An Inspector Calls Page #2

Is that so? -Yes, sir.

How much are they getting at the moment?

Between 22 shillings and

6 pence a week, sir.

That's the usual rate in the industry

at present, isn't it? -Yes, sir.

You see?

How much do you think you ought to get?

25 shillings, sir.

- Well I'm sorry, but it can't be done.

Why can't it be done?

Did you say "Why can't it be done"?

Yes. - I don't see why I should

have to give you an explanation.

Well why are you seeing us then?

- Alright, I'll tell you.

If I agreed to your demands,

costs would go up 10%.

And if costs went up 10%

prices would go up 10%

a we should be unable to sell our

goods against our competitors

If that happened the factory

would close down and

you'd be out of work.

Satisfied?

No.

I'm afraid you'll have

to remain unsatisfied

I've told you, we're

paying the usual rates.

But what if you can't live on them?

You'll have to go and work somewhere

else. It's a free country, after all.

What's the use of that if you

can't get work somewhere else?

I'm sorry, but that's

no concern of mine.

There'll be trouble sir, I'm afraid.

- Oh, You mean they'll strike?

I'm sure of it, sir. - Just back from

their holidays, aren't they? - Yes, sir.

Yes, well it'll soon be over,

they'll all be broke.

As soon as they feel the pinch

they'll be trying to come back.

You'll take 'em back, sir?

- Yes, at the old rates.

I won't accept the ringleaders,

that girl for instance.

She had far too much to say for herself.

Get rid of her.

So Eva Smith, together with

4 or 5 others, was discharged.

Is that why she killed herself?

- Don't be ridiculous, Eric.

All this happened before you'd

even started in the works.

Nearly two years ago.

It obviously had nothing to do with

the wretched girl's suicide, inspector.

I didn't say it was suicide.

What're you suggesting?

I'm not suggesting anything,

Mister Birling.

I'm merely trying to trace the facts

that led to the death of this girl.

But good heavens man,

I can't accept any responsibility!

If we were all responsible

for everything that

happened to people that

we'd had anything to do with...

Well it would... It would

be very awkward, wouldn't it?

Oh yes, very awkward.

In any case I can't see that

in the circumstances

you could've done anything else, sir.

Yes he could. He could've kept her

on instead of throwing her out.

I call it tough luck.

- Rubbish!

If you don't come down sharply on them

they'll soon be asking for the earth!

Well why shouldn't they

ask for higher wages?

We try for the highest possible prices!

I don't see why she

should've been sacked

just because she had a bit

more spur than the others!

You said yourself she was a

good worker. I'd have let her stay.

Unless you brighten

some of your ideas...

you'll never be in a position to let

anybody stay or to tell anybody to go!

Well Inspector, there's

nothing more I can tell you.

I told the girl to clear it out and she

went. That's the last I heard of her.

Well have you got any ideas

what happened to her after that?

Get into trouble?

Go on the streets?

- No, no Mister Berling,

she didn't exactly

go on the streets.

Oh, sorry I didn't know

you had someone with you.

Alright, we'll be along in a

minute, we're finished here.

There nothing else, you

know. I told you that.

What's this all about? - Nothing to do

with you Sheila, run along.

Wait, please, Miss Birling.

- Now look here, inspector...

There isn't the slightest reason

why my daughter should be

dragged into this unpleasant business.

What business?

I'm a police inspector, Miss Berling.

This afternoon a young woman drank

some poison and died in the infirmary.

After great suffering, I'm afraid.

How horrible! Was it an accident?

- That's what we want to find out.

Yes, well don't tell me the girl

commited suicide just because

I dismissed her from my

employment about two years ago.

Well did you? - Yes I did.

She'd been causing trouble at the works.

It was quite justified.

- I think you were.

I wish you hadn't told me. What was

she like? - Yes, what was she like?

Quite young. 24.

Pretty? - Not when I saw her today,

Miss Berling, but she'd been pretty. Very pretty.

I don't really see that this inquiry

gets you anywhere, inspector.

It's what happened to

her since she left

Mister Berling's works that

is important. - Obviously.

And we can't help you there

because we don't know.

Are you quite sure you don't know?

Are you suggesting that...

One of them had something

to do with this girl?

Yes. - So you didn't come here

just to see me then? - No.

No, I'm afraid I'll have to ask

you all a few more questions yet.

Well I've told you all I know.

So I'd be much obliged if you'd ask

your questions and then clear it out.

We were having a nice little

family celebration here this evening.

A nastiness you've made

of it, haven't you?

It is not of my making

I assure you, Mister Birling.

I don't understand, Inspector.

You talk as if we were responsible

for this poor girl's death.

You seem to forget that we're respectable

citizens and not criminals, you know.

Ah well, sometimes there isn't as

much difference as one would think.

Indeed, if it were left to me I

wouldn't know where to draw the line.

Fortunately,

it isn't left to you, is it?

Very fortunately.

I'll have to make inquiries.

What happened to this girl

after she left my father's works?

Well she was out of work

for a couple of months.

As you can imagine,

she had a very distressing time.

How terrible. - Then she had

a wonderful stroke of luck.

She was taken on in a shop.

A good shop. Millwood's. - Millwood's

Oh, we go there! I was there this

afternoon for your benefit.

She enjoyed working there,

she liked being amongst pretty clothes.

It seems she felt that she

was making a real fresh start.

But after two months, they told her

she'd have to go.

Not doing her work properly?

No no, there was nothing wrong about

the way she was doing her work.

They admitted that.

There must've been something wrong?

No, no. All she knew was that a

customer had complained about her

and so she had to go.

When was this?

- The end of january last year.

What was this girl like?

Well if you'll come over here

Miss Birling, I'll show you.

What's the matter Sheila?

You knew it was me

all the time didn't you?

Well, I had an idea it might be.

Did it make much difference to her?

Yes, I'm afraid it did. You see, that was

the last really steady job she had.

So I'm really responsible?

- No, I wouldn't go as far as that.

No more than your father, really.

- What'd you do, Sheila?

What happened?

I was in a filthy temper that afternoon.

I'd been out shopping with mother.

But I needed a new hat,

so we went to Millwood's.

I was determined to get

my own way over that hat.

The fact that I knew in my heart that

mother was right and I was wrong made

me even more obstinate and pigheaded.

This is the one I like best.

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