Smyrna times., 1911-09-13
Their
Representative
A Story for Labor Day Showing a
New Way of Ending a Strike
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.
By F. A. mitchell

I'm sorry, miss, to have to tell you
that I'm going to leave you"
A girl of twenty. whose red and
white complexion bespoke Irish blood,
stood before her mistress, lingering her
apron with evident embarrassment.
Why. Maggie, what have doneY
Nothing, miss"
''Then why are you going to leave
me?"
We'll, miss-the truth is-why. miss
Pm going to be married"
"Oh. 1 see. Who are you going to
marry, Maggie?"
Jim DOOlan, that works in the Aims
worth factory"
The Ainsworth factory?"
Eyes, miss
Margaret Etheridge, the girls mis-
tress, was interested in the Ainsworth
company as a stockholder and through
its president and manager, Richard
AinSwOrth.
I'm sorry to lose you, Maggie" said
Miss Etheridge. "but if you are going
to be married. you can depend upon
me to give you whatever you will need
in the way of clothes, household linen
and other things, to enable you to set
up housekeeping"
Thank you. miss
Maggie was married and went to
live with her husband in a small suit
OF rooms. Jim's wages were not very
large, but the couple made them do
very well till the first child came,
when they were obliged to take a
backward step financially by incurring
a considerable bill for medical attend
ance. Then Jim was taken sick, and
that increased the Indebtedness.
Meanwhile Richard AinswOrth had
been pressing an unsuccessful suit
with Miss Etheridge. He had greatly
increased the output of the Ainsworth
company since he took the manage
ment, and to the book value of the
stock so per cent had been added. In
deed, Richard Ainsworth had come to
be considered one of the smartest
young business men in the state. But
there were differences between him
and Margaret Etheridge that prevent
ed her from accepting him. Those
business qualifications for which the
world applauded him did not appeal
to her. She did not understand the
methods by which that silent partner,
capital. was made to absorb the lions
share of the profits of a business. She
t saw the operatives-men, women and
children-going to the works early in
the morning and. having worked hard
Ill slavv -, a. H,osv
shabby homes to repeat the process
day after day. The were working to
/ pay dividends on her stock, while she
who did nothing, lived in aff1uence. II
seemed to her that there was some
thing wrong. She appealed to Richard
Ainsworth for an explanation. but his
explanations were not satisfactory
His reasons convinced her, but bel
heart. her sense of justice, were un
moved by them.
why can't you pay your operative:
enough to enable them to live more
comfOrtablyY' she asked Mr.. Aims
worth.
| Because of competition"
1 Explain"
"Other concerns would be able t
undersell and we would be forced ou
of business"
why not appropriate a portion o
the dividends, which are enormous, t
the operatives?"
Because Of several reasons, tn
most pertinent of which is that tn
stockholders would object"
4 II am a stockholder. You may Gu
my dividends in half. giving one hal
to the operatives"
You are one among hundreds; tn
rest, instead Of being willing to Civ
up their profits. are bowling for more
! My dear Margaret, you don't under
stand such things"
'Does anybody understand them?"
c. Eyes, Providence"
d One day Maggie DOolan sent pit
ful message to Margaret, scrawled
le pencil on a bit of paper. saying this
she was i'll, her husband was away 9
y his work adj day, the children had n
ut one to take care of them, and jim
le wages were pledged for debts. b
sides this, there was nothing to eat
in the house Margaret Immediately sa
IN IN lied forth with a well filled purse ant
e. stopping at the provision shops by tt
way, carried comfort to the distresse
AS she was coming away, Jim came
K with q rueful countenance and, throw
p ing himself into a chair, dropped b
at head in his arms on a table.
What is it. Jim?" asked his wife
VI q frightened tone.
'The strike is on" was the mournf
reply.
"Oh, heavensP' cried Maggie in di
may.
what are the hands striking for
- asked Margaret Etheridge
"Ten per cent advance all around"
Sand do you mean that you W
have no income whatever till the ma
ter is settledY
II do"
"How much do you earnT'
~Twenty-One dollars q week."