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‘I'll leave you to it；' he said as he went out。 The others laughed。
Crass； remembering the cutting from the Obscurer that he had in his pocket； was secretly very pleased at the turn the conversation was taking。 He turned roughly on Owen：
‘The other day； when we was talkin' about the cause of poverty； you contradicted everybody。 Everyone else was wrong！ But you yourself couldn't tell us what's the cause of poverty； could you？'
‘I think I could。'
‘Oh； of course； you think you know；' sneered Crass； ‘and of course you think your opinion's right and everybody else's is wrong。'
‘Yes；' replied Owen。
Several men expressed their abhorrence of this intolerant attitude of Owen's； but the latter rejoined：
‘Of course I think that my opinions are right and that everyone who differs from me is wrong。 If I didn't think their opinions were wrong I wouldn't differ from them。 If I didn't think my own opinions right I wouldn't hold them。'
‘But there's no need to keep on arguin' about it day after day；' said Crass。 ‘You've got your opinion and I've got mine。 Let everyone enjoy his own opinion； I say。'
A murmur of approbation from the crowd greeted these sentiments； but Owen rejoined：
‘But we can't both be right； if your opinions are right and mine are not； how am I to find out the truth if we never talk about them？'
‘Well； wot do you reckon is the cause of poverty； then？' demanded Easton。
‘The present system … competition … capitalism。'
‘It's all very well to talk like that；' snarled Crass； to whom this statement conveyed no meaning whatever。 ‘But 'ow do you make it out？'
‘Well； I put it like that for the sake of shortness；' replied Owen。 ‘Suppose some people were living in a house …'
‘More supposin'！' sneered Crass。
‘And suppose they were always ill； and suppose that the house was badly built； the walls so constructed that they drew and retained moisture； the roof broken and leaky； the drains defective； the doors and windows ill…fitting and the rooms badly shaped and draughty。 If you were asked to name； in a word； the cause of the ill…health of the people who lived there you would say … the house。 All the tinkering in the world would not make that house fit to live in； the only thing to do with it would be to pull it down and build another。 Well； we're all living in a house called the Money System； and as a result most of us are suffering from a disease called poverty。 There's so much the matter with the present system that it's no good tinkering at it。 Everything about it is wrong and there's nothing about it that's right。 There's only one thing to be done with it and that is to smash it up and have a different system altogether。 We must get out of it。'
‘It seems to me that that's just what you're trying to do；' remanded Harlow； sarcastically。 ‘You seem to be tryin' to get out of answering the question what Easton asked you。'
‘Yes！' cried Crass； fiercely。 ‘Why don't you answer the bloody question？ Wot's the cause of poverty？'
‘What the 'ell's the matter with the present system？' demanded Sawkins。
‘Ow's it goin' to be altered？' said Newman。
‘Wot the bloody 'ell sort of a system do YOU think we ought to 'ave？' shouted the man behind the moat。
‘It can't never be altered；' said Philpot。 ‘Human nature's human nature and you can't get away from it。'
‘Never mind about human nature；' shouted Crass。 ‘Stick to the point。 Wot's the cause of poverty？'
‘Oh； br the cause of poverty！' said one of the new hands。 ‘I've 'ad enough of this bloody row。' And he stood up and prepared to go out of the room。
This individual had two patches on the seat of his trousers and the bottoms of the legs of that garment were frayed and ragged。 He had been out of work for about six weeks previous to having been taken on by Rushton & Co。 During most of that time he and his family had been existing in a condition of semi…starvation on the earnings of his wife as a charwoman and on the scraps of food she brought home from the houses where she worked。 But all the same； the question of what is the cause of poverty had no interest for him。
‘There are many causes；' answered Owen； ‘but they are all part of and inseparable from the system。 In order to do away with poverty we must destroy the causes： to do away with the causes we must destroy the whole system。'
