第114章

`Now you mustn't run away with the idea that the people in three and four take their share quietly and divide the things equally between them.Not at all.Some get very little, some none, some more than a fair share.It is in these two divisions that the ferocious "Battle of Life" ranges most fiercely; and of course in this 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.