Volume Ii Part 11 (2/2)

'And whose fault is that?'

'The Unions', I suppose. 'They were beaten, at any rate.'

'The Unions. I am glad you mention them, because there is another thing I have to say. I fear that you can never get good work as long as men are all paid alike, whether they are good workmen or not.'

'But that is what we insist on more than anything else.'

'I am sorry for it. Such a condition is fatal to individual excellence.

Let me ill.u.s.trate my remarks: I knew a man employed at a printing-office in connection with printing steel-plates. He was an intelligent, careful workman, and he did more work and better than the others, and earned more money. The other men conspired against him, and he found in his absence his work was spoilt, and his press injured, and he was driven away. Now, such cases are of constant occurrence. Let me give you another case: A man was taken into an office at a lesser rate than the others, and they gave up their work and had to come on the Union. Again, how often is a good man worried out of his place unless he joins the Union and works as slowly, and makes a job last as long, as the others! You complain of the great compet.i.tion from foreign workmen-how is it that they are in this country?'

'Ah! that's the question.'

'A question easily answered. Most of them are brought over on the occasion of a strike, and when they come here they stop here, and add to the overstocked market. Your regulations for the support of your members are excellent, and deserve all praise; your Unions also are most desirable when protection is required against hard and unjust masters, though the number of them is not so large as you endeavour to make it.

But when you set up to dictate to masters as to whom they shall employ, you do injustice to respectable men willing to work, whom you compel to starve, and in the long-run you help to create that depression of trade of which we all complain.'

'Have you anything more agin the Unions?' asked Johnson angrily.

'Yes; I maintain that when they thus endeavour to control the labour market they often drive away trade. Why are our shops filled with American manufactures? For this simple reason: In America the men are always looking out to improve the processes of manufacture. A workman who can strike out a new and improved method is rewarded by his masters and applauded by his fellows. Here masters and men are against him. The workmen are too conservative. You are not offended, I hope, by my plain speaking?'

'Not at all,' replied the visitor in a sulky tone.

'Well, I will add that, so far as I can see, they often drive trade away as well. I will just give you one instance: I was spending an evening with an eminent judge a little while ago.'

'Why, the lawyers are the greatest trades unionists going,' said Johnson pa.s.sionately.

'It may be. I am not a lawyer, and have not much to say on their behalf.

The judge of whom I speak had just been at one of our great Midland towns, where an order had come for a large supply for a foreign Government. ”But,” said the English firm, ”we must have a strike clause inserted in the agreement, as our men will strike directly they hear we've got the order.” The agent of the foreign Government declined to agree to such a proposal, and the order was taken to Belgium and executed there.'

'Ah, that was an isolated case.'

'Not a bit of it,' said Mr. Wentworth. 'I can give plenty of other cases that show how often the British workmen unwittingly drive away trade, and make us all suffer in consequence.'

'Well, this is a free country, and the workmen have a right to act as they think best,' said Johnson.

'Undoubtedly; I do not dispute that for an instant. All I say is, don't throw all the blame of poverty on the rich; a good deal of it is due to the poor themselves. Parliament can do little more than it has done. No Act of Parliament can give permanent employment and good wages to a man who drinks, or neglects his duty, or who will not work properly and efficiently.'

'Ah, there are people who think otherwise.'

'I fear there are.'

'According to your way of talk, Mr. Wentworth, Parliament ain't of much use.'

'I fear not. I only defend representative government as the only possible mode of political life in the absence of a benevolent despotism, controlled by a free press. The ideal government is that which interferes least with the people.'

'Then, what do you recommend?'

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