ched and urged on the others. He was 'in
charge of the job': he knew that unless he succeeded in making this
work pay he would not be put in charge of another job. On the other
hand, if he did make it pay he would be given the preference over
others and be kept on as long as the firm had any work. The firm would
give him the preference only as long as it paid them to do so.

As for the hands, each man knew that there was no chance of obtaining
work anywhere else at present; there were dozens of men out of
employment already. Besides, even if there had been a chance of getting
another job somewhere else, they knew that the conditions were more or
less the same on every firm. Some were even worse than this one. Each
man knew that unless he did as much as ever he could, Crass would
report him for being slow. They knew also that when the job began to
draw to a close the number of men employed upon it would be reduced,
and when that time came the hands who did the most work would be kept
on and the slower ones discharged. It was therefore in the hope of
being one of the favoured few that while inwardly cursing the rest for
'tearing into it', everyone as a matter of self-preservation went and
'tore into it' themselves.

They all cursed Crass, but most of them would have been very to change
places with him: and if any one of them had been in his place they
would have been compelled to act in the same way--or lose the job.

They all reviled Hunter, but most of them would have been glad to
change places with him also: and if any one of them had been in his
place they would have been compelled to do the same things, or lose the
job.

They all hated and blamed Rushton. Yet if they had been in Rushton's
place they would have been compelled to adopt the same methods, or
become bankrupt: for it is obvious that the only way to compete
successfully against other employers who are sweaters is to be a
sweater yourself. Therefore no one who is an upholder of the present
system can consistently blame any of these men. Blame the system.

If you, reader, had been one of the hands, would you have slogged? Or
would you have preferred to starve and see your family starve? If you
had been in Crass's place, would you have resigned rather than do such
dirty work? If you had had Hunter's berth, would you have given it up
and voluntarily reduced yourself to the level of the hands? If you had
been Rushton, would you rather have beco