`Yes, I know there are plenty such now,' rejoined Barrington.`It's only what is to be expected, considering that practically all workers live in poverty, and are regarded with contempt.The conditions under which most of the work is done at present are so unpleasant and degrading that everyone refuses to do any unless they are compelled;none of us here, for instance, would continue to work for Rushton if it were not for the fact that we have either to do so or starve; and when we do work we only just earn enough to keep body and soul together.Under the present system everybody who can possibly manage to do so avoids doing any work, the only difference being that some people do their loafing better than others.The aristocracy are too lazy to work, but they seem to get on all right; they have their tenants to work for them.Rushton is too lazy to work, so he has arranged that we and Nimrod shall work instead, and he fares much better than any of us who do work.Then there is another kind of loafers who go about begging and occasionally starving rather than submit to such abominable conditions as are offered to them.These last are generally not much worse off than we are and they are often better off.At present, people have everything to gain and but little to lose by refusing to work.Under Socialism it would be just the reverse; the conditions of labour would be so pleasant, the hours of obligatory work so few, and the reward so great, that it is absurd to imagine that any one would be so foolish as to incur the contempt of his fellows and make himself a social outcast by refusing to do the small share of work demanded of him by the community of which he was a member.
`As for what we should do to such individuals if there did happen to be some, I can assure you that we would not treat them as you treat them now.We would not dress them up in silk and satin and broadcloth and fine linen: we would not embellish them, as you do, with jewels of gold and jewels of silver and with precious stones; neither should we allow them to fare sumptuously every day.Our method of dealing with them would be quite different from yours.In the Co-operative Commonwealth there will be no place for loafers; whether they call themselves aristocrats or tramps, those who are too lazy to work shall have no share in the things that are produced by the labour of others.
Those who do nothing shall have nothing.If any man will not work, neither shall he eat.Under the present system a man who is really too lazy to work may stop you in the street and tell you that he cannot get employment.For all you know, he may be telling the truth, and if you have any feeling and are able, you will help him.But in the Socialist State no one would have such an excuse, because everyone that was willing would be welcome to come and help in the work of producing wealth and happiness for all, and afterwards he would also be welcome to his full share of the results.'
`Any more complaints?' inquired the chairman, breaking the gloomy silence that followed.
`I don't want anyone to think that I am blaming any of these present-day loafers,' Barrington added.`The wealthy ones cannot be expected voluntarily to come and work under existing conditions and if they were to do so they would be doing more harm than good - they would be doing some poor wretches out of employment.They are not to be blamed; the people who are to blame are the working classes themselves, who demand and vote for the continuance of the present system.As for the other class of loafers - those at the bottom, the tramps and people of that sort, if they were to become sober and industrious tomorrow, they also would be doing more harm than good to the other workers; it would increase the competition for work.If all the loafers in Mugsborough could suddenly be transformed into decent house painters next week, Nimrod might be able to cut down the wages another penny an hour.I don't wish to speak disrespectfully of these tramps at all.Some of them are such simply because they would rather starve than submit to the degrading conditions that we submit to, they do not see the force of being bullied and chased, and driven about in order to gain semi-starvation and rags.They are able to get those without working; and I sometimes think that they are more worthy of respect and are altogether a nobler type of beings than a lot of broken-spirited wretches like ourselves, who are always at the mercy of our masters, and always in dread of the sack.'
`Any more questions?' said the chairman.
`Do you mean to say as the time will ever come when the gentry will mix up on equal terms with the likes of us?' demanded the man behind the moat, scornfully.
`Oh, no,' replied the lecturer.When we get Socialism there won't be any people like us.Everybody will be civilized.'
The man behind the moat did not seem very satisfied with this answer, and told the others that he could not see anything to laugh at.
`Is there any more questions?' cried Philpot.`Now is your chance to get some of your own back, but don't hall speak at once.'
`I should like to know who's goin' to do all the dirty work?' said Slyme.`If everyone is to be allowed to choose 'is own trade, who'd be fool enough to choose to be a scavenger, a sweep, a dustman or a sewer man? nobody wouldn't want to do such jobs as them and everyone would be after the soft jobs.'
`Of course,' cried Crass, eagerly clutching at this last straw.`The thing sounds all right till you comes to look into it, but it wouldn't never work!'
`It would be very easy to deal with any difficulty of that sort,'