Evening star., 1897-03-13

4
on the increase offered. The men were in
tubilant humor, and they cheered every
! thing that was said with the utmost i'm
partiality. Marsten told them frankly why
the meeting had been called. and he ex-
| ulted in the fact that the recent unex-
| Dected turn of events had made any dis
| cuSSion unnecessary.
II have heard it limited" he continued
| that l have been outgeneraled by Mr..
| Sartweu. but we can stand a lot of bea ting
| on these lines. Mr.. Sartwell Is evidently
AFRAID OF the union now. IL the mere ru-
! NOR that we were about to make a demand
| induces so stiffnecked a man the man.
] ager to capitulate before a gun is fired. it
! goes to show the tremendous influence We
| can WELD by all standing firmly together
1t is said that the misplacing of comma
| in All act of parliament once cost the coGn-
try hundred THOUSAND pounds. The one
! word now, spoken quite unthinkingly by
| Marsten. made Gibbons grind his teeth In
| helpless rage. He saw Marsten triumphant
| and his own administration discredited.
| He determined to make that small word
| of three letters cost Marsten dear, il an
| opportunity of upsetting the confident
young man offered itself. However. Glib
bons said nothing, and the meeting dis
Persed with cheers.
| Sartwell had no deuscn regarding tha
| advance he had made the men. He knew
! ne had merely postponed the fight. but he
| wanted to be in position to show the
| directors that he had done everything pos
sible to avoid a conflict Six months later
| Sartwell called the directors together
| Il desire to place before you" he said
certain information have received. There
| Is reason to believe that a further demand
| of 10 per cent will be made. If you are
| going to grant it, would like to know; if
| We are going to make a stand. 1 would like
sooan1;W,,,,. to know; will then arrange my plans
| IF we grant it," said Mr.. Hope. what
| do you think will be the result? viii 1t
| avert trouble. will it be made the basis
| of fresh exactions? We cannot go on max
| ing concessions indefinitely
| Giving the increase will probably post
| pone the trouble for another six months.
| I am certain that Marsten wants to force
| on fight; he has been preparing for more
| than two years. What l want to impress
| on you is that the struggle, when it comes.
| is going to be a severe one. and If you en-
ter upon 1t you must do so with your eyes
open. resolved to fight it to the very end.
! You may go on conceding until wages are
| doubled. and every fresh concession will
merely make an ultimate fight the more
inevitable
| Then you think we had better make a
stand now?"
Yes; if. having made the stand, you
| refuse to capitulate any TERMS
| But if We find. when the strike has
| lasted few weeks, that cannot hold
out. it would be folly to continue
Exactly. You know your own resources,
and l know the resources of the men. You
are, therefore, in as good a position to
| make up your minds now two weeks
| hence. or month. or a year. If we enter
into contest we must win, or l must re-
sign
1T is most perplexing situation"
sighed Mr.. Hope.
'Oh, the situation is simple enough. You
! either give in or you don't. Which is it?
What are the chances of filling the
works with new men. should it prove i'm
possible to come to terms with our present
employees"
They are not so good as they were. We
could do it gradually. hut it would be some
ttyrna hnf full
That would mean the refusal of new
| orders. and perhaps the canceling of many
now on hand"
Undoubtedly That is the cost of war
| We must face it if we fight. We might be
| crippled for six months to come.
That is very serious. Is no compromise
| possible? Could you not confer with Mar
| sten and find out what he wants.?
| Il know what he wants
And you think compromise impossible?
Frankly. l do
Have you the same objection to meeting
Marsten that you had to meeting Glib
bons?'
"As a matter of principle, object to dis
cussing our business with any outsider
Marsten has never raised that point. When
it was necessary to confer with me he al
ways sent deputation of our own men.
He Is much more dangerous opponent
than Gibbons was.
Would you be willing, then. in the in
terests of peace, to arrange a conference
with Marsten, talk the ma,tar over ani
come to an understanding, if that be pos
sible?"
yes. I will send for him at once, but
don't think it will be of the slightest use
and it forms a bad precedent
1t was unanimously agreed that such an
action on Sartwells part would strengthen
his hands, and that the fight. II it proved
Inevitable. could be gone into with greater
spirit when all knew that everything pos
sible had been done to avoid hostilities.
Sartweli invited Mars.el to meet him at
10 at In ha hon
the young man entered his first words
were:
You told me 1 was not to set foot in this
Office unless 1 was ordered to do SO; must
apologize. therefore, for coming on a mere
invitation"
"Ah, you haven't forgotten that yetr'
said sartwell. with a laugh. But you do
forget. apparently, that you were here on
invitation before-during the strike. you
know"
Yes. so I was"
Now Marsten. to begin with, have You
any personal ill-feelins against me for your
summary dismissal?
Not the slightest. I should probably
| have acted as you did under the same cir
cumstances.
1T is generous Of you to say that. but 1
doubt if you would. However, not attempt
ing to excuse myself at all. l may say that
the event did not quite turn out as l ex-
pected. l hoped that you would call on
me- and that we would-well, arrange an
armistice, as 1t were
Il thought you knew me better than
that
II didn't. you see. But let the dead past
bury its dead. Let US give our attention 10
the present and to the future. and l shall
begin by asking IL you have any suspicion
that you a fool?'
"A most diplomatic and soothing begin
ming. Mr.. Sartwen. However. 1 suppose
we are all more or less tinged with folly. so
We won't quarrel about terms: but we
seem to see the defects of others rather
clearer than we see our own.
That Is undoubtedly true. 1t strikes me.
then. that you are wasting your life, and
| would like to convince you of that before
| 1t is too late"
"Yes?'
Yes. / want an assistant manager. He
must be man of ability and a man can
trust. l am getting on in years and will
soon stand aside My assistant, IL he has
| the right stuff in him. will take my place.
! and the future will belong to him. / offer
you the position.
II cannot accept It,"
"Why"'
Because I have deOted my life to the
men,
But you will have an opportunity Of CO.
ing more for the men in that position than
you can possibly do for them in your pres
ent Office, where they grudgingly pay you
barely enough to keep body and soul to-
gether."