The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists [71]
at an end and that he desired the `hand' to retire from the presence. Owen understood this, but he did not retire, because it was necessary to mention one or two things which Rushton would have to allow for when preparing the estimate.
`Of course I should want some help,' he said. `I should need a man occasionally, and the boy most of the time. Then there's the gold leaf - say, fifteen books.'
`Don't you think it would be possible to use gold paint?'
`I'm afraid not.'
`Is there anything else?' inquired Rushton as he finished writing down these items.
`I think that's all, except a few sheets of cartridge paper for stencils and working drawings. The quantity of paint necessary for the decorative work will be very small.'
As soon as Owen was gone, Rushton took up the designs and examined them attentively.
`These are all right,' he muttered. `Good enough for anywhere. If he can paint anything like as well as this on the walls and ceiling of the room, it will stand all the looking at that anyone in this town is likely to give it.'
`Let's see,' he continued. `He said three weeks, but he's so anxious to do the job that he's most likely under-estimated the time; I'd better allow four weeks: that means about 200 hours: 200 hours at eight-pence: how much is that? And say he has a painter to help him half the time. 100 hours at sixpence-ha'penny.'
He consulted a ready reckoner that was on the desk.
`Time, ?.7.6. Materials: fifteen books of gold, say a pound. Then there's the cartridge paper and the colours - say another pound, at the outside. Boy's time? Well, he gets no wages as yet, so we needn't mention that at all. Then there's the preparing of the room. Three coats of white paint. I wish Hunter was here to give me an idea what it will cost.'
As if in answer to his wish, Nimrod entered the office at that moment, and in reply to Rushton's query said that to give the walls and ceiling three coats of paint would cost about three pounds five for time and material. Between them the two brain workers figured that fifteen pounds would cover the entire cost of the work - painting and decorating.
`Well, I reckon we can charge Sweater forty-five pounds for it,' said Rushton. `It isn't like an ordinary job, you know. If he gets a London firm to do it, it'll cost him double that, if not more.'
Having arrived at this decision, Rushton rung up Sweater's Emporium on the telephone, and, finding that Mr Sweater was there, he rolled up the designs and set out for that gentleman's office.
The men work with their hands, and the masters work with their brains. What a dreadful calamity it would be for the world and for mankind if all these brain workers were to go on strike.
Chapter 15
The Undeserving Persons and the Upper and Nether Millstones
Hunter had take on three more painters that morning. Bundy and two labourers had commenced the work of putting in the new drains; the carpenters were back again doing some extra work, and there was also a plumber working on the house; so there was quite a little crowd in the kitchen at dinner-time. Crass had been waiting for a suitable opportunity to produce the newspaper cutting which it will be remembered he showed to Easton on Monday morning, but he had waited in vain, for there had been scarcely any `political' talk at meal-times all the week, and it was now Thursday. As far as Owen was concerned, his thoughts were so occupied with the designs for the drawing-room that he had no time for anything else, and most of the others were only too willing to avoid a subject which frequently led to unpleasantness. As a rule Crass himself had no liking for such discussion, but he was so confident of being able to `flatten out' Owen with the cutting from the Obscurer that he had several times tried to lead the conversation into the desired channel, but so far without success.
During dinner - as they called it - various subjects were discussed. Harlow mentioned that he had found traces of bugs in one of the bedrooms upstairs and this called
`Of course I should want some help,' he said. `I should need a man occasionally, and the boy most of the time. Then there's the gold leaf - say, fifteen books.'
`Don't you think it would be possible to use gold paint?'
`I'm afraid not.'
`Is there anything else?' inquired Rushton as he finished writing down these items.
`I think that's all, except a few sheets of cartridge paper for stencils and working drawings. The quantity of paint necessary for the decorative work will be very small.'
As soon as Owen was gone, Rushton took up the designs and examined them attentively.
`These are all right,' he muttered. `Good enough for anywhere. If he can paint anything like as well as this on the walls and ceiling of the room, it will stand all the looking at that anyone in this town is likely to give it.'
`Let's see,' he continued. `He said three weeks, but he's so anxious to do the job that he's most likely under-estimated the time; I'd better allow four weeks: that means about 200 hours: 200 hours at eight-pence: how much is that? And say he has a painter to help him half the time. 100 hours at sixpence-ha'penny.'
He consulted a ready reckoner that was on the desk.
`Time, ?.7.6. Materials: fifteen books of gold, say a pound. Then there's the cartridge paper and the colours - say another pound, at the outside. Boy's time? Well, he gets no wages as yet, so we needn't mention that at all. Then there's the preparing of the room. Three coats of white paint. I wish Hunter was here to give me an idea what it will cost.'
As if in answer to his wish, Nimrod entered the office at that moment, and in reply to Rushton's query said that to give the walls and ceiling three coats of paint would cost about three pounds five for time and material. Between them the two brain workers figured that fifteen pounds would cover the entire cost of the work - painting and decorating.
`Well, I reckon we can charge Sweater forty-five pounds for it,' said Rushton. `It isn't like an ordinary job, you know. If he gets a London firm to do it, it'll cost him double that, if not more.'
Having arrived at this decision, Rushton rung up Sweater's Emporium on the telephone, and, finding that Mr Sweater was there, he rolled up the designs and set out for that gentleman's office.
The men work with their hands, and the masters work with their brains. What a dreadful calamity it would be for the world and for mankind if all these brain workers were to go on strike.
Chapter 15
The Undeserving Persons and the Upper and Nether Millstones
Hunter had take on three more painters that morning. Bundy and two labourers had commenced the work of putting in the new drains; the carpenters were back again doing some extra work, and there was also a plumber working on the house; so there was quite a little crowd in the kitchen at dinner-time. Crass had been waiting for a suitable opportunity to produce the newspaper cutting which it will be remembered he showed to Easton on Monday morning, but he had waited in vain, for there had been scarcely any `political' talk at meal-times all the week, and it was now Thursday. As far as Owen was concerned, his thoughts were so occupied with the designs for the drawing-room that he had no time for anything else, and most of the others were only too willing to avoid a subject which frequently led to unpleasantness. As a rule Crass himself had no liking for such discussion, but he was so confident of being able to `flatten out' Owen with the cutting from the Obscurer that he had several times tried to lead the conversation into the desired channel, but so far without success.
During dinner - as they called it - various subjects were discussed. Harlow mentioned that he had found traces of bugs in one of the bedrooms upstairs and this called