Page:The cry for justice - an anthology of the literature of social protest. - (IA cryforjusticea00sinc).pdf/860

 "I wonder how much you'll be able to do when you're as old as he is?" said Owen.

"Praps I won't want to do nothing," replied Crass, with a feeble laugh. "I'm goin' to live on me means."

"I should say the best thing old Jack could do would be to go in the workhouse," said Harlow.

"Yes: I reckon that's what'll be the end of it," said Easton, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"It's a grand finish, isn't it?" observed Owen. "After working hard all one's life to be treated like a criminal at the end."

"I don't know what you call bein' treated like criminals," exclaimed Crass. "I reckon they 'as a bloody fine time of it, an' we've got to find the money."

"Oh, for Gord's sake, don't start no more arguments," cried Harlow, addressing Owen. "We 'ad enough of that last week. You can't expect a boss to employ a man when 'e's too old to work."

"Of course not," said Crass.

Old Joe Philpot said—nothing.

"I don't see no sense in always grumblin'," Crass proceeded; "these things can't be altered. You can't expect there can be plenty of work for everyone with all this 'ere labor-savin' machinery what's been invented."

"Of course," said Harlow, "the people what used to be employed on the work what's now done by machinery has to find something else to do. Some of 'em goes to our trade, for instance. The result is there's too many at it, and there ain't enough work to keep 'em all goin'."

"Yes," said Crass, eagerly, "that's just what I say. Machinery is the real cause of all the poverty. That's what I said the other day."

"Machinery is undoubtedly the cause of unemploy