to him that hath- 第37部分

〃I'll　tell　you；〃　replied　the　minister；　〃and　won't　take　long；
either。〃　　He　proceeded　to　read　over　carefully　the　various　clauses
in　the　demands　of　the　allied　unions；　emphasizing　and　explaining　the
meaning　of　each　clause。　　〃First；　as　to　wages。　　This　is　purely　a
matter　for　adjustment　to　the　cost　of　living　and　general　industrial
conditions。　　It　is　a　matter　of　arithmetic　and　common　sense。　　There
is　no　principle　involved。〃

〃I　don't　agree　with　you；〃　said　McNish。　　〃There　is　more　than　the
cost　of　living　to　be　considered。　　There　is　the　question　of　the
standard　of　living。　　Why　should　it　be　considered　right　that　the
standard　of　living　for　the　working　man　should　be　lower　than　that
for　the　professional　man　or　the　capitalist？〃

〃There　you　are　again；　McNish；〃　said　the　minister。　　〃You　are　not　up
to　your　usual　to…night。　　You　know　quite　well　that　every　working　man
in　my　parish　lives　better　than　I　do；　and　spends　more　money　on　his
living。　　The　standard　of　living　has　no　special　significance　with
the　working　man　to…day　as　distinguished　from　the　professional　man。
We　are　not　speaking　of　the　wasteful　and　idle　rich。　　So　I　repeat
that　here　it　is　a　matter　of　adjustment　and　that　there　is　no
principle　involved。　　Now；　as　regard　to　hours。　　You　ask　an　eight…
hour　day　and　a　Saturday　half…holiday。　　That；　too；　is　a　matter　of
adjustment。〃

〃What　about　production；　Mr。　Matheson？〃　said　Maitland。　　〃And
overhead？　　Production　costs　are　abnormally　high　to…day　and　so　are
carrying　charges。　　I　am　not　saying　that　a　ten…hour　day　is　not　too
long。　　Personally；　I　believe　that　a　man　cannot　keep　at　his　best　for
ten　hours　in　certain　industriesnot　in　all。〃

〃Long　hours　do　not　mean　big　production；　Maitland。　　Not　long　hours
but　intensive　and　co…ordinated　work　bring　up　production　and　lower
production　costs。〃

〃What　about　idle　machines　and　overhead？〃　inquired　Maitland。

〃A　very　important　consideration；〃　said　the　minister。　　〃The　only
sound　rule　governing　factory　industry　especially　is　this：　the
longest　possible　machine　time；　the　shortest　possible　man　time。　　But
here　again　it　is　a　question　of　organisation；　adjustment　and　co…
ordination　of　work　and　workers。　　We　all　want　education　here。〃

〃If　I　remember　right；〃　said　McNish；　and　he　could　not　keep　the
bitterness　out　of　his　voice；　〃I　have　heard　you　say　something　in　the
pulpit　at　times　in　regard　to　the　value　of　men's　immortal　souls。
What　care　can　men　take　of　their　bodies　and　minds；　let　alone　their
souls；　if　you　work　them　ten　hours　a　day？〃

〃There　is　a　previous　question；　McNish；〃　said　the　minister。　　〃Why
give　more　leisure　time　to　men　who　spend　their　leisure　hours　now　in
pool　rooms　and　that　sort　of　nonsense？〃

〃And　whose　fault　is　that；〃　replied　McNish　sharply。　　〃Who　is
responsible　that　they　have　not　learned　to　use　their　leisure　more
wisely？　　And　further；　what　about　your　young　bloods　and　their
leisure　hours？〃

〃Ay；　A　doot　he　has　ye　there；　minister；〃　said　Mrs。　McNish　with　a
quiet　chuckle。

〃He　has；〃　said　the　minister。　　〃The　point　is　well　taken　and　I
acknowledge　it　freely。　　My　position　is　that　the　men　need　more
leisure；　but；　more　than　that；　they　need　instruction　as　to　how　to
use　their　leisure　time　wisely。　　But　let　us　get　on　to　the　third
point。　　'A　Joint　Committee　of　References　demanded　to　which　all
complaints　shall　be　referred。'　　Now；　that's　fine。　　That's　the
Whitley　plan。　　It　is　quite　sound　and　has　proved　thoroughly　useful
in　practice。〃

