to him that hath-第43章

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〃but　meantime　there　is　a　lot　to　be　done。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　exactly；　Father？〃

〃We　have　a　lot　of　stock　made　up　on　hand。　　The　market　is　dead　at
present　prices。　　There　is　no　hope　of　sales。　　The　market　will　fall
lower　still。　　I　propose　that　we　take　our　loss　and　unload　at　the
best　rate　we　can　get。〃

〃That　is　your　job；　Dad。　　I　know　little　about　that；　but　I　believe
you　are　right。　　I　have　been　doing　a　lot　of　reading　in　trade
journals　and　that　sort　of　thing；　and　I　believe　that　a　big　slump　is
surely　coming。　　But　there　is　a　lot　to　do　in　my　department　at　the
Mills；　also。　　I　am　not　satisfied　with　the　inside　arrangement　of　our
planing　mill。　　There　is　a　lot　of　time　wasted　and　there　is　an　almost
complete　lack　of　co…ordination。　　Here　is　a　plan　I　want　to　show　you。
The　idea　is　to　improve　the　routing　of　our　work。〃

Maitland　glanced　at　the　plan　perfunctorily；　more　to　please　his　son
than　anything　else。　　But；　after　a　second　glance；　he　became　deeply
interested　and　began　to　ask　questions。　　After　half　an　hour's　study
he　said：

〃Jack；　this　is　really　a　vast　improvement。　　Strange；　I　never　thought
of　a　great　many　of　these　things。〃

〃I　have　been　reading　up　a　bit；　and　when　I　was　on　my　trip　two　weeks
ago　I　looked　in　upon　two　or　three　of　the　plants　of　our　competitors。
I　believe　this　will　be　more　up…to…date　and　will　save　time　and
labour。〃

〃I　am　sure　it　will；　boy。　　And　we　will　put　this　in　hand　at　once。
But　what　about　men？〃

〃Oh；　we　can　pick　up　labourers；　and　that　is　all　we　want　at　the
present　time。〃

〃All　right；　go　at　it。　　I　will　give　you　a　hand　myself。〃

〃Then　there　is　something　else；　Dad。　　We　ought　to　have　a　good
athletic　field　for　our　men。〃

His　father　gasped　at　him。

〃An　athletic　field　for　those　ungrateful　rascals？〃

〃Father；　they　are　not　rascals；〃　said　his　son。　　〃They　are　just　the
same　to…day　as　they　ever　were。　　A　decent　lot　of　chaps　who　don't
think　the　same　as　we　do　on　a　number　of　points。　　But　they　are　coming
back　again　some　time　and　we　may　as　well　be　ready　for　them。　　Look　at
this。〃

And　before　Grant　Maitland　could　recover　his　speech　he　found　himself
looking　at　a　beautifully…drawn　plan　of　athletic　grounds　set　out
with　walks；　shade　trees　and　shrubbery；　and　with　a　plain　but
commodious　club…house　appearing　in　the　background。

〃And　where　do　you　get　this　land；　and　what　does　it　cost　you？〃

〃The　land；〃　replied　Jack；　〃is　your　land　about　the　old　mill。　　It
will　cost　us　nothing；　I　hope。　　The　old　mill　site　contains　two　and
one…half　acres。　　It　can　be　put　in　shape　with　little　work。　　The　mill
itself　is　an　eyesore；　ought　to　have　been　removed　long　ago。　　Dad；
you　ought　to　have　seen　the　plant　at　Violetta；　that　is　in　Ohio；　you
know。　　It　is　a　joy　to　behold。　　But　never　mind　about　that。　　The
lumber　in　the　old　mill　can　be　used　up　in　the　club…house。　　The
timbers　are　wonderful；　nothing　like　them　to…day　anywhere。　　The
outside　finishing　will　be　done　with　slabs　from　our　own　yard。　　They
will　make　a　very　pretty　job。〃

〃And　where　do　you　get　the　men　for　this　work？〃　inquired　his　father。

〃Why；　our　men。　　It　is　for　themselves　and　they　are　our　men。〃

〃Voluntary　work；　I　suppose？〃　inquired　Maitland。

〃Voluntary　work？〃　said　Jack。　　〃We　couldn't　have　men　work　for　us　for
nothing。〃

〃And　you　mean　to　pay　them　for　the　construction　of　their　own　athletic
grounds　and　club…house？〃

〃But　why　not？〃　inquired　Jack　in　amazement。

His　father　threw　back　his　head　and　began　to　laugh。

〃This　is　really　the　most　extraordinary　thing　I　have　ever　heard　of
in　all　my　life；〃　he　said；　after　he　had　done　with　his　laugh。　　〃Your
men　strike；　you　prepare　for　them　a　beautiful　club…house　and
athletic　grounds　as　a　reward　for　their　loyalty。　　You　pay　them　wages
so　that　they　may　be　able　to　sustain　the　strike　indefinitely。〃
Again　he　threw　back　his　head　and　continued　laughing　as　Jack　had
never　in　his　life　heard　him　laugh。

