And he decided that now he would take the people into his confidence, and tell them about the places that were being made ready for them, and of which he often thought with pride. Accordingly, he invited them, one Saturday afternoon, to assemble in his grounds; and they came—men, women, and children—and filled the space before the old house.
“My friends,” he said, “I want to explain to you my plans for the future, and make a proposition. In the first place, let me tell you that I have determined to close all my works in London, and I have to place before you a scheme of emigration.”
This announcement filled some of the people with dismay, though others saw the twinkle in the master’s eyes, and more than a few had an inkling of what was coming, and waited with interest the development of their employer’s idea.
“I know what sort of places many of you live in, and they are not the houses I should like you to have,” he said. “I know the rents you pay, and that without a great addition to your wages it is impossible for you to find better ones; and, therefore, I say you must emigrate. But, knowing how dear to most of you this old England is, I do not propose to ship you off to other and foreign lands.”
Loud cheers greeted this assurance.
“You know that my father left me a large sum of money, and much of it is already spent; so that it is quite possible, unless you will help me, that I shall become a poor man. I have spent the money in the purchase of an estate, on which I am having built a model town, in a beautiful district in Wales. You will find there friends to welcome you, who are going to spend their lives in helping you, having already taken up their abodes in these places. There is in course of erection a church, a technical school, an elementary school, a building which in time is to be a free library and reading-room, and there is also a people’s park and recreation ground. In neither of them is there a public-house, and I do not intend that there ever shall be; but in connection with the library and reading-room there are a refreshment and dining-room. There are numbers of working men’s homes, comfortable, and as pretty as one could make them, each with a piece of garden attached to it, and each so built that it will be possible for a man and his family to live in it in decency and comfort at the lowest rent that will pay. The workshops and factories and the whole place will be lighted by electricity, for plenty of light is a necessity; and in each of them there will be an abundance of those other necessities which God intended should be free to all His children—plenty of beautiful, health-giving, fresh air, and pure, good water. Now it rests with you to make my plan a grand success, or a miserable failure; for what I propose to do is to remove my business bodily, and you with it.”
The excitement, which had been growing here became intense, and a deafening cheer rang through the crowd.
“My great wish is that you should be able to live under very different conditions from the old ones—that you should get fair wages for your work, and your money’s worth for your money. If you are willing to agree to my stipulations, then I will advance you the money which you require for your travelling and other necessary expenses. You know that this is an age of great competition. You know, too already, that I have resolved not to have bad materials used or manufactured in any business of mine. ‘Knight’s goods’ shall be good, and worth the price that is charged for them, whatever comes; on that I am quite determined, even if the determination should mean ruin. But if you will help me it shall mean honour, and the highest kind of prosperity to us all. I propose, therefore, to pay you the wages which your trades unions have decided are fair, but I want you, by extra industry and skill, to earn more than your wages. I propose that you should one and all become partners in the concern, and share the profits according to the labour and skill which you invest, so that if it be made a paying concern we shall all get some benefit from it, and if a losing business we shall all lose together. You know how to render it a success. Care, ability, industry, and enthusiasm will make the thing go, and the lack of these will bring everything to a standstill. If you are men enough and women enough to carry this idea forward, then I hope you will come with me. And bring your children too. After receiving a good education, such as will make them able to compete as artisans with Germans, or Frenchmen, or any other nation under the sun, they shall be taught also the trades of their fathers. But if any of you love your bad habits better than this new idea, then do not come with me, for I do not want you. If you mean to do as little as you possibly can for your money, if you mean to be loafers, and spend your wages in drink, we will not waste any money in travelling expenses for you, because I shall not employ you, nor allow you to live in any of my houses. If there are any wives here in love with thriftlessness and idleness, who will let the new houses get as untidy and uncomfortable as the old ones, they may stay in London, for there are no pawnshops in my new places, nor any room for wasteful, idle people of any kind. But if you are willing to leave the bad habits with the old life, and turn your faces to the new, then you shall be assisted by all possible means. I want you to be my friends, as I am yours; but it is only right to tell you that you are not going to serve an easy, good-natured sort of master if you serve me. Whoever breaks my rules will leave my employment, so let none say that I have not given due notice of my intention. To let a man or woman off who is found lazy or drunken, or even incompetent, since I am willing to provide instruction, is not to be really merciful to him or her, and is to be unjust to the others. No gambling, drinking, or dishonesty; but plenty of pleasure of the best sort; plenty of music, entertainment, lovely scenery, good wages, and as much real happiness as one can provide for another—these are to be the accompaniments of your new life. But happiness and well-being are not for others to secure for us; we have to decide each for himself in regard to these things. I appeal especially to the young, whose lives are before them, if they will not resolve to make the most of this opportunity. I now leave you all to make your choice. A month from to-day you must hand in your decision in writing to the foreman of your department, each writing the word ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and signing his or her name; and the head of each household must also write the names and ages of the family wishing to go. And some time in the spring we will have our new emigration.”
More than a few went away to dream of the future, and prepare for it. But Mr. Knight was mistaken if he thought that his action would be universally appreciated and approved by his employés; and if he could have overheard the remarks which some made as they filed out into the streets, he would have been considerably enlightened.
“What do you think of that, then?”