WORK FOR ALL, OR THE LABOUR YARD.
But it may next be asked, what we shall do in the case of those who have
no money with which to buy their food, even at the reduced rates we
would propose? To this we would reply that such will be expected to
perform a reasonable amount of work, in return for which they will be
given tickets entitling them to obtain food from the depôts just
referred to.
In order to do this we shall establish labour yards, where we shall
provide work of a suitable character for the destitute. This will
involve very little expense, as sheds of a cheap description will answer
our purpose, there being no necessity for providing against the
inclement weather which adds so greatly to the expense and difficulty of
carrying on such operations in England.
Whatever may be the produce of this cheap labour, we shall be careful to
sell it rather above than below the ordinary market rates, so as to
avoid competing with other labour. Moreover, we shall direct our
attention from the first to manufacturing chiefly those articles which
are likely to be of service to us in other branches of our scheme, so
that the labour of the destitute will go chiefly towards supplying their
own wants and those of the persons who are engaged in prosecuting the
work.
For instance, supposing that a number of the destitute were employed in
making coarse cloth, baskets, mats, or cow-dung fuel, these could be
retailed at a nominal figure to those who presented our labour tickets
at our food depôts.
The most encouraging feature in the establishment of labour yards is
that nearly every Indian has been brought up from childhood to some
trade. You can rarely meet the most ignorant and uneducated Native
without finding that he is thoroughly expert at some kind of handicraft.
In brigading the poor we should be careful to make the best use of this
knowledge by putting each as much as possible to the trade with which he
was most familiar.
The following industries, the majority of them directly connected with
various branches of our work, could be started at once and would need
scarcely any outlay to begin with.
1. _The Potters Brigade_--Would furnish us with the earthenware, for
which we should from the first have a very large demand. The
Household Salvage Brigade would require some thousands of pots to
start with and in connection with our food depôts we should be able
to dispose of thousands more.
2. _The Weavers Brigade_--This would give employment for a large
number of skilled hands. Their first object would be to supply the
kinds of clothes, blankets, &c., which would be most suitable for
the use of the submerged tenth. In catering for their wants we
should avoid, however, anything _prisony_, or _workhousey_, or
charity-institutiony in appearance. As our numbers increased we
should find plenty of work for our weavers, at any rate for many
years to come without entering into any sort of competition either
with the market or the mills.
3. _The Basket Brigade_--Would supply us with all sorts of cheap
baskets, for which we should have a constant demand.
4. _The Mat Making Brigade_--Would find employment for many more
hands in supplying us with mats for sleeping and household purposes.
5. _The Fuel Brigade_--Here we have an industry which requires no
skill. There would be two branches of it--the woodchoppers and the
Oopala makers. For the latter women and children could be largely
employed both in the collection of the cow-dung and in the
preparation of it for use as fuel.
6. _The Tinners Brigade_--Will be kept busy making receptables and
badges for the Salvage Brigade, and also probably emblems for the
Labor Bureau.
7. _The Ropemakers Brigade_--Will furnish employment to a number
more and the results of their labour will find an ample market in
our various colonies.
8. _The Tanners Brigade_--Will supply all our departments with such
leather as may be required for various purposes, and among other
things will be attached to.
9. _The Shoemakers Brigade_--Who will be employed in patching up the
old shoes collected by our Household Salvage Brigade and in making
new ones for our consumption.
10. _The Tailors Brigade_--Will supply uniform and clothing of all
kinds. For these we have already a very considerable demand, which
would increase year by year.
11. _The Carpenters Brigade_--Would have plenty to do in providing
seats for our Barracks, office essentials, boxes, and household
furniture for our colonies. They would be linked with
12. _The Building Brigade_--For whom we shall find ample employment
in the erection of our Labour Sheds, Shelters and Farms.
13. _The Masons Brigade_--Would also be attached to the previous
one, and would become an important feature in our Labour Department.
14. _The Brick Makers Brigade_--Would supply us with all the bricks
and tiles that we might require. Here again it is easy to see that,
without trenching in the least on the outside public, we should
create and support an important industry which would soon absorb
hundreds if not thousands of hands.
15. _The Painters Brigade_--Would undertake the painting and
whitewashing of our buildings, carts, tinware, &c.
16. _The Dyers Brigade_--Would find employment in dyeing our cloth,
or the various sorts of thread we might require for the use of our
weavers.
17. _The Dhobees Brigade_--Although among our community we should
encourage every one to be his own dhobee, yet from the first we
should have plenty of washing to employ a considerable number of
hands.
18. _The Umbrella Makers Brigade_--Would find considerable scope in
repairing the old frames collected by our Household Salvage Brigade;
while the Sewing Brigade would work the covers.
19. _The Paper-makers Brigade_--Would also be supplied with plenty
of material by the Household Salvage Brigade, and would keep our
printing establishment supplied with whatever paper they might
require. Already we consume a considerable quantity, and this would
be enormously increased by the development of our scheme.
20. _The Book-binders Brigade_--Would furnish us with our registers
for the Regimentation Bureau, besides doing our other miscellaneous
work of a similar description.
21. _The Brass Brigade_--Would supply Our colonies with the various
kinds of brazen vessels we should be likely to require. For these in
process of time there would be a large demand.
22. _The Net-making Brigade_--Would make nets for fishing purposes.
33. _The Hawkers Brigade_--There could be no possible objection to
our disposing of our goods in this way at the ordinary market rates
supposing that we were in a position to manufacture more than we
required for our own consumption.
24. _The Barbers Brigade_--Would also be a necessary addition to our
forces, and would find plenty of scope for their skill among the
unwashed multitudes who would compose our labour legions.
Such are some of the occupations which might at once be set on foot. To
these would no doubt be added many other sorts of handicraft, as our
numbers and experience increased, and fresh opportunities opened up
around us.