in darkest england and the way out-第35章

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r　human　consumption。　　In　this　the　greatest　care　would　be　exercised；　and　the　remainder　would　be　dispatched；　if　possible；　by　barges　down　the　river　to　the　Farm　Colony；　where　we　shall　meet　it　hereafter。

But　food　is　only　one　of　the　materials　which　we　should　handle。　　At　our　Whitechapel　Factory　there　is　one　shoemaker　whom　we　picked　off　the　streets　destitute　and　miserable。　　He　is　now　saved；　and　happy；　and　cobbles　away　at　the　shoe　leather　of　his　mates。　　That　shoemaker；　I　foresee；　is　but　the　pioneer　of　a　whole　army　of　shoemakers　constantly　at　work　in　repairing　the　cast…off　boots　and　shoes　of　London。　　Already　in　some　provincial　towns　a　great　business　is　done　by　the　conversion　of　old　shoes　into　new。　　They　call　the　men　so　employed　translators。　　Boots　and　shoes；　as　every　wearer　of　them　knows；　do　not　go　to　pieces　all　at　once　or　in　all　parts　at　once。　　The　sole　often　wears　out　utterly；　while　the　upper　leather　is　quite　good；　or　the　upper　leather　bursts　while　the　sole　remains　practically　in　a　salvable　condition；　but　your　individual　pair　of　shoes　and　boots　are　no　good　to　you　when　any　section　of　them　is　hopelessly　gone　to　the　bad。　　But　give　our　trained　artist　in　leather　and　his　army　of　assistants　a　couple　of　thousand　pairs　of　boots　and　shoes；　and　it　will　go　ill　with　him　if　out　of　the　couple　of　thousand　pairs　of　wrecks　he　cannot　construct　five　hundred　pairs；　which；　if　not　quite　good；　will　be　immeasurably　better　than　the　apologies　for　boots　which　cover　the　feet　of　many　a　poor　tramp；　to　say　nothing　of　the　thousands　of　poor　children　who　are　at　the　present　moment　attending　our　public　schools。　　In　some　towns　they　have　already　established　a　Boot　and　Shoe　Fund　in　order　to　provide　the　little　ones　who　come　to　school　with　shoes　warranted　not　to　let　in　water　between　the　school　house　and　home。　　When　you　remember　the　43；000　children　who　are　reported　by　the　School　Board　to　attend　the　schools　of　London　alone　unfed　and　starving；　do　you　not　think　there　are　many　thousands　to　whom　we　could　easily　dispose；　with　advantage；　the　resurrected　shoes　of　our　Boot　Factory？

This；　however；　is　only　one　branch　of　industry。　　Take　old　umbrellas。　We　all　know　the　itinerant　umbrella　mender；　whose　appearance　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　farmhouse　leads　the　good　wife　to　look　after　her　poultry　and　to　see　well　to　it　that　the　watchdog　is　on　the　premises。　But　that　gentleman　is　almost　the　only　agency　by　which　old　umbrellas　can　be　rescued　from　the　dust　heap。　　Side　by　side　with　our　Boot　Factory　we　shall　have　a　great　umbrella　works。　　The　ironwork　of　one　umbrella　will　be　fitted　to　the　stick　of　another；　and　even　from　those　that　are　too　hopelessly　gone　for　any　further　use　as　umbrellas　we　shall　find　plenty　of　use　for　their　steels　and　whalebone。

So　I　might　go　on。　　Bottles　are　a　fertile　source　of　minor　domestic　worry。　　When　you　buy　a　bottle　you　have　to　pay　a　penny　for　it；　but　when　you　have　emptied　it　you　cannot　get　a　penny　back；　no；　nor　even　a　farthing。　　You　throw　your　empty　bottle　either　into　the　dust　heap；　or　let　it　lie　about。　　But　if　we　could　collect　all　the　waste　bottles　of　London　every　day；　it　would　go　hardly　with　us　if　we　could　not　turn　a　very　pretty　penny　by　washing　them；　sorting　them；　and　sending　them　out　on　a　new　lease　of　life。　　The　washing　of　old　bottles　alone　will　keep　a　considerable　number　of　people　going。

I　can　imagine　the　objection　which　will　be　raised　by　some　shortsighted　people；　that　by　giving　the　old；　second…hand　material　a　new　lease　of　life　it　will　be　said　that　we　shall　diminish　the　demand　for　new　material；　and　so　curtail　work　and　wages　at　one　end　while　we　are　endeavouring　to　piece　on　something　at　the　other。　　This　objection　reminds　me　of　a　remark　of　a　North　Country　pilot　who；　when　speaking　of　the　dulness　in　the　shipbuilding　industry；　said　that　nothing　would　do　any　good　but　a　series　of　heavy　storms；　which　would　send　a　goodly　number　of　ocean…going　steamers　to　the　bottom；　to　replace　which；　this　political　economist　thought；　the　yards　would　once　more　be　filled　with　orders。　This；　however；　is　not　the　way　in　which　work　is　supplied。　　Economy　is　a　great　auxiliary　to　trade；　inasmuch　as　the　money　saved　is　expended　on　other　products　of　industry。

