Usually whenever Owen reflected upon the gross injustices, and inhumanity of the existing social disorder, he became convinced that it could not possibly last; it was bound to fall to pieces because of its own rottenness.It was not just, it was not common sense, and therefore it could not endure.But always after one of these arguments - or, rather, disputes - with his fellow workmen, he almost relapsed into hopelessness and despondency, for then he realized how vast and how strong are the fortifications that surround the present system; the great barriers and ramparts of invincible ignorance, apathy and self-contempt, which will have to be broken down before the system of society of which they are the defences, can be swept away.
At other times as he thought of this marvellous system, it presented itself to him in such an aspect of almost comical absurdity that he was forced to laugh and to wonder whether it really existed at all, or if it were only an illusion of his own disordered mind.
One of the things that the human race needed in order to exist was shelter; so with much painful labour they had constructed a large number of houses.Thousands of these houses were now standing unoccupied, while millions of the people who had helped to build the houses were either homeless or herding together in overcrowded hovels.
These human beings had such a strange system of arranging their affairs that if anyone were to go and burn down a lot of the houses he would be conferring a great boon upon those who had built them, because such an act would `Make a lot more work!'
Another very comical thing was that thousands of people wore broken boots and ragged clothes, while millions of pairs of boots and abundance of clothing, which they had helped to make, were locked up in warehouses, and the System had the keys.
Thousands of people lacked the necessaries of life.The necessaries of life are all produced by work.The people who lacked begged to be allowed to work and create those things of which they stood in need.
But the System prevented them from so doing.
If anyone asked the System why it prevented these people from producing the things of which they were in want, the System replied:
`Because they have already produced too much.The markets are glutted.The warehouses are filled and overflowing, and there is nothing more for them to do.'
There was in existence a huge accumulation of everything necessary.Agreat number of the people whose labour had produced that vast store were now living in want, but the System said that they could not be permitted to partake of the things they had created.Then, after a time, when these people, being reduced to the last extreme of misery, cried out that they and their children were dying of hunger, the System grudgingly unlocked the doors of the great warehouses, and taking out a small part of the things that were stored within, distributed it amongst the famished workers, at the same time reminding them that it was Charity, because all the things in the warehouses, although they had been made by the workers, were now the property of the people who do nothing.
And then the starving, bootless, ragged, stupid wretches fell down and worshipped the System, and offered up their children as living sacrifices upon its altars, saying:
`This beautiful System is the only one possible, and the best that human wisdom can devise.May the System live for ever! Cursed be those who seek to destroy the System!'
As the absurdity of the thing forced itself upon him, Owen, in spite of the unhappiness he felt at the sight of all the misery by which he was surrounded, laughed aloud and said to himself that if he was sane, then all these people must be mad.
In the face of such colossal imbecility it was absurd to hope for any immediate improvement.The little already accomplished was the work of a few self-sacrificing enthusiasts, battling against the opposition of those they sought to benefit, and the results of their labours were, in many instances, as pearls cast before the swine who stood watching for opportunities to fall upon and rend their benefactors.
There was only one hope.It was possible that the monopolists, encouraged by the extraordinary stupidity and apathy of the people would proceed to lay upon them even greater burdens, until at last, goaded by suffering, and not having sufficient intelligence to understand any other remedy, these miserable wretches would turn upon their oppressors and drown both them and their System in a sea of blood.
Besides the work at the Kiosk, towards the end of March things gradually began to improve in other directions.Several firms began to take on a few hands.Several large empty houses that were relet had to be renovated for their new tenants, and there was a fair amount of inside work arising out of the annual spring-cleaning in other houses.There was not enough work to keep everyone employed, and most of those who were taken on as a rule only managed to make a few hours a week, but still it was better than absolute idleness, and there also began to be talk of several large outside jobs that were to be done as soon as the weather was settled.
This bad weather, by the way, was a sort of boon to the defenders of the present system, who were hard-up for sensible arguments to explain the cause of poverty.One of the principal causes was, of course, the weather, which was keeping everything back.There was not the slightest doubt that if only the weather would allow there would always be plenty of work, and poverty would be abolished.
