The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
'Now three cheers!' shouted Crass, leading off:
'Hip, hip, hip Hooray!
Hip, hip, hip Hooray!!
Hip, hip, hip Hooray!!!'
Everyone present drank Rushton's health, or at any rate went through the motions of doing so, but during the roar of cheering and singing that preceded it several of the men stood with expressions of contempt or uneasiness upon their faces, silently watching the enthusiasts or looking at the ceiling or on the floor.
'I will say this much,' remarked the Semi-Drunk as they all resumed their seats—he had had several drinks during dinner, besides those he had taken on the journey—'I will say this much, although I did have a little misunderstanding with Mr 'Unter when I was workin' at the Royal Caif, I must admit that this is the best firm that's ever worked under me.'
This statement caused a shout of laughter, which, however, died away as Mr Rushton rose to acknowledge the toast of his 'health. He said that he had now been in business for nearly sixteen years and this was, he believed, the eleventh houting he had had the pleasure of attending. During all that time the business had steadily progressed and had increased in volume from year to year, and he 'oped and believed that the progress made in the past would be continued in the future (hear, hear). Of course he realised that the success of the business depended very largely upon the men as well as upon himself. The masters could not do without the men, and the men could not live without the masters (hear, hear). It was a matter of division of labour; the men worked with their 'ands and the masters worked with their brains, and one was no use without the other. He 'oped the good feeling which had hitherto hexisted between himself and his workmen would always continue, and he thanked them for the way in which they had responded to the toast of his 'ealth.
Loud cheers greeted the conclusion of this speech, and then Crass stood up and said that he begged to propose the 'ealth of Mr 'Unter (hear, hear). He wasn't going to make a long speech as he wasn't much of a speaker (cries of, 'You're all right,' 'Go on,' etc.), but he felt sure as they would all hagree with him when he said that, next to Mr Rushton,
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