On being introduced to John Saville’s home, I found a great deal more of
simple solid comfort than I had expected, and such an air of domesticity
as my own residence in the college had led me to suppose altogether
absent from New Amazonian dwellings. At my own request, my visit was of
the most informal kind, and not another stranger was there here to
disturb the cosiness of the quiet chat which I wished to enjoy.
Mrs. Saville was possessed of the bright brown hair, clear rosy skin,
and deep grey eyes, so indicative of pure Irish descent, coupled with a
grace and charm of manner I had never seen equalled by an Englishwoman
of similar age. Mr. Saville also struck me as just a likely sort of man
to be the father of such a clever, popular son. It was clear that they
both doted upon him, and just as clear that he would have been sorry to
do anything likely to cause them grief.
But they did not treat me to a long category of each other’s virtues,
preferring to let me form my own opinion of them as individuals, while
they did their best to initiate me into the ways of New Amazonian
domestic life. Their house consisted of a suite of rooms in a large
block of buildings in one of the best parts of Andersonia, and was
fitted with even convenience which would conduce to ease and comfort.
The furniture was ideally suitable, good, and elegant, but the pictures
on the walls, like many others which I had seen lately, amused me not a
little. It seemed to me at first that they were all out of perspective,
and that neither walking biped, running quadruped, nor flying bird was
painted aright. By-and-bye, however, I got more used to these pictorial
oddities, and caught myself thinking that when I got home again, I
should be wanting to introduce some of these Muybridgeian notions into
my own rooms.
The fire cast a comfortable glow on all around, making it difficult to
believe that the problem of fuel for the future was now definitely
settled, and that electricity could now and henceforth be made to supply
the necessary fuel for warming, lighting, cooking, and manufacturing
purposes. No dirt or dust from ashes, and no discoloration as the result
of burning gas was here felt, for neither the one nor the other were now
in use. Both had served humanity well in their day. Both were now
superseded by a much more efficient, cleanly, and convenient agent.
After our very appetising evening meal had been despatched; I was taken
on a tour of inspection round the building, or, rather, round such parts
of it as were public to all the tenants. The basement consisted entirely
of shops, which were connected by means of telephones with every suite
in the block, and could, with the aid of electric lifts, supply anything
ordered per telephone at a moment’s notice. Nor was there any fear of
extortionate charges, or a poor sample of goods, since everything had to
be priced according to the day’s Government scale, and the daily visits
of Government inspectors ensured the withdrawal of inferior or
unwholesome articles.
While conversing on telephonic subjects, I mentioned that even in my
benighted country we had made good use of this valuable invention.
“There are even telephones attached to churches and theatres,” I said,
“by means of which a sermon or a song may be heard at great distances
from the places in which they are delivered. But of course you have even
improved upon these notions?”
“I think we have,” smiled Mrs. Saville. “Some hundreds of years ago
there was hardly a building in New Amazonia which was not a perfect
network of telephones and patent lifts, and our people began to give the
Mother considerable anxiety, for they showed rapid signs of
deterioration. On looking round for the causes of this unfortunate
falling back, it was found to be produced by the mania for saving labour
and exercise of every possible sort, and drastic measures were speedily
introduced.
“Many of the lifts were abolished, and substantial staircases erected in
their stead, up and down which the people were expected to walk when
going in or out. The goods lifts were, however, not considered too
provocative of laziness and inactivity, and still remain very useful
adjuncts to civilization.
“The telephone system, though disapproved of by the Mother, did not
require quite such stringent measures to make it almost a thing of the
past, so far as mere amusement is concerned.
“When it first became possible to hear a concert or lecture without
being compelled to leave one’s own house, everybody went in for this
sort of spiritless amusement. But it soon palled upon the people, for
there is no comparison between such a namby-pamby apology for social
enjoyment, and the pleasure to be derived from sitting within sight of
the speakers or musicians, and taking in their general appearance,
gestures, and accessories. Curiosity will always be one of the
strongest elements in human composition, and no social pleasure is
perfect which does not permit the eyes to aid the ears in their
appreciation of the fare offered to them. When, therefore, the novelty
of telephonic entertainments was over, the people tired of them, and
hardly cared to listen to the amusing or instructive sounds they had
paid their money to ensure. And when, a few years later, the
Government imposed a tax upon the use of all telephones not of a
strictly useful or business nature, the _coup de grâce_ was given to
the stay-at-home-and-enjoy-the-concert-at-your-ease system, and we
have never reverted to it since.”
After that, I thought, I will be careful about boasting of English
progress, since what we deem the summit of luxurious ease is here looked
upon as the babyhood of true civilization.
“And did the reforms you mention produce the results which Government
aimed at?” I enquired aloud.
