"I am a journeyman out of my time; I have never had the means to be made free of the city, but I am every bit as skilful as any other master and I work on my own account."
"I request the journeyman-joiner Eriksson to sit down and stop interfering. Is it the pleasure of the Union to reply to the question in the affirmative?"
"Mr. Chairman!"
"What is the matter?"
"I ask permission to speak! Let me speak!" bellowed Eriksson.
There was a murmur on the back benches: "Eriksson's turn to speak."
"Journeyman Eriksson—do you spell your name with an x or a z?" asked the chairman, prompted by the secretary.
The front bench shook with laughter.
"I don't spell, gentlemen, I discuss," said the joiner with blazing eyes. "I discuss, I say. If I had the gift of making speeches, I should show you that the strikers are right; for if masters and principals grow fat because they have nothing to do but to fawn and cringe at levees, and similar ceremonies, the working man must pay the piper with his sweat. We know why you won't pay us just wages; it's because we should get the Parliamentary vote, and that's what you are afraid of...."
"Mr. Chairman!"