They may reject it,of course.But we who call ourselves by the name of Christ are not worthy to profess to be His disciples until we have set an open door before the least and worst of these who are now apparently imprisoned for life in a horrible dungeon of misery and despair.The responsibility for its rejection must be theirs,not ours.We all know the prayer,"Give me neither poverty nor riches,feed me with food convenient for me"--and for every child of man on this planet,thank God the prayer of Agur,the son of Jakeh,may be fulfilled.
At present how far it is from being realised may be seen by anyone who will take the trouble to go down to the docks and see the struggle for work.Here is a sketch of what was found there this summer:--London Docks,7.25a.m.The three pairs of huge wooden doors are closed.Leaning against then,and standing about,there are perhaps a couple of hundred men.The public house opposite is full,doing a heavy trade.All along the road are groups of men,and from each direction a steady stream increases the crowd at the gate.
7.30Doors open,there is a general rush to the interior.Everybody marches about a hundred yards along to the iron barrier--a temporary chair affair,guarded by the dock police.Those men who have previously (i.e.,night before)been engaged,show their ticket and pass through,about six hundred.The rest--some five hundred stand behind the barrier,patiently waiting the chance of a job,but less than twenty of these get engaged.They are taken on by a foreman who appears next the barrier and proceeds to pick his men.No sooner is the foreman seen,than there is a wild rush to the spot and a sharp mad fight to "catch his eye."The men picked out,pass the barrier,and the excitement dies away until another lot of men are wanted.
They wait until eight o'clock strikes,which is the signal to withdraw.
The barrier is taken down and all those hundreds of men,wearily disperse to "find a job."Five hundred applicants,twenty acceptances!
No wonder one tired-out looking individual ejaculates,"Oh dear,Oh dear!Whatever shall I do?"A few hang about until mid-day on the slender chance of getting taken on then for half a day.
Ask the men and they will tell you something like the following story,which gives the simple experiences of a dock labourer.
R.P.said:--"I was in regular work at the South West India Dock before the strike.We got 5d.an hour.Start work 8a.m.summer and 9a.m winter.Often there would be five hundred go,and only twenty get taken on (that is besides those engaged the night previous.)The foreman stood in his box,and called out the men he wanted.