〃I　quite　agree；〃　said　Maitland　frankly。　　〃But　certain　conditions
must　be　observed。〃

〃Of　course；　of　course；〃　replied　the　minister。　　〃Conditions　must　be
observed　everywhere。　　Now；　the　fourth　point：　　'The　foreman　must　be
a　member　of　the　union。'　　Thoroughly　unsound。　　They　can't　ride　two
horses　at　once。

〃I　am　not　so　sure　of　that；〃　said　Maitland。　　〃For　my　part；　I　should
like　to　have　retained　my　membership　in　the　union。　　The　more　that
both　parties　meet　for　conference；　the　better。　　And　the　more
connecting　links　between　them；　the　better。　　I　should　like　to　see　a
union　where　employers　and　employees　should　have　equal　rights　of
membership。〃

McNish　grunted　contemptuously。

〃It　would　be　an　interesting　experiment；〃　said　the　minister。　　〃An
interesting　experiment；　McNish；　and　you　are　not　to　grunt　like　that。
The　human　element；　of　course；　is　the　crux　here。　　If　we　had　the
right　sort　of　foreman　he　might　be　trusted　to　be　a　member　of　the
union；　but　a　man　cannot　direct　and　be　directed　at　the　same　time。
But　that　union　of　yours；　Maitland；　with　both　parties　represented　in
it；　is　a　big　idea。　　It　is　worth　considering。　　What　do　you　think
about　it；　McNish？〃

〃What　do　I　think　of　it？　　It　is　sheer　idealistic　nonsense。〃

〃It　is　a　noble　idea；　laddie；　and　no　to　be　sneered　at；　but　A　doot　it
needs　a　better　world　for　it　than　we　hae　at　the　present。〃

〃I　am　afraid　that　is　true；〃　said　the　minister。　　〃But　meantime　a
foreman　is　a　man　who　gives　orders　and　directs　work；　and；　generally
speaking；　he　must　remain　with　a　directorate　in　any　business。　　There
may　be　exceptions。　　You　must　acknowledge　that；　McNish。〃

〃I'll　acknowledge　nothing　of　the　sort；〃　replied　McNish；　and　entered
into　a　long　argument　which　convinced　no　one。

〃Now　we　come　to　the　next；　number　five：　'a　voice　in　the　management；'
it　means。　　Come　now；　McNish；　this　is　rather　much。　　Do　you　want　Mr。
Maitland's　job　here；　or　is　there　anyone　in　your　shop　who　would　be
anything　but　an　embarrassment　trying　running　the　Maitland　Mills；
and　you　know　quite　well　that　the　men　want　nothing　of　the　sort。　　It
may　be　as　Mrs。　McNish　said；　'a　good　negotiating　point；'　but　it　has
no　place　in　practical　politics　here　in　Blackwater。　　How　would　you
like；　for　instance；　to　take　orders　from　Simmons？〃

The　old　lady　chuckled　delightedly。　　〃He　has　you　there；　laddie；　he
has　you　there！〃

But　this　McNish　would　not　acknowledge；　and　proceeded　to　argue　at
great　length　on　purely　theoretical　grounds　for　joint　control　of
industries；　till　his　mother　quite　lost　patience　with　him。

〃Hoots；　laddie；　haud　yer　hoofs　on　mither　earth。　　Would　ye　want　yon
radical　bodies　to　take　chairge　o'　ony　business　in　which　ye　had　a
baubee？　　Ye're　talkin'　havers。〃

〃Now；　let　us　look　at　the　last；〃　said　Mr。　Matheson。　　〃It　is
practically　a　demand　for　the　closed　shop。　　Now；　McNish；　I　ask　you；
man　to　man；　what　is　the　use　of　putting　that　in　there？　　It　is　not
even　a　negotiating　point。〃