“Yes,” was the reply. “Bodily health and strength depend in great
measure upon a rational exercise of our physical capabilities. The more
exercise of a reasonable nature we take, the stronger and the more
capable of work and enjoyment are we. The more we give way to indolence,
and yield to the temptation to stay indoors, the more demoralized and
unfit for the daily duties of life do we become. To encourage anything
that produces physical deterioration is to retard our chances of
attaining spiritual perfection, and is too dear a price to pay for such
unsatisfactory results.”
While talking, we were making due progress in our investigations, and by
this time had come to a part of the building which filled me with
admiring wonder. A large brass plate affixed to a massive door informed
me that these were the premises of the Domestic Aid Society. On touching
an electric bell, the door opened, and showed us a spacious vestibule,
at one side of which was situated the office of the check-clerk, whose
vocation it was to keep a strict account of all comings and goings, and
register the orders and commissions which were constantly coming in per
telephone from different parts of this and other buildings in the city.
This, it seemed, was visitors’ day, and we proceeded to inspect the
Domestic Aid Society’s premises at our leisure. The first room we
entered was a working hall, in which members of both sexes were busily
engaged in fashioning various articles for personal and household use.
It was a species of dressmaking, millinery, tailoring, and plain sewing
establishment all rolled into one.
The room was comfortably and artistically furnished. The presses for
storing materials and work were elaborately carved, and pleasant to look
upon. The light, warmth, and ventilation were all perfect, and I could
not help thinking how delighted a London worker would be, if privileged
to labour in such pleasant quarters. No wonder everybody looked happy
and healthy here, since even the most humble in the land were ensured
perfect sanitary surroundings, and limited hours of work.
Another room that pleased me exceedingly was the cookery. Here, for the
benefit of those who preferred to order their supplies ready for the
table, every branch of the culinary art was in progress, from the making
of plain bread to the concoction of the most delicate dainties. The
walls of the cookery were covered with white tiles; the floor was white,
the tables were immaculate, and the cooks and confectioners were
spotlessly neat and clean.
There was neither fuss, heat, nor discomfort, as is the case in England
when a great deal of cooking has to be done, for the work was done
systematically, and the greatest pains had been taken to make all the
conditions of labour as pleasant as possible.
Our next visit was made to the laundry, and it was a treat to see how
science had been brought to bear upon the solution of the greatest
problem which my own countrywomen are beset with, viz., how to minimise
the labour and discomfort which with us so invariably attend washing
days. From beginning to end, nearly every laundry operation was
conducted by means of noiseless electric machinery, manipulated by
skilled workpeople who knew their work to be quite as valuable, and much
more necessary, than the productions of those who followed the purely
ornamental arts.
In response to my questions on the subject, Mrs. Saville gave me the
following information:—
“The Domestic Aid Society is one of the most popular of all New
Amazonian institutions, and there are establishments of this sort all
over the country. They are generally the property of private
individuals, but are strictly subjected to State supervision and
regulation. The books are kept with the utmost exactness, and there is
never any difficulty in apportioning the share of profit which is due to
the Mother. The workpeople, no matter in what department they may be,
are all, with the exception of the supervisors and learners, paid on the
same scale. This enables our people to make their choice of a vocation
in favour of the employment they fancy most, without financial or social
reasons requiring to be taken into consideration, since both pay and
position are equal. The hours are from seven in the morning until five
at night, with intervals for meals. All work out of these hours is paid
for on a special scale. Besides the specialists whom you have seen,
there are many people employed by the Domestic Aid Societies. We charter
for servants by the day, week, or month, who come at the time agreed
upon and discharge any household duties which we may wish to entrust to
them. Messengers are also supplied for a trifling commission. Our
domestic work is always well done, for the assistants are trained by the
State, and are interested in securing our goodwill, as a bonus is
attached to the successful completion of a lengthened term of service in
one household. It is not often that we wish our assistants to be
changed, for the very fact of knowing that we have only to telephone to
the office to effect any change we desire, does away with the
irascibility so often engendered by the ancient system of engaging
servants for long periods, and being compelled to find sleeping
accommodation for them. We are not, however, in any case, addicted to
finding unnecessary faults in our assistants, for all our complaints are
registered, and if it is found that we are exceptionally bad to please,
we have to pay a slightly augmented tariff by way of atoning for our
unpleasant peculiarities.”
“And how do these domestic helps employ their time when not on active
duty? And what is their relative position as compared with skilled
workpeople? Is their work regarded as inferior?”
“By no means. Domestic assistants occupy a very honourable position in
our social economy, for they, like others, have to go through a careful
course of training, and fulfil very important duties. Their scale of pay
is good, and it is by no means difficult for them to purchase a
State-Coupon, if they are thrifty. Their spare time is employed in
consonance with their own inclinations. There is a fine recreation hall
attached to every Domestic Agency in the country. In these our working
classes can enjoy themselves to their heart’s content, by means of
social converse, music, reading, dancing, or games of skill.”
