Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-04


WINS publicity bureau seized upon this
as the first shining example Of what
the fat rate had done for the public,
and Kelvin went soaring again In the
public esteem. The mills of the wool
en- combine had once more become in
dependent concerns, competing with
one another, with the double effect of
raising the price Of wool and lowering
the price of the finished article the
farmers and the public being the great
beneficiarieS, and Rollins had done
this, with Breed back OF him as the
momentum, and back Of them both
Kelvin as the dynamic force. Great
was Kelvin, Then the beef combine
came TO blows. Raymer. as he well
might, was underseI1ing the other
packers and gobbHng up their trade
Some of this internal war leaked out,
and again the fat rate. Breed, Rollins
and mighty Kelvin were heroes! The
Unified Steel corporation, the wooden
combine and the beef trust-there
was a record over which to crowI
Who now was the friend Of the people?
Why, Breed and Rollins and Kelvin,
great Kelvin.
But Kelvin had long since absented
himself from Forest Lakes, leaving be
hind him no thought of any interest
that might be there, save as il con-
cerned his own boundleSs aims. The
dreams of two women, one dark and
one fair. followed him, but he would
not have cared now If he had known.
He left the field to his rivals and
plunged into his new plans with the
same concentration that had marked
his previous undertakings. Henry
Breed. watched savagely by Zelphan.
spent his half hour daily in his huge
money vault and day BY day spent
more and more furtive time upon his
Bible. while BlaCg at dead OF night
practiced necessarily upon his sample
combination lock. He could open it
now. set upon any combination. by the
mere feel Of the drop Of the tumblers.
Keivin's new task was an agreeable
one. He took up pleasant quarters in
Washington and began TO entertain the
list of senators whom Breed counted
as among his assets, and gradually his
circle of acQuaintances grew. He was
gone about three months, and when he
returned he sent for Rollins.
~-.Have you sent HepperdOn and Ray
mer and the Others their rebates?" he
asked.
Yesterday, W to the 1st Of the
month" replied Rollins. why"
Because there are to be no more
Collect your fat rate and keep it
without a single exception. We've
won"
Rebate to the United Food COM
pany, as usual, Rollins" interrupted
Breed, with a chuCkle. That's my
only profit On bread now, you know.
since Kelvin reduced it to cost And
rebate in cash, Rollins, always in
cash.
But don't quite understand" pro-
tested Rollins Cant they legislate
against US effectively now?"
Scarcely" returned Kelvin, with
smile, ''since we ourselves are the law
making body, so long as we keep the
public from c!amOring too much TO
their servants in Washington. I've
just purchased stock in the govern
ment-former assets of Hepperdon and
Raymer and their fellow bandits-to
give Us control"
Rollins looked troubled. 81 don't
like it" he said
using it 10 good end. You can estab-
Hsh your fat rate now as you planned
IN the first place We're going to be
gin the battle of the trusts in earnest"
The battle Of the trusts" repeated
Rollins musiugly. 1t sounds interest
ing at least"
Tt won't be, though replied Kel-
win, with contempt There viii be no
battle whatever. I'm merely going 10
chlOroform them on the eve of the
presidential nomination About the
most popular idea that was ever put
before the vast. unsuccessful majori-
T. OF the voting public Is the graded
property tax Wei. I'm going TO fame
into print with the suggestion for
graded corporation tax and then have
Mr., Breeds carefully tanned legisla-
tors frame that suggestion into 4 bill
and pass it into Il law. The Weather
the corporation the more ii viii be
taxed pro rata until toward the top
the tax VIII become proh.bitive. The
law is already as good as passed. and
1 imagine that ii viii be quite 4 shock
10 your old friends Hepperdon and
Valentine and Raymer. Speed. Melton
Sears * Co. and q few others. Eli, /
NJ. Breed :"
But Henry Breed did not hear Phil |
lip Re had just taken from the /
drawer Of his desk q handful of pho /
tcCraphs, a piece Of red wax cr2yon. a !
hammer and some tacks and was /.
starting FOR the rear study. As he .
passed Phillip caught a glimpse Of the I
top photograph. 1t was portrait of 4
Hepperdon-
: cheaply dressed fellow, q big man 1
with a thick neck and broad shoulders /
and arms that hung crooked at the ell /
bows, aiighted at a little wilderness /
station on the Long Island railroad I
behind Kelvin and Sam. \ farmer /
ike native approached the more pros /
porous appearing Phillip.
You. Mr. KelvinF' he demanded
The same" replied Kelvin. This 1
is Mr.. Purser. I believer"
Il reckon So admitted the other. /
ss0TI Err-Sa-