| Title | The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists |
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| Page | 603 |
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| Chapter | -- |
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| Text |
on. The result was that there was always a sort of miniature `Battle of Life', the men pushing and struggling against each other as if their lives depended upon their being paid by a certain time. On the ledge of the little window through which their money was passed there was always a Hospital collection-box. Every man put either a penny or twopence into this box. Of course, it was not compulsory to do so, but they all did, because they felt that any man who omitted to contribute might be `marked'. They did not all agree with contributing to the Hospital, for several reasons. They knew that the doctors at the Hospital made a practice of using the free patients to make experiments upon, and they also knew that the so-called `free' patients who contribute so very largely directly to the maintenance of such institutions, get scant consideration when they apply for the `free' treatment, and are plainly given to understand that they are receiving `charity'. Some of the men thought that, considering the extent to which they contributed, they should be entitled to attention as a right. |
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