；　standing　idle。　Willing　to　work；　clamouring　to　be　allowed　to　work；　and　the　Practical；　Level…headed；　Sensible　Business…men　did　not　know　what　to　do！

Of　course；　the　real　reason　for　the　difficulty　is　that　the　raw　materials　that　were　created　for　the　use　and　benefit　of　all　have　been　stolen　by　a　small　number；　who　refuse　to　allow　them　to　be　used　for　the　purposes　for　which　they　were　intended。　　This　numerically　insignificant　minority　refused　to　allow　the　majority　to　work　and　produce　the　things　they　need；　and　what　work　they　do　graciously　permit　to　be　done　is　not　done　with　the　object　of　producing　the　necessaries　of　life　for　those　who　work；　but　for　the　purpose　of　creating　profit　for　their　masters。

And　then；　strangest　fact　of　all；　the　people　who　find　it　a　hard　struggle　to　live；　or　who　exist　in　dreadful　poverty　and　sometimes　starve；　instead　of　trying　to　understand　the　causes　of　their　misery　and　to　find　out　a　remedy　themselves；　spend　all　their　time　applauding　the　Practical；　Sensible；　Level…headed　Business…men；　who　bungle　and　mismanage　their　affairs；　and　pay　them　huge　salaries　for　doing　so。　　Sir　Graball　D'Encloseland；　for　instance；　was　a　‘Secretary　of　State'　and　was　paid　？；000　a　year。　　When　he　first　got　the　job　the　wages　were　only　a　beggarly　？；000；　but　as　he　found　it　impossible　to　exist　on　less　than　？00　a　week　he　decided　to　raise　his　salary　to　that　amount；　and　the　foolish　people　who　find　it　a　hard　struggle　to　live　paid　it　willingly；　and　when　they　saw　the　beautiful　motor　car　and　the　lovely　clothes　and　jewellery　he　purchased　for　his　wife　with　the　money；　and　heard　the　Great　Speech　he　made　…　telling　them　how　the　shortage　of　everything　was　caused　by　Over…production　and　Foreign　Competition；　they　clapped　their　hands　and　went　frantic　with　admiration。　　Their　only　regret　was　that　there　were　no　horses　attached　to　the　motor　car；　because　if　there　had　been；　they　could　have　taken　them　out　and　harnessed　themselves　to　it　instead。

Nothing　delighted　the　childish　minds　of　these　poor　people　so　much　as　listening　to　or　reading　extracts　from　the　speeches　of　such　men　as　these；　so　in　order　to　amuse　them；　every　now　and　then；　in　the　midst　of　all　the　wretchedness；　some　of　the　great　statesmen　made　‘great　speeches'　full　of　cunning　phrases　intended　to　hoodwink　the　fools　who　had　elected　them。　　The　very　same　week　that　Sir　Graball's　salary　was　increased　to　？；000　a　year；　all　the　papers　were　full　of　a　very　fine