ＷＥＢ絵本「電報（黒島伝治）」

第６回配信

Gensaku received a tax notice from the village office.
But the 28th of the month was Sunday.
So, he drew money from the bank on the 29th and went to the village office to pay the tax.
村役場から、税金の取り立てが来ていたが、丁度二十八日が日曜日だったので、二十九日に、源作は、銀行から預金を出して役場へ持って行った．

Almost all of the village people might have already paid their taxes the previous day or the day before the previous day.
There was no village people who came for paying tax.
The treasurer read out the amount of money and made two clerks check it.
Gensaku was waiting for a result of their check.

もう昨日か、一昨日かに村の大部分が納めてしまったらしく、他に誰れも行っていなかった．

収入役は、金高を読み上げて、二人の書記に算盤をおかしていた．源作は、算盤が一と仕切りすむまで待っていた．

"Hey, Gensaku!"
Suddenly, he heard a husky, deep and menacing voice. It sounded familiar to him.
A village councilor, whose name was Ogawa, was sitting next to the deputy mayor.
Gensaku was called by Ogawa.
He noticed Ogawa and answered, "Ah."
Like a child with a new toy, using the position in the village council, Ogawa bothered poor persons or someone who he disliked.
Previously, Gensaku became a member of a mutual aid society. And he intended to use 0.12 acre of farmland as security for a menbership.
So, he visited Ogawa to ask an audit.
But Ogawa said that the security was insufficient. And Ogawa flatly rejected his request.
He had been afraid of Ogawa since then.

「おい、源作！」

ふと、しわがれた、太い、力のある声がした．聞き覚えのある声だった．それは、助役の傍に来て腰かけている小川という村会議員が云ったのだ．

「はあ．」と、源作は、小川に気がつくと答えた．

小川は、自分が村で押しが利く地位にいるのを利用して、貧乏人や、自分の気に食わぬ者を困らして喜んでいる男であった．

源作は、頼母子講を取った、抵当に、一段二畝の畑を書き込んで、其の監査を頼みに、小川のところへ行った時、小川に、抵当が不十分だと云って頑固にはねつけられたことがあった．

それ以来、彼は小川を恐れていた．

"Hey, Gensaku! Come on!"
As Gensaku was called, he unwillingly went to Ogawa .
"Hey, Gensaku! I heard you would send your son to junior high school," the fat village councilor loudly said with menacing eyes.
"Yes, I will."

「源作、一寸、こっちへ来んか．」

源作は、呼ばれるままに、恐る恐る小川の方へ行った．

「源作、お前は今度息子を中学へやったと云うな．」肥った、眼に角のある、村会議員は太い声で云った．

「はあ、やってみました．」

"I don't say you should stop sending your son to school. But it's not good for workers to send their sons to junior high school. If anyone goes to school, he must become rude, jobless and argumentative. So, that is bad for our village. Anyway, the worst men are the men that argumentatively idle their lives. Hey, you! You have not yet had the duty for the standard level for each family and have not yet paid the tax for the standard level for each man. You should pay the tax for the standard level for each man rather than sending your son to school and having him rude. That is good for our country."
Ogawa leisurely stopped talking and threw a sharp glance at him.
「わしは、お前に、たってやんなとは云わんが、労働者が、息子を中学へやるんは良くないぞ．人間は中学やかいへ行っちゃ生意気になるだけで、働かずに、理屈ばっかしこねて、却って村のために悪い．何んせ、働かずにぶらぶらして理屈をこねる人間が一番いかん．それに、お前、お前はまだこの村で一戸前も持っとらず、一人前の税金も納めとらんのじゃぞ．子供を学校へやって生意気にするよりや、税金を一人前納めるのが肝心じゃ．その方が国の為じゃ．」と小川は、ゆっくり言葉を切って、じろりと源作を見た．

Gensaku's lips were twitching and he intended to say something.
But he listened to Ogawa's insistence and lost the confidence for his own thoughts that he desn't need to take directions from others about sending his son to school with his own money.
源作は、ぴくぴく唇を顫わした．何か云おうとしたが、小川にこう云われると、彼が前々から考えていた、自分の金で自分の子供を学校へやるのに、他に容喙されることはないという理由など全く根拠がないように思われた．

"Have you come here to pay the tax?"
"Yes, I have .... "
"Right! You couldn't even pay the tax before the due date. But you are going to send your son to junior high school. That's ridiculous. If you send your son to junior high school, first of all, fullfill the duty for our country and the duty for our village .... Oh, well. You can do whatever you like. Anyway, from this year, we will impose the duty for the standard level of each family on you. Be prepared!"
Ogawa gave him a nasty look for a while and turned around to the deputy mayor as if he was angry.

「税金を持って来たんか．」

「はあ、さようで・・・」

「それそうじゃ．税金を期日までに納めんような者が、お前、息子を中学へやるとは以ての外じゃ．子供を中学やかいへやるのは国の務めも、村の務めもちゃんと、一人前にすましてからやるもんじゃ．　―――　まあ、そりゃ、お前の勝手じゃが、兎に角今年から、お前に一戸前、持たすせに、そのつもりで居れ．」

小川は、なお、ひと時、いかつい眼つきで源作を見つめ、それから怒っているようにぷいと助役の方へ向き直った．

The treasurer and the clerks had stopped the check. And thet were staring at Gensaku.
Gensaku felt that he lost all sensation.

収入役や書記は、算盤をやめて源作の方を見ていた．

源作は感覚を失ったような気がした．

He paid the tax and got out of the village office.
He dejectedly went home.
彼は、税金を渡すと、すごすご役場から出て帰った．
（つづく）