There　is　one　material　that　is　continually　increasing　in　quantity；　which　is　the　despair　of　the　life　of　the　householder　and　of　the　Local　Sanitary　Authority。　　I　refer　to　the　tins　in　which　provisions　are　supplied。　Nowadays　everything　comes　to　us　in　tins。　　We　have　coffee　tins；　meat　tins；　salmon　tins；　and　tins　ad　nauseam。　　Tin　is　becoming　more　and　more　the　universal　envelope　of　the　rations　of　man。　　But　when　you　have　extracted　the　contents　of　the　tin　what　can　you　do　with　it？　Huge　mountains　of　empty　tins　lie　about　every　dustyard；　for　as　yet　no　man　has　discovered　a　means　of　utilising　them　when　in　great　masses。　Their　market　price　is　about　four　or　five　shillings　a　ton；　but　they　are　so　light　that　it　would　take　half　a　dozen　trucks　to　hold　a　ton。　They　formerly　burnt　them　for　the　sake　of　the　solder；　but　now；　by　a　new　process；　they　are　jointed　without　solder。　　The　problem　of　the　utilisation　of　the　tins　is　one　to　which　we　would　have　to　address　ourselves；　and　I　am　by　no　means　desponding　as　to　the　result。

I　see　in　the　old　tins　of　London　at　least　one　means　of　establishing　an　industry　which　is　at　present　almost　monopolised　by　our　neighbours。　Most　of　the　toys　which　are　sold　in　France　on　New　Year's　Day　are　almost　entirely　made　of　sardine　tins　collected　in　the　French　capital。　　The　toy　market　of　England　is　at　present　far　from　being　overstocked；　for　there　are　multitudes　of　children　who　have　no　toys　worth　speaking　of　with　which　to　amuse　themselves。　　In　these　empty　tins　I　see　a　means　of　employing　a　large　number　of　people　in　turning　out　cheap　toys　which　will　add　a　new　joy　to　the　households　of　the　poorthe　poor　to　whom　every　farthing　is　important；　not　the　rich　the　rich　can　always　get　toysbut　the　children　of　the　poor；　who　live　in　one　room　and　have　nothing　to　look　out　upon　but　the　slum　or　the　street。　　These　desolate　little　things　need　our　toys；　and　if　supplied　cheap　enough　they　will　take　them　in　sufficient　quantities　to　make　it　worth　while　to　manufacture　them。

A　whole　book　might　be　written　concerning　the　utilisation　of　the　waste　of　London。　　But　I　am　not　going　to　write　one。　　I　hope　before　long　to　do　something　much　better　than　write　a　book；　namely；　to　establish　an　organisation　to　utilise　the　waste；　and　then　if　I　describe　what　is　being　done　it　will　be　much　better　than　by　now　explaining　what　I　propose　to　do。　But　there　is　one　more　waste　material　to　which　it　is　necessary　to　allude。　I　refer　to　old　newspapers　and　magazines；　and　books。　Newspapers　accumulate　in　our　houses　until　we　sometimes　burn　them　in　sheer　disgust。　　Magazines　and　old　books　lumber　our　shelves　until　we　hardly　know　where　to　turn　to　put　a　new　volume。　　My　Brigade　will　relieve　the　householder　from　these　difficulties；　and　thereby　become　a　great　distributing　agency　of　cheap　literature。　　After　the　magazine　has　done　its　duty　in　the　middle　class　household　it　can　be　passed　on　to　the　reading…rooms；　workhouses；　and　hospitals。　　Every　publication　issued　from　the　Press　that　is　of　the　slightest　use　to　men　and　women　will；　by　our　Scheme；　acquire　a　double　share　of　usefulness。　　It　will　be　read　first　by　its　owner；　and　then　by　many　people　who　would　never　otherwise　see　it。

We　shall　establish　an　immense　second…hand　book　shop。　　All　the　best　books　that　come　into　our　hands　will　be　exposed　for　sale；　not　merely　at　our　central　depots；　but　on　the　barrows　of　our　peripatetic　colporteurs；　who　will　go　from　street　to　street　with　literature　which；　I　trust；　will　be　somewhat　superior　to　the　ordinary　pabulum　supplied　to　the　poor。　After　we　have　sold　all　we　could；　and　given　away　all　that　is　needed　to　public　institutions；　the　remainder　will　be　carried　down　to　our　great　Paper　Mill；　of　which　we　shall　speak　later；　in　connection　with　our　Farm　Colony。

The　Household　Salvage　Brigade　will　constitute　an　agency　capable　of　being　utilised　to　any　extent　for　the　distribution　of　parcels　newspapers；　&c。　　When　once　you　have　your　reliable　man　who　will　call　at　every　house　with　the　regularity　of　a　postman；　and　go　his　beat　with　the　punctuality　of　a　policeman；　you　can　do　great　things　with　him。　　I　do　not　need　to　elaborate　this　point。　　It　will　be　a　universal　Corps　of　Commission