The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists [50]
as 'im for most of it, any day!'
`Yes, I suppose 'e is,' replied Easton, feeling rather ashamed of himself for the part he was taking in this conversation.
Although he had for the moment forgotten the existence of Bert, Crass had instinctively lowered his voice, but the boy - who had left off working to warm his hands by putting them into his trousers pockets - managed, by listening attentively, to hear every word.
`You know there's plenty of people wouldn't give the firm no more work if they knowed about it,' Crass continued. `Just fancy sendin' a b--r like that to work in a lady's or gentleman's 'ouse - a bloody Atheist!'
`Yes, it is a bit orf, when you look at it like that.'
`I know my missis - for one - wouldn't 'ave a feller like that in our place. We 'ad a lodger once and she found out that 'e was a freethinker or something, and she cleared 'im out, bloody quick, I can tell yer!'
`Oh, by the way,' said Easton, glad of an opportunity to change the subject, `you don't happen to know of anyone as wants a room, do you? We've got one more than we want, so the wife thought that we might as well let it.'
Crass thought for a moment. `Can't say as I do,' he answered, doubtfully. `Slyme was talking last week about leaving the place 'e's lodging at, but I don't know whether 'e's got another place to go to. You might ask him. I don't know of anyone else.'
`I'll speak to 'im,' replied Easton. `What's the time? it must be nearly on it.'
`So it is: just on eight,' exclaimed Crass, and drawing his whistle he blew a shrill blast upon it to apprise the others of the fact.
`Has anyone seen old Jack Linden since 'e got the push?' inquired Harlow during breakfast.
`I seen 'im Saterdy,' said Slyme.
`Is 'e doin' anything?'
`I don't know: I didn't 'ave time to speak to 'im.'
`No, 'e ain't got nothing,' remarked Philpot. `I seen 'im Saterdy night, an' 'e told me 'e's been walkin' about ever since.'
Philpot did not add that he had `lent' Linden a shilling, which he never expected to see again.
`'E won't be able to get a job again in a 'urry,' remarked Easton. `'E's too old.'
`You know, after all, you can't blame Misery for sackin' 'im,' said Crass after a pause. `'E was too slow for a funeral.'
`I wonder how much YOU'LL be able to do when you're as old as he is?' said Owen.
`P'raps I won't want to do nothing,' replied Crass with a feeble laugh. `I'm goin' to live on me means.'
`I should say the best thing old Jack could do would be to go in the union,' said Harlow.
`Yes: I reckon that's what'll be the end of it,' said Easton in a matter-of-fact tone.
`It's a grand finish, isn't it?' observed Owen. `After working hard all one's life to be treated like a criminal at the end.'
`I don't know what you call bein' treated like criminals,' exclaimed Crass. `I reckon they 'as a bloody fine time of it, an' we've got to find the money.'
`Oh, for God's sake don't start no more arguments,' cried Harlow, addressing Owen. `We 'ad enough of that last week. You can't expect a boss to employ a man when 'e's too old to work.'
`Of course not,' said Crass.
Philpot said - nothing.
`I don't see no sense in always grumblin',' Crass proceeded. `These things can't be altered. You can't expect there can be plenty of work for everyone with all this 'ere labour-savin' machinery what's been invented.'
`Of course,' said Harlow, `the people what used to be employed on the work what's now done by machinery, has to find something else to do. Some of 'em goes to our trade, for instance: the result is there's too many at it, and there ain't enough work to keep 'em all goin'.'
`Yes,' cried Crass, eagerly. `That's just what I say. Machinery is the real cause of the poverty. That's what I said the other day.'
`Machinery is undoubtedly the cause of unemployment,' replied Owen, `but it's not the cause of poverty: that's another matter altogether.'
The others laughed derisively.
`Well, it seems to me to amount to the same thing,' said Harlow, and nearly everyone agreed.
`Yes, I suppose 'e is,' replied Easton, feeling rather ashamed of himself for the part he was taking in this conversation.
Although he had for the moment forgotten the existence of Bert, Crass had instinctively lowered his voice, but the boy - who had left off working to warm his hands by putting them into his trousers pockets - managed, by listening attentively, to hear every word.
`You know there's plenty of people wouldn't give the firm no more work if they knowed about it,' Crass continued. `Just fancy sendin' a b--r like that to work in a lady's or gentleman's 'ouse - a bloody Atheist!'
`Yes, it is a bit orf, when you look at it like that.'
`I know my missis - for one - wouldn't 'ave a feller like that in our place. We 'ad a lodger once and she found out that 'e was a freethinker or something, and she cleared 'im out, bloody quick, I can tell yer!'
`Oh, by the way,' said Easton, glad of an opportunity to change the subject, `you don't happen to know of anyone as wants a room, do you? We've got one more than we want, so the wife thought that we might as well let it.'
Crass thought for a moment. `Can't say as I do,' he answered, doubtfully. `Slyme was talking last week about leaving the place 'e's lodging at, but I don't know whether 'e's got another place to go to. You might ask him. I don't know of anyone else.'
`I'll speak to 'im,' replied Easton. `What's the time? it must be nearly on it.'
`So it is: just on eight,' exclaimed Crass, and drawing his whistle he blew a shrill blast upon it to apprise the others of the fact.
`Has anyone seen old Jack Linden since 'e got the push?' inquired Harlow during breakfast.
`I seen 'im Saterdy,' said Slyme.
`Is 'e doin' anything?'
`I don't know: I didn't 'ave time to speak to 'im.'
`No, 'e ain't got nothing,' remarked Philpot. `I seen 'im Saterdy night, an' 'e told me 'e's been walkin' about ever since.'
Philpot did not add that he had `lent' Linden a shilling, which he never expected to see again.
`'E won't be able to get a job again in a 'urry,' remarked Easton. `'E's too old.'
`You know, after all, you can't blame Misery for sackin' 'im,' said Crass after a pause. `'E was too slow for a funeral.'
`I wonder how much YOU'LL be able to do when you're as old as he is?' said Owen.
`P'raps I won't want to do nothing,' replied Crass with a feeble laugh. `I'm goin' to live on me means.'
`I should say the best thing old Jack could do would be to go in the union,' said Harlow.
`Yes: I reckon that's what'll be the end of it,' said Easton in a matter-of-fact tone.
`It's a grand finish, isn't it?' observed Owen. `After working hard all one's life to be treated like a criminal at the end.'
`I don't know what you call bein' treated like criminals,' exclaimed Crass. `I reckon they 'as a bloody fine time of it, an' we've got to find the money.'
`Oh, for God's sake don't start no more arguments,' cried Harlow, addressing Owen. `We 'ad enough of that last week. You can't expect a boss to employ a man when 'e's too old to work.'
`Of course not,' said Crass.
Philpot said - nothing.
`I don't see no sense in always grumblin',' Crass proceeded. `These things can't be altered. You can't expect there can be plenty of work for everyone with all this 'ere labour-savin' machinery what's been invented.'
`Of course,' said Harlow, `the people what used to be employed on the work what's now done by machinery, has to find something else to do. Some of 'em goes to our trade, for instance: the result is there's too many at it, and there ain't enough work to keep 'em all goin'.'
`Yes,' cried Crass, eagerly. `That's just what I say. Machinery is the real cause of the poverty. That's what I said the other day.'
`Machinery is undoubtedly the cause of unemployment,' replied Owen, `but it's not the cause of poverty: that's another matter altogether.'
The others laughed derisively.
`Well, it seems to me to amount to the same thing,' said Harlow, and nearly everyone agreed.