“This question of working classes _versus_ educated classes is a very
potent one with us. Class prejudice is strong, and our aristocracy would
not submit to associate with artisans or domestic assistants on such
equal terms as is habitual with you, unless, indeed, one of them were to
succeed to a fortune, and then all her or his vulgarities and
shortcoming would find plenty of consideration. How do you account for
the superior element of sociality in your country?”
“Easily. We are all educated on the same footing. Some of us develop
literary, artistic, or scientific instincts early in life, and speedily
find our vocation. Others whose full brain powers are not yet developed,
or who are diffident of their own ability to adopt one of the higher
professions, choose a mechanical training, and discover afterwards that
they have missed their _forte_. Nothing daunted, they employ their
leisure in retrieving lost ground, and while possibly serving in the
capacity of domestic help, may be qualifying for classical or surgical
examinations, and may even at some distant date be privileged to become
Leaders. We respect mental and moral greatness, even if in embryo, and
never object to society that is pleasant in itself.”
“What a paradisaical state of things,” I sighed, fervently. “You can do
nothing in my country without plenty of money, and, for the matter of
that, how do your erstwhile inferiorities succeed in reaching positions
of eminence, seeing that they must have heavy examination fees to pay,
for which the adequate amount can hardly be saved out of working class
wages? Or does the State provide examiners free of charge?”
“No. Our examiners, as you may easily suppose, are very responsible,
and, therefore, very well-paid officials. But they are not a source of
expense to the Government, because the scale of examination fees is such
as to leave a substantial margin of State profit. Want of funds is never
an obstacle to progress here, for candidates for examination are
permitted to pay the fees from their future earnings.”
“And suppose they were inclined to forget the repayment part of the
business, what then?”
At this question, my hearers looked so astounded that I felt painfully
conscious of having committed a huge blunder, the nature of which was
soon made evident to me by the reply I received. “You must really come
from a very strange country,” said John Saville, fortunately for my
composure, in the pleasantest of tones, “for such a question to be
possible to you. The individual who could thus think of cheating would
not be a New Amazonian. But, even if this were so, the Mother has the
remedy in her own hands. She would withhold the pension to which we are
all honourably entitled in old age.”
“As you imply,” I responded deprecatively, “my people are not like your
people, so you must excuse the ignorance which prompted what is
evidently an offensive question. I wish I could say as much for English
national morality as you can for yours. But it is a painful fact that
fully one-half of the English race subsists upon the results of the
crimes or follies of the other half. I prefer, however, to talk of local
topics, and learn all I can of your social system while I have the
opportunity. You will, therefore, I hope, not consider me very
troublesome, if I ask yet another question or two.”
“We shall be only too happy to afford you any assistance in our power,”
replied Mr. Saville.
“Then,” I said, “can you tell me how a large business, say, a Domestic
Aid Agency, would fare, if the business done were inadequate, or the
capital subscribed too small? Would the proprietors become bankrupt, or
would the Mother help them out of their difficulties?”
“Bankruptcy is, I believe, an obsolete term, implying that the subject
of it has contracted debts which she or he does not intend to pay. Such
things do not occur here. If we order a thing, and reap the benefit of
it, nothing but death itself exonerates us from ultimate payment. If a
business is not prospering, application is usually made to the proper
authorities to institute an investigation and assist us out of our
difficulties. Should it prove that our incapacity is at the root of the
evil, we are advised to adopt some less onerous mode of earning a
livelihood, and our proportion of the liabilities is discharged by the
State, and accredited to us for future repayment. If, however, mere lack
of capital is cramping our operations, the State supplies the necessary
impetus, and constitutes itself an active partner, by purchasing as many
shares as will float the business financially, and by appointing a
Government agent to assist in the management. In fact, there is not a
business of any magnitude in the land in which the Mother is not a
partner, and, in addition, she of course takes the percentage of the
profits, which in other countries is raised unjustly and unequally by
means of clumsily imposed taxes.”
“As with us, in fact.”
“Is this so? I must know a little more of this
very-much-behind-the-times country of yours, which you call England.
England, as known to us, ceased to exist centuries ago, and yet you have
spoken of living in the vicinity of the home of George Stephenson. How
this can be, I cannot understand. We know that when he lived, the
neighbouring island, now called Teuto-Scotland, was called England. But
we also know that hundreds of years are supposed to have passed since
the last vestige of Stephenson’s Northumbrian home was destroyed. How do
you explain such anomalies?”
So spoke Mr. Saville, and the rest of our conversation consisted of
explanations and descriptions on my own part which proved intensely
interesting to the Saville family, but which would sound so much like an
oft-told tale to my readers, that I refrain from inflicting it upon
them.