to him that hath-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　Captain　here　wouldn't　neither。　　So　what　I　say　is　he　don't　need
to；〃　and　Snoopy　sat　down　with　the　whole　brotherhood　gazing　at　him
in　silence　and　amazed　perplexity；　not　one　of　them　being　able　to
attach　the　faintest　meaning　to　Snoopy's　amazing　oration。

At　length　Fatty　Findlay；　another　of　the　voiceless　ones；　but　the
very　special　pal　of　Snoopy　Sykes；　broke　forth　in　a　puzzled　voice：

〃Say　it　again；　Snoopy。〃

There　was　a　roar　of　laughter；　which　only　grew　in　volume　as　Snoopy
turned　toward　his　brothers　a　wrathful　and　bewildered　countenance。

〃No；〃　said　another　voice。　　〃Say　something　else；　Snoopy。　　Shoot　a
goal　this　time。〃

Again　Snoopy　rose。　　〃What　I　said　was　this；〃　he　began　indignantly。
Again　there　was　a　roar　of　laughter。

〃Say；　you　fellers；　shut　up　and　give　a　feller　a　chance。　　The　Captain
wants　to　resign。　　I　say　'No。'　　He　is　a　darned　good　scout。　　We　want
him　and　we　won't　let　him　go。　　Let　him　keep　his　card。〃

〃By　the　powers；〃　roared　Macnamara；　〃it　is　a　goal；　Snoopy。　　It's　a
humdinger。　　I　second　the　motion。〃

It　was　utterly　in　vain　that　Brother　Simmons　and　his　whole　following
pointed　out　unitedly　and　successively　the　utter　impossibility　and
absurdity　of　the　proposal　which　was　unconstitutional　and　without
precedent。　　The　hockey　team　had　the　company　with　them　and　with　the
bit　in　their　teeth　swept　all　before　them。

At　this　point；　McNish　displayed　the　master…hand　that　comes　from
long　experience。　　He　saw　his　opportunity　and　seized　it。

〃Mr。　President；〃　he　said；　and　at　once　he　received　the　most　complete
attention。　　〃A　confess　this　is　a　most　extraordinary　proposal；　but
A'm　goin'　tae　support　it。〃　　The　roar　that　answered　told　him　that　he
had　regained　control　of　the　meeting。　　〃Brother　Simmons　says　it　is
unconstitutional　and　without　precedent。　　He　is　no　correct　in　this。
A　have　known　baith　maisters　and　managers　who　retained　their　union
cards。　　A　grant　ye　it　is　unusual；　but　may　I　point　oot　that　the
circumstances　are　unusual？〃Wild　yells　of　approval〃And　Captain
Maitland　is　an　unusual　man〃louder　yells　of　approval〃It　may　that
there　is　something　in　the　constitution　o'　this　union　that　stands　in
the　way〃Cries　of　〃No！　No！〃　and　consignment　of　the　constitution　to
a　nameless　locality。〃A　venture　to　suggest　that　a　committee　be
appointed；　consisting　of　Brothers　Sykes；　Macnamara　and　the
chairman；　wi'　poors　tae　add；　tae　go　into　this　maitter　with　Captain
Maitland　and　report。〃

It　was　a　master…stroke。　　A　true　union　man　regards　with　veneration
the　constitution　and　hesitates　to　tamper　with　it　except　in　a
perfectly　constitutional　manner。　　The　opposition　to　the
administration's　original　resolution　had　gained　what　they　sought；　a
temporary　stay。　　The　committee　was　appointed　and　the　danger　to　both
the　resolution　and　the　constitution　for　the　present　averted。

Again　Mr。　McNish　took　command。　　〃And　noo；　Mr。　President；〃　he　said；
〃the　oor　is　late。　　We　are　all　tired　and　we　all　wish　to　give　mair
thocht　to　the　main　maitter　before　us。　　A　move；　therefore；　that　we
adjourn　to　the　call　o'　the　Executive。〃

Once　more　Brother　Simmons　found　himself　in　a　protesting　minority；
and　the　meeting　broke　up；　the　opposition　jubilant　over　their
victory；　the　supporters　of　the　administration　determined　to　await　a
more　convenient　time。



CHAPTER　XII

LIGHT　THAT　IS　DARKNESS


At　the　next　monthly　meeting　of　Local　197　of　the　Woodworkers'　Union；
the　executive　had　little　difficulty　in　finally　shelving　the　report
of　its　committee　appointed　to　deal　with　the　resignation　of　Captain
Maitland；　and　as　little　difficulty　in　passing　by　unanimous　vote
their　resolution　held　up　at　the　last　meeting。　　The　allied　unions
had　meantime　been　extended　to　include　the　building　trades。　　Their
organization　had　been　perfected　and　their　discipline　immensely
strengthened。　　Many　causes　contributed　to　this　result。　　A　month's
time　had　elapsed　and　the　high　emotional　tides　due　to　athletic
enthusiasm；　especially　the　hockey　victory；　had　had　space　to
subside。　　The　dead　season　for　all　outdoor　games　was　upon　them　and
the　men；　losing　touch　with　each　other　and　with　their　captain；　who
was　engrossed　in　studying　his　new　duties；　began　to　spend　their
leisure　hours　in　loafing　about　the　streets　or　lounging　in　the　pool
rooms。

