Part 57 (1/2)

'But I can't see as that proves that money is the cause of poverty,'

said Easton.

'Look here,' said Owen. 'The people in number four produce everything, don't they?'

'Yes; we knows all about that,' interrupted Harlow. 'But they gets paid for it, don't they? They gets their wages.'

'Yes, and what does their wages consist of?' said Owen.

'Why, money, of course,' replied Harlow, impatiently.

And what do they do with their money when they get it? Do they eat it, or drink it, or wear it?'

At this apparently absurd question several of those who had hitherto been attentive listeners laughed derisively; it was really very difficult to listen patiently to such nonsense.

'Of course they don't,' answered Harlow scornfully. 'They buy the things they want with it.'

'Do you think that most of them manage to save a part of their wages--put it away in the bank.'

'Well, I can speak for meself,' replied Harlow amid laughter. 'It takes me all my b.l.o.o.d.y time to pay my rent and other expenses and to keep my little lot in shoe leather, and it's dam little I spend on beer; p'r'aps a tanner or a bob a week at the most.'

'A single man can save money if he likes,' said Slyme.

'I'm not speaking of single men,' replied Owen. 'I'm referring to those who live natural lives.'

'What about all the money what's in the Post Office Savings Bank, and Building and Friendly Societies?' said Cra.s.s.

'A very large part of that belongs to people who are in business, or who have some other source of income than their own wages. There are some exceptionally fortunate workers who happen to have good situations and higher wages than the ordinary run of workmen. Then there are some who are so placed--by letting lodgings, for instance--that they are able to live rent free. Others whose wives go out to work; and others again who have exceptional jobs and work a lot of overtime--but these are all exceptional cases.'

'I say as no married workin' man can save any money at all!' shouted Harlow, 'not unless 'e goes without some of even the few things we are able to get--and makes 'is wife and kids go without as well.'

''Ear, 'ear,' said everybody except Cra.s.s and Slyme, who were both thrifty working men, and each of them had some money saved in one or other of the inst.i.tutions mentioned.

'Then that means,' said Owen, 'that means that the wages the people in division four receive is not equivalent to the work they do.'

'Wotcher mean, equivalent?' cried Cra.s.s. 'Why the 'ell don't yer talk plain English without draggin' in a lot of long words wot n.o.body can't understand?'

'I mean this,' replied Owen, speaking very slowly. 'Everything is produced by the people in number four. In return for their work they are given--Money, and the things they have made become the property of the people who do nothing. Then, as the money is of no use, the workers go to shops and give it away in exchange for some of the things they themselves have made. They spend--or give back--ALL their wages; but as the money they got as wages is not equal in value to the things they produced, they find that they are only able to buy back a VERY SMALL PART. So you see that these little discs of metal--this Money--is a device for enabling those who do not work to rob the workers of the greater part of the fruits of their toil.'

The silence that ensued was broken by Cra.s.s.

'It sounds very pretty,' he sneered, 'but I can't make no 'ead or tail of it, meself.'

'Look here!' cried Owen. 'The producing cla.s.s--these people in number four are supposed to be paid for their work. Their wages are supposed to be equal in value to their work. But it's not so. If it were, by spending all their wages, the producing cla.s.s would be able to buy back All they had produced.'

Owen ceased speaking and silence once more ensued. No one gave any sign of understanding, or of agreeing or of disagreeing with what he had said. Their att.i.tude was strictly neutral. Barrington's pipe had gone out during the argument. He relit it from the fire with a piece of twisted paper.

'If their wages were really equal in value to the product of their labour,' Owen repeated, 'they would be able to buy back not a small part--but the Whole.'...

At this, a remark from Bundy caused a shout of laughter, and when Wantley added point to the joke by making a sound like the discharge of a pistol the merriment increased tenfold.

'Well, that's done it,' remarked Easton, as he got up and opened the window.