〃Why　not；　Dad？〃　said　Jack；　gazing　at　his　father　in　half…shamed
perplexity。　　〃The　idea　of　athletic　grounds　and　club…house　is
according　to　the　best　modern　thought。　　These　are　our　own　men。　　You
are　not　like　McGinnis。　　You　are　not　enraged　at　them。　　You　don't
hate　them。　　They　are　going　to　work　for　us　again　in　some　days　or
weeks。　　They　are　idle　and　therefore　available　for　work。　　You　can
get　better　work　from　them　than　from　other　men。　　And　you　wouldn't
take　their　work　from　them　for　nothing。〃

Again　his　father　began　to　laugh。　　〃Your　argument；　Jack；〃　he　said
when　he　was　able　to　control　his　speech；　〃is　absolutely　unanswerable。
There　is　no　answer　possible　on　any　count；　but　did　ever　man　hear
of　such　a　scheme？　　Did　you？〃

〃I　confess　not。　　But；　Dad；　you　are　a　good　sport。　　We　are　out　to　win
this　fight；　but　we　don't　want　to　injure　anybody。　　We　are　going　to
beat　them；　but　we　don't　want　to　abuse　them　unnecessarily。　　Besides；
I　think　it　is　good　business。　　And　then；　you　see；　I　really　like
these　chaps。〃

〃Simmons；　for　instance？〃　said　his　father　with　an　ironical　smile。

〃Well；　Simmons；　just　as　much　as　you　can　like　an　ass。〃

〃And　McNish？〃　inquired　Maitland。

〃McNish；〃　echoed　Jack；　a　cloud　falling　upon　his　face。　　〃I　confess　I
don't　understand　McNish。　　At　least；〃　he　added；　〃I　am　sorry　for
McNish。　　But　what　do　you　say　to　my　scheme；　Dad？〃

〃Well；　boy；〃　said　his　father；　beginning　to　laugh　again；　〃give　me　a
night　to　think　it　over。〃

Then　Jack　departed；　not　quite　sure　of　himself　or　of　the　plan　which
appeared　to　give　his　father　such　intense　amusement。　　〃At　any　rate；〃
he　said　to　himself　as　he　walked　out　of　the　office；　〃if　it　is　a　joke
it　is　a　good　one。　　And　it　has　given　the　governor　a　better　laugh
than　he　has　had　for　five　years。〃

The　Mayor　of　Blackwater　was　peculiarly　sensitive　to　public　opinion
and　acutely　susceptible　of　public　approval。　　In　addition；　he　was
possessed　of　a　somewhat　exalted　idea　of　his　powers　as　the
administrator　in　public　affairs；　and　more　particularly　as　a
mediator　in　times　of　strife。　　He　had　been　singularly　happy　in　his
mediation　between　the　conflicting　elements　in　his　Council；　and　more
than　once　he　had　been　successful　in　the　composing　of　disputes　in
arbitration　cases　submitted　to　his　judgment。　　Moreover；　he　had　an
eye　to　a　second　term　in　the　mayor's　chair；　which　gubernatorial　and
majestical　office　gave　full　scope　to　the　ruling　ambition　of　his
life；　which　was；　in　his　own　words；　〃to　guard　the　interests　and
promote　the　well…being　of　my　people。〃

The　industrial　strike　appeared　to　furnish　him　with　an　opportunity
to　gratify　this　ambition。　　He　resolved　to　put　an　end　to　this
unnecessary　and　wasteful　struggle；　and　to　that　end　he　summoned　to　a
public　meeting　his　fellow　citizens　of　all　classes；　at　which　he
invited　each　party　in　the　industrial　strife　to　make　a　statement　of
their　case；　in　the　hope　that　a　fair　and　reasonable　settlement　might
be　effected。

The　employers　were　more　than　dubious　of　the　issue；　having　but　a
small　idea　of　the　mayor's　power　of　control　and　less　of　his　common…
sense。　　Brother　Simmons；　however；　foreseeing　a　magnificent　field
for　the　display　of　his　forensic　ability；　a　thing　greatly　desired　by
labour　leaders　of　his　kidney；　joyfully　welcomed　the　proposal。
McNish　gave　hesitating　assent；　but；　relying　upon　his　experience　in
the　management　of　public　assemblies　and　confident　of　his　ability　to
shape　events　to　his　own　advantage；　he　finally　agreed　to　accept　the
invitation。

The　public　meeting　packed　the　City　Hall；　with　representatives　of
both　parties　in　the　controversy　in　about　equal　numbers　and　with　a
great　body　of　citizens　more　or　less　keenly　interested　in　the　issue
of　the　meeting　and　expectant　of　a　certain　amount　of　〃fun。〃　　The
Mayor's　opening　speech　was　thoroughly　characteristic。　　He　was
impressed　with　the　responsibility　that　was　his　for　the　well…being
of　his　people。　　Like　all　right…thinking　citizens　of　this　fair　town
of　Blackwater；　he　deeply　regretted　this　industrial　strife。　　It
interfered　with　business。　　It　meant　loss　of　money　to　the　strikers。
It　was　an　occasion　of　much　inconvenience　to　the　citizens　and　it
engendered　bitterness　of　feeling　that　might　take　months；　even
years；　to　remove。　　He　stood　there　as　the　friend　of　the　working　man。
He　was　a　working　man　himself　and　was　proud　of　it。　　He　believed　that
on　the　whole　they　were　good　fellows。　　He　was　a　friend　als