My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

LONDON WORKERS, SECULARISTS, ETC. 51as to dirt, ventilation, drainage, etc. He vainly triedto assure the more intelligent of the overseers andworkmen that his object was to improve their condition,to make them more healthy and happier andbetter off than they were. This was incredible tothem, and for two years he made very little progress.One thing, however, he did for the benefit of theworkers which had some effect in disarming theirenmity and suspicions. Instead of the retail shopswhere inferior articles were sold at credit for veryhigh prices, he established stores and shops whereevery article of daily consumption was supplied atwholesale prices, adding only the cost of management.The result was that by paying ready money thepeople got far better quality at full 25 per cent, lessthan before ;and the result soon became visible intheir superior dress, improved health, and in thegeneral comfort of their houses.But what at length satisfied them that theirmanager was really their friend was his conduct whena great temporary scarcity of cotton and itsrapid risein price caused most of the mills to be shut, andreduced the workers to the greatest distress. Butthough Owen shut up the mills he continued to payevery worker full wages for the whole of the fourmonths during which the scarcity lasted, employingthem in thoroughly cleaning the mills and machinery,repairing the houses, etc. This cost £7000, which hepaid on his own responsibility ; but it so completelygained the confidence of the people that he wasafterwards able to carry out improvements withoutserious obstruction. Being wholly opposed to infantlabour, he allowed all arrangements with the guardiansto expire, built a number of better houses, and. thusobtained families of workers to take the place of the