At　that　McNish　fired　up。　　〃It　is　no　negotiating　point；〃　he
declared。　　〃I　stand　for　that。　　It　is　vital　to　the　very　existence　of
unionised　labour。　　Everyone　knows　that。　　Unionism　cannot　maintain
itself　in　existence　without　the　closed　shop。　　It　is　the　ideal
toward　which　all　unionised　labour　works。〃

〃Now；　McNish；　tell　me　honestly；〃　said　the　minister；　〃do　you　expect
or　hope　for　an　absolutely　closed　shop　in　the　factories　here　in
Blackwater；　or　in　the　Building　Industries？　　Have　you　the　faintest
shadow　of　a　hope？〃

〃We　may　not　get　it；〃　said　McNish；　〃but　that　is　no　reason　why　we
should　not　fight　for　it。　　Men　have　died　fighting　for　the　impossible
because　they　knew　it　was　right；　and；　by　dying　for　it；　they　have
brought　it　to　pass。〃

〃Far　be　it　from　me；　McNish；　to　deny　that。　　But　I　am　asking　you　now；
again　as　man　to　man；　do　you　know　of　any　industry；　even　in　the　Old
Land；　where　the　closed　shop　absolutely　prevails；　and　do　you　think
that　conditions　in　Blackwater　give　you　the　faintest　hope　of　a
closed　shop　here？〃

〃Yes；〃　shouted　McNish；　springing　to　his　feet；　〃there　is　hope。
There　is　hope　even　in　Blackwater。〃

〃Tut；　tut；　laddie；〃　said　his　mother。　　〃Dinna　deeve　us。　　What　has
come　ower　ye　that　ye　canna　talk　like　a　reasonable　man？　　Noo；　Mr。
Matheson；　ye've　had　enough　of　the　labour　matters。　　A'll　mak　ye　a
cup　of　tea。〃

〃Thank　you；　Mrs。　McNish；〃　said　the　minister　gravely；　〃but　I　cannot
linger。　　I　have　still　work　to　do　to…night。〃　　He　rose　from　his　chair
and　found　his　coat。　　His　manner　was　gravely　sad　and　gave　evidence
of　his　disappointment　with　the　evening's　conversation。

〃Dinna　fash　yerself；　minister；〃　said　the　old　lady；　helping　him　on
with　his　coat。　　〃The　'trouble'　will　blow　ower；　a　doot。　　It'll　a'
come　oot　richt。〃

〃Mrs。　McNish；　what　I　have　seen　and　heard　in　this　house　to…night；〃
said　the　minister　solemnly；　〃gives　me　little　hope　that　it　will　all
come　right；　but　rather　gives　me　grave　concern。〃　　Then；　looking
straight　into　the　eyes　of　her　son；　he　added：　　〃I　came　here
expecting　to　find　help　and　guidance　in　discovering　a　reasonable　way
out　of　a　very　grave　and　serious　difficulty。　　I　confess　I　have　been
disappointed。〃

〃Mr。　Matheson；〃　said　McNish；　〃I　am　always　glad　to　discuss　any
matter　with　you　in　a　reasonable　and　kindly　way。〃

〃I　am　afraid　my　presence　has　not　helped　very　much；　Mrs。　McNish；〃
said　Maitland。　　〃I　am　sorry　I　came　tonight。　　I　did　come　earnestly
desiring　and　hoping　that　we　might　find　a　way　out。　　It　seems　I　have
made　a　mistake。〃

〃You　came　at　my　request；　Maitland；〃　said　the　minister。　　〃If　a
mistake　has　been　made；　it　is　mine。　　Good…night；　Mrs。　McNish。　　Good…
night；　Malcolm。　　I　don't　pretend　to　know　or　understand　what　is　in
your　heart；　but　I　am　going　to　say　to　you　as　your　minister　that
where　there　is　evil　passion　there　can　be　no　clear　thinking。　　And
further；　let　me　say　that　upon　you　will　devolve　a　heavy　responsibility
for　the　gu