第60章

`The majority work hard and live in poverty in order that the minority may live in luxury without working at all, and as the majority are mostly fools, they not only agree to pass their lives in incessant slavery and want, in order to pay this rent to those who own the country, but they say it is quite right that they should have to do so, and are very grateful to the little minority for allowing them to remain in the country at all.'

Owen paused, and immediately there arose a great clamour from his listeners.

`So it IS right, ain't it?' shouted Crass.`If you 'ad a 'ouse and let it to someone, you'd want your rent, wouldn't yer?'

`I suppose,' said Slyme with resentment, for he had some shares in a local building society, `after a man's been careful, and scraping and saving and going without things he ought to 'ave 'ad all 'is life, and managed to buy a few 'ouses to support 'im in 'is old age - they ought all to be took away from 'im? Some people,' he added, `ain't got common honesty.'

Nearly everyone had something to say in reprobation of the views suggested by Owen.Harlow, in a brief but powerful speech, bristling with numerous sanguinary references to the bottomless pit, protested against any interference with the sacred rights of property.Easton listened with a puzzled expression, and Philpot's goggle eyes rolled horribly as he glared silently at the circle and the two squares.

`By far the greatest part of the land,' said Owen when the row had ceased, `is held by people who have absolutely no moral right to it.

Possession of much of it was obtained by means of murder and theft perpetrated by the ancestors of the present holders.In other cases, when some king or prince wanted to get rid of a mistress of whom he had grown weary, he presented a tract of our country to some `nobleman' on condition that he would marry the female.Vast estates were also bestowed upon the remote ancestors of the present holders in return for real or alleged services.Listen to this,' he continued as he took a small newspaper cutting from his pocket-book.

Crass looked at the piece of paper dolefully.It reminded him of the one he had in his own pocket, which he was beginning to fear that he would not have an opportunity of producing today after all.

`Ballcartridge Rent Dat.

`The hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Ballcartridge occurred yesterday and in accordance with custom the Duke of Ballcartridge handed to the authorities the little flag which he annually presents to the State in virtue of his tenure of the vast tract of this country which was presented to one of his ancestors - the first Duke - in addition to his salary, for his services at the battle of Ballcartridge.

`The flag - which is the only rent the Duke has to pay for the great estate which brings him in several hundreds of thousands of pounds per annum - is a small tricoloured one with a staff surmounted by an eagle.

`The Duke of Blankmind also presents the State with a little coloured silk flag every year in return for being allowed to retain possession of that part of England which was presented - in addition to his salary - to one of His Grace's very remote ancestors, for his services at the battle of Commissariat - in the Netherlands.

`The Duke of Southward is another instance,' continued Owen.`He "owns" miles of the country we speak of as "ours".Much of his part consists of confiscated monastery lands which were stolen from the owners by King Henry VIII and presented to the ancestors of the present Duke.

`Whether it was right or wrong that these parts of our country should ever have been given to those people - the question whether those ancestor persons were really deserving cases or not - is a thing we need not trouble ourselves about now.But the present holders are certainly not deserving people.They do not even take the trouble to pretend they are.They have done nothing and they do nothing to justify their possession of these "estates" as they call them.And in my opinion no man who is in his right mind can really think it's just that these people should be allowed to prey upon their fellow men as they are doing now.Or that it is right that their children should be allowed to continue to prey upon our children for ever! The thousands of people on those estates work and live in poverty in order that these three men and their families may enjoy leisure and luxury.Just think of the absurdity of it!' continued Owen, pointing to the drawings.`All those people allowing themselves to be overworked and bullied and starved and robbed by this little crowd here!'

Observing signs of a renewal of the storm of protests, Owen hurriedly concluded:

`Whether it's right or wrong, you can't deny that the fact that this small minority possesses nearly all the land of the country is one of the principal causes of the poverty of the majority.'

`Well, that seems true enough,' said Easton, slowly.`The rent's the biggest item a workin' man's got to pay.When you're out of work and you can't afford other things, you goes without 'em, but the rent 'as to be paid whether you're workin' or not.'

`Yes, that's enough,' said Harlow impatiently; `but you gets value for yer money: you can't expect to get a 'ouse for nothing.'

`Suppose we admits as it's wrong, just for the sake of argyment,' said Crass in a jeering tone.`Wot then? Wot about it? 'Ow's it agoin'

to be altered.'

`Yes!' cried Harlow triumphantly.`That's the bloody question! 'Ow's it goin' to be altered? It can't be done!'

There was a general murmur of satisfaction.Nearly everyone seemed very pleased to think that the existing state of things could not possibly be altered.