“These represent the things which are produced by labour, aided by machinery, from the raw materials. We will suppose that three of these blocks represent—a week’s work. We will suppose that a week’s work is worth—one pound: and we will suppose that each of these ha’pennies is a sovereign. We’d be able to do the trick better if we had real sovereigns, but I forgot to bring any with me.”
“I’d lend you some,” said Philpot, regretfully, “but I left me purse on our grand pianner.”
As by a strange coincidence nobody happened to have any gold with them, it was decided to make shift with the halfpence.
“Now this is the way the trick works—”
“Before you goes on with it,” interrupted Philpot, apprehensively, “don’t you think we’d better ’ave someone to keep watch at the gate in case a Slop comes along? We don’t want to get runned in, you know.”
“I don’t think there’s any need for that,” replied Owen, “there’s only one slop who’d interfere with us for playing this game, and that’s Police Constable Socialism.”
“Never mind about Socialism,” said Crass, irritably. “Get along with the bloody trick.”
Owen now addressed himself to the working classes as represented by Philpot, Harlow and Easton.
“You say that you are all in need of employment, and as I am the kind-hearted capitalist class I am going to invest all my money in various industries, so as to give you Plenty of Work. I shall pay each of you one pound per week, and a week’s work is—you must each produce three of these square blocks. For doing this work you will each receive your wages; the money will be your own, to do as you like with, and the things you produce will of course be mine, to do as I like with. You will each take one of these machines and as soon as you have done a week’s work, you shall have your money.”
The Working Classes accordingly set to work, and the Capitalist class sat down and watched them. As soon as they had finished, they passed the nine little blocks to Owen, who placed them on a piece of paper by his side and paid the workers their wages.