h.

'No, of course not,' replied Owen.

'Well, what the bloody 'ell DO yer mean, then?'

'I mean this: supposing that the owner of a house wishes to have it
repainted. What does he usually do?'

'As a rule, 'e goes to three or four master painters and asks 'em to
give 'im a price for the job.'

'Yes; and those master painters are so eager to get the work that they
cut the price down to what they think is the lowest possible point,'
answered Owen, 'and the lowest usually gets the job. The successful
tenderer has usually cut the price so fine that to make it pay he has
to scamp the work, pay low wages, and drive and sweat the men whom he
employs. He wants them to do two days' work for one day's pay. The
result is that a job which--if it were done properly--would employ say
twenty men for two months, is rushed and scamped in half that time with
half that number of men.

'This means that--in one such case as this--ten men are deprived of one
month's employment; and ten other men are deprived of two months'
employment; and all because the employers have been cutting each
other's throats to get the work.'

'And we can't 'elp ourselves, you nor me either,' said Harlow.
'Supposing one of us on this job was to make up 'is mind not to tear
into it like we do, but just keep on steady and do a fair day's work:
wot would 'appen?'

No one answered; but the same thought was in everyone's mind. Such a
one would be quickly marked by Hunter; and even if the latter failed to
notice it would not be long before Crass reported his conduct.

'We can't 'elp ourselves,' said Easton, gloomily. 'If one man won't do
it there's twenty others ready to take 'is place.'

'We could help ourselves to a certain extent if we would stand by each
other. If, for instance, we all belonged to the Society,' said Owen.

'I don't believe in the Society,' observed Crass. 'I can't see as it's
right that a inferior man should 'ave the same wages as me.'

'They're a drunken lot of beer-swillers,' remarked Slyme. 'That's why
they always 'as their meetings in public 'ouses.'

Harlow made no comment on this question. He had at one time belonged
to the Union and he was rather ashamed of having fallen away from it.

'Wot good 'as the Society ever done 'ere?' said Easton. 'None that I
ever 'eard of.'

'It might be able to do some good if most of us belonged to it; but
after all, that's another matter. Whether we could help ourselves or
not, t