Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-21
CHAPTER xxi.

CHAPTER XXI.
CIoyden's election came as q com
piete surprise, but its meaning wa
perfectly clear to Kennard. He hat
lost control OF the board Of directors
In the face of that fact 1t mattered bu
little what particular lure had secured
Harkness' vote. The purpose OF th'
bargain was of more Importance thai
its price. 1t was not, however, until
he saw his power threatened that Ken
nard realized how vitality interested n
was in retaining 1t. Six months be
fore he would have retired without
regret. But those six months had ut
terly changed his attitude. With tht
work of organization something OF his
old enthusiasm had returned, and with
a broader. far more reaching purpose
than he had ever known before. The
disgust and irritation which had made
him turn to the syndicate as a refuge
disappeared with the assumption oi
wider responsibilities. and his indif'
ference gave place to calm study ol
existing conditions.
1t did not require much shrewdness
TO predict that Mr.. Trundell would be
the moving spirit in whatever changes
the new majority In the board con-
templated. Kennard had watched him
with some anxiety from the very first
for the man Immediately impressed
him as one of those who write success
with a big S. impaled on two parallel
lines. Undoubtedly he had engineered
the move which wrested the controi
from the manufacturers. The question
was. why had he done this? II the
management had not been successful
the purpose would have been evident
But the company had made money
more than Il was expected to make
when completely organized, much more
than the estimates had indicated for
the first six months. That was what
puzzled Kennard. Mr.. Trundell was
not a man to desire power simply for
it's own sake. especially as that power
could last only until the next election
when new directors might be chosen.
The meetings of the board which fol-
lowed Croyden's election did not sup
ply any answer to these questions. No
important changes were inaugurated
by the newly constituted majority.
At the second meeting, It Is true, Mr..
Trundell proposed that all cases OF In
juries to employees should be turned
over to an accident insurance COM
pany to be settled or defended as the
insurers chose, but this proposal was
more or less IN line with Kennards
inclination to free himself from per-
sonal contact as much as possible. 1t
was a good business move. and one
almost necessary with the army oil
workers in the companies employ.
But though he appreciated Its prac-
tical aspect. the old feeling Of parental
responsibility would not permit Ken
nard to view the innovation without
some misgiving. This delegation OF
authority had something cold-blooded
about 1t which he instinctively dis
trusted. To have some one injured In
your service, and then coolly refer him
or his family to an insurance company,
seemed heartlcss and inhuman. But
difficult as 1t was to adjust himself to
all the new conditions. Kennard recog.
nized the impracticability Of his old
fashioned methods and the vote on
Mr.. Trundell's proposition was unani-
nous.
1t was destined to be the last evil
dence of harmony in that board.