‘What are the causes； then？'
‘Well； money； for one thing。'
This extraordinary assertion was greeted with a roar of merriment； in the midst of which Philpot was heard to say that to listen to Owen was as good as going to a circus。 Money was the cause of poverty！
‘I always thought it was the want of it！' said the man with the patches on the seat of his trousers as he passed out of the door。
‘Other things；' continued Owen； ‘are private ownership of land； private ownership of railways； tramways； gasworks； waterworks； private ownership of factories； and the other means of producing the necessaries and comforts of life。 Competition in business …'
‘But 'ow do you make it out？' demanded Crass； impatiently。
Owen hesitated。 To his mind the thing appeared very clear and simple。 The causes of poverty were so glaringly evident that he marvelled that any rational being should fail to perceive them； but at the same time he found it very difficult to define them himself。 He could not think of words that would convey his thoughts clearly to these others who seemed so hostile and unwilling to understand； and who appeared to have made up their minds to oppose and reject whatever he said。 They did not know what were the causes of poverty and apparently they did not WANT to know。
‘Well； I'll try to show you one of the causes；' he said nervously at last。
He picked up a piece of charred wood that had fallen from the fire and knelt down and began to draw upon the floor。 Most of the others regarded him； with looks in which an indulgent； contemptuous kind of interest mingled with an air of superiority and patronage。 There was no doubt； they thought； that Owen was a clever sort of chap： his work proved that： but he was certainly a little bit mad。
By this time Owen had drawn a circle about two feet in diameter。 Inside he had drawn two squares； one much larger than the other。 These two squares he filled in solid black with the charcoal。
‘Wot's it all about？' asked Crass with a sneer。
‘Why； can't you see？' said Philpot with a wink。 ‘'E's goin' to do some conjurin'！ In a minit 'e'll make something pass out o' one o' them squares into the other and no one won't see 'ow it's done。'
When he had finished drawing； Owen remained for a few minutes awkwardly silent； oppressed by the anticipation of ridicule and a sense of his inability to put his thoughts into plain language。 He began to wish that he had not undertaken this task。 At last； with an effort； he began to speak in a halting； nervous way：
。。。。。。。 。。。 。。。 。。 。。 。 ### 。 。 ### 。 。 。 。 ############### 。 。 ############### 。 。 ############### 。 。 ############### 。 。 ############### 。 。 ############### 。 。 。 。。 。。 。。。 。。。 。。。。。。。。。
‘This circle … or rather the space inside the circle … is supposed to represent England。'
‘Well； I never knowed it was round before；' jeered Crass。 ‘I've heard as the WORLD is round …'
‘I never said it was the shape … I said it was supposed to REPRESENT England。'
‘Oh； I see。 I thought we'd very soon begin supposin'。'
‘The two black squares；' continued Owen； ‘represent the people who live in the country。 The small square represents a few thousand people。 The large square stands for the remainder … about forty millions … that is； the majority。'
‘We ain't sich bloody fools as to think that the largest number is the minority；' interrupted Crass。
‘The greater number of the people represented by the large black square work for their living： and in return for their labour they receive money： some more； some less than others。'
‘You don't think they'd be sich bloody fools as to work for nothing； do you？' said Newman。
‘I suppose you think they ought all to get the same wages！' cried Harlow。 ‘Do you think it's right that a scavenger should get as much as a painter？'
‘I'm not speaking about that at all；' replied Owen。 ‘I'm trying to show you what I think is one of the causes of poverty。'
‘Shut up； can't you； Harlow；' remonstrated Philpot； who began to feel interested。 ‘We can't all talk at once。'
‘I know we can't；' replied Harlow in an aggrieved tone： ‘but 'e takes sich a 'ell of a time to say wot 'e's got to say。 Nobody else can't get a word in edgeways。'
‘In order that these people may live；' continued Owen； pointing to the large black square； ‘it is first necessary that they shall have a PLACE to live in …'
‘Well！