large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb_5
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb
English
6138
This was the state of things which followed on the conclusion of European peace, and even that peace itself rather made matters worse than better, by the sudden cessation of all war industries, and the throwing on to the market many thousands of soldiers and sailors: in short, at no period of English history was the condition of the workers worse than in the early years of the nineteenth century. There seem during this period to have been two currents of hope that had reference to the working classes: the first affected the masters, the second the men. THIS WAS THE STATE OF THINGS WHICH FOLLOWED ON THE CONCLUSION OF EUROPEAN PEACE AND EVEN THAT PEACE ITSELF RATHER MADE MATTERS WORSE THAN BETTER BY THE SUDDEN CESSATION OF ALL WAR INDUSTRIES AND THE THROWING ON TO THE MARKET MANY THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS AND SAILORS IN SHORT AT NO PERIOD OF ENGLISH HISTORY WAS THE CONDITION OF THE WORKERS WORSE THAN IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY THERE SEEMED DURING THIS PERIOD TO HAVE BEEN TWO CURRENTS OF HOPE THAT HAD REFERENCE TO THE WORKING CLASSES THE FIRST AECTED THE MASTERS THE SECOND THE MEN
eed I dwell on the fact that, under these circumstances, the invention of the machines has benefited the workman but little even to this day? Nay, at first they made his position worse than it had been: for, being thrust on the world very suddenly, they distinctly brought about an industrial revolution, changing everything suddenly and completely; industrial productiveness was increased prodigiously, but so far from the workers reaping the benefit of this, they were thrown out of work in enormous numbers, while those who were still employed were reduced from the position of skilled artisans to that of unskilled labourers: the aims of their masters being, as I said, to make a profit, they did not trouble themselves about this as a class, but took it for granted that it was something that couldn’t be helped and didn’t hurt _them_; nor did they think of offering to the workers that compensation for harassed interests which they have since made a point of claiming so loudly for themselves. ULD SELL AT A PROFIT NEED I DWELL ON THE FACT THAT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE INVENTION OF THE MACHINES HAS BENEFITED THE WORKMEN BUT LITTLE EVEN TO THIS DAY NAY AT FIRST THEY MADE HIS POSITION WORSE THAN IT HAD BEEN FOR BEING THRUST ON THE WORLD VERY SUDDENLY THEY DISTINCTLY BROUGHT ABOUT AN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION CHANGING EVERYTHING SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTIVENESS WAS INCREASED PRODIGIOUSLY BUT SO FAR FROM THE WORK AS REAPING THE BENEFIT OF THIS THEY WERE THROWN OUT OF WORK IN ENORMOUS NUMBERS WHILE THOSE WHO WERE STILL EMPLOYED WERE REDUCED FROM THE POSITION OF SKILLED ARTISANS TO THAT OF UNSKILLED LABORERS THE AIMS OF THEIR MASTERS BEING AS I SAID TO MAKE A PROFIT THEY DID NOT TROUBLE THEMSELVES ABOUT THIS AS A CLASS BUT TOOK IT FOR GRANTED THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT COULDN'T BE HELPED AND DIDN'T HURT THEM NOR DID THEY THINK OF OFFERING TO THE WORKERS THAT COMPENSATION FOR HARASSED INTERESTS WHICH THEY HAVE SINCE MADE A POINT OF CLAIMING SO LOUDLY FOR THEMSELVES
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