All　over　the　country　the　groundswell　of　unrest　was　steadily　and
rapidly　rising。　　The　returned　soldiers　who　had　failed　to　readjust
themselves　to　the　changed　conditions　of　life　and　to　the　changes
wrought　in　themselves　by　the　war；　embittered；　disillusioned　and
disappointed；　fell　an　easy　prey　to　unscrupulous　leaders　and　were
being　exploited　in　the　interests　of　all　sorts　of　fads　and　foolish
movements。　　Their　government　bonuses　were　long　since　spent　and　many
of　them；　through　no　fault　of　their　own；　found　themselves　facing　a
situation　full　of　difficulty；　hardship；　and　often　of　humiliation。

Under　the　influence　of　financial　inflation　and　deceived　by　the
abundant　flow　of　currency　in　every　department　of　business；
industries　by　the　score　started　up　all　over　the　land。　　Few　could
foresee　the　approach　of　dark　and　stern　days。　　It　was　in　vain　that
financial　leaders　began　to　sound　a　note　of　warning；　calling　for
retrenchment　and　thrift。　　And　now　the　inevitable　results　were
beginning　to　appear。　　The　great　steel　and　coal　industries　began　to
curtail　their　operations；　while　desperately　striving　to　maintain　war
prices　for　their　products。　　Other　industries　followed　their　example。
All　the　time　the　cost　of　living　continued　to　mount。　Foodstuffs
reached　unheard…of　prices；　which；　under　the　manipulations　of
unscrupulous　dealers；　continued　to　climb。

Small　wonder　that　working　men　with　high　wages　and　plenty　of　money
in　their　hands　cherished　exaggerated　ideas　of　their　wealth　and
developed　extravagant　tastes　in　dress；　amusements　and　in　standard
of　living。　　With　the　rest　of　the　world；　they　failed　to　recognise
the　fact　that　money　was　a　mere　counter　in　wealth　and　not　wealth
itself。　　To　a　large　extent；　thrift　was　abandoned　and　while　deposits
in　the　savings　banks　grew　in　volume；　the　depositors　failed　to
recognise　the　fact　that　the　value　of　the　dollar　had　decreased　fifty
per　cent。　　Already　the　reaction　from　all　this　had　begun　to　set　in。
Nervousness　paralysed　the　great　financial　institutions。　　The　fiat
went　forth　〃No　more　money　for　industrial　enterprises。　　No　more
advances　on　wholesale　stocks。〃　　The　order　was　issued　〃Retrench。
Take　your　losses；　unload　your　stocks。〃　　This　men　were　slow　to　do；
and　while　all　agreed　upon　the　soundness　of　the　policy；　each　waited
for　the　other　to　begin。

Through　the　month　of　April　anxiety；　fear　and　discontent　began　to
haunt　the　minds　of　business　men。　　In　the　labour　world　the　High
Command　was　quick　to　sense　the　approach　of　a　crisis　and　began　to
make　preparations　for　the　coming　storm。　　The　whole　industrial　and
commercial　world　gradually　crystallised　into　its　two　opposing
classes。　　A　subsidised　press　began　earnestly　to　demand　lower　cost
in　productions　retrenchment　in　expenditure；　a　cut　in　labour　costs；
a　general　and　united　effort　to　meet　the　inevitable　burden　of
deflation。

On　the　other　hand；　an　inspired　press　began　to　raise　an　outcry
against　the　increasing　cost　of　living；　to　point　out　the　effect　of
the　house　famine　upon　the　income　of　the　working　man；　and　to　sound　a
warning　as　to　the　danger　and　folly　of　any　sudden　reduction　in　the
wage　scale。

Increased　activity　in　the　ranks　of　organised　labour　began　to　be
apparent。　　Everywhere　the　wild　and　radical　element　was　gaining　in
influence　and　in　numbers；　and　the　spirit　of　faction　and　internecine
strife　became　rampant。

It　was　due　to　the　dominating　forcefulness　of　McNish；　the　leader　of
the　moderates；　that　the　two　factions　in　the　allied　unions　had　been
consolidated；　and　a　single　policy　agreed　upon。　　His　whole　past　had
been　a　preparation　for　just　a　crisis　as　the　present。　　His　wide
reading；　his　shrewd　practical　judgment；　his　large　experience　in
labour　movements　in　the　Old　Land；　gave　him　a　position　of　commanding
influence　which　enabled　him　to　dominate　the　executives　and　direct
their　activities。　　His　sudden　and　unexplained　acceptance　of　the
more　radical　program　won　for　him　an　enthusiastic　following　of　the
element　which　had　hitherto　recognised　the　leadership　o