the ragged trousered philanthropists-第139部分

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although　they　lived　on　the　town；　they　did　not　live　in　it。

The　profits　made　by　this　Company　were　so　great　that；　being　prevented　by　law　from　paying　a　larger　dividend　than　ten　percent；　they　frequently　found　it　a　difficult　matter　to　decide　what　to　do　with　the　money。　　They　paid　the　Directors　and　principal　officials　…　themselves　shareholders；　of　course　…　enormous　salaries。　　They　built　and　furnished　costly　and　luxurious　offices　and　gave　the　rest　to　the　shareholders　in　the　form　of　Bonuses。

There　was　one　way　in　which　the　Company　might　have　used　some　of　the　profits：　it　might　have　granted　shorter　hours　and　higher　wages　to　the　workmen　whose　health　was　destroyed　and　whose　lives　were　shortened　by　the　terrible　labour　of　the　retort…houses　and　the　limesheds；　but　of　course　none　of　the　directors　or　shareholders　ever　thought　of　doing　that。　　It　was　not　the　business　of　the　Company　to　concern　itself　about　them。

Years　ago；　when　it　might　have　been　done　for　a　comparatively　small　amount；　some　hare…brained　Socialists　suggested　that　the　town　should　buy　the　Gas　Works；　but　the　project　was　wrecked　by　the　inhabitants；　upon　whom　the　mere　mention　of　the　word　Socialist　had　the　same　effect　that　the　sight　of　a　red　rag　is　popularly　supposed　to　have　on　a　bull。

Of　course；　even　now　it　was　still　possible　to　buy　out　the　Company；　but　it　was　supposed　that　it　would　cost　so　much　that　it　was　generally　considered　to　be　impracticable。

Although　they　declined　to　buy　the　Gas　works；　the　people　of　Mugsborough　had　to　buy　the　gas。　　The　amount　paid　by　the　municipality　to　the　Company　for　the　public　lighting　of　the　town　loomed　large　in　the　accounts　of　the　Council。　　They　managed　to　get　some　of　their　own　back　by　imposing　a　duty　of　two　shillings　a　ton　upon　coals　imported　into　the　Borough；　but　although　it　cost　the　Gas　Works　a　lot　of　money　for　coal　dues　the　Company　in　its　turn　got　its　own　back　by　increasing　the　price　of　gas　they　sold　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　town。。。







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