Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-03

refuses ssaJpin ~ , OF her aunt aud parents - 4e-
the ts.s 't 10 20 to SaNton. the mn 'o""' WIN
sstotky.
,vn did CO." went on my strange
"A .n..o "Aunt Lucinda, you and Ia
so,n,cen YOU control the stock Of
an. down there. IT'S criminal to th'nk
n'''s ',., nsver been near the place. 1t
yoa ,n,d open your eyes 10 GO
a. have better things to DO an
swered. - ,s,,, ,9,, sbo
i',, ir ~, superior tone. II was bhhd
tepheu ,,,,, time myself But now-l see.
iof ,t,at for MS to draw dividends of 80
s from those mills at SaNton Is
p,s,ne short Of robbery-yes, even II we
ho'I3 nv pIncbottles. / see a hundred neces-
w., things that must be done LOT those
aon,e down there. And =
,Minerva-you are ridiculous oroKe
,n "Wben | was your age young women
H. w. content with gowns and dances ana
occasional communion win our ueS.
,,iaSs os means of diversion. il was not
aorsidered delicate to tramp the slums
u,nng the poor who are poor because
,bey.re too stupid to be anything else
avon were young in a dark age, Aunt
,,,oi,da smiled my niece flppantly.
"cowns and balls are inanc. as for COM
,runion with our best minds, ! believe in
, tbat thoroughly. | am becoming very
nslI acquainted with Mr. Sabotky. Work
ing with him
Mineryas wild disclosures were here in
,errupted by the entrance of Prudence,
INV brother's wife, who was as usual tear
mi and Intellectual
~ suppose you know" she shifted. "of
MInerva's latest madness. | cannot un-
derstand There were never any differ
ences In our family
wanted to point out to her that there
are never any differences where there are
no brains, but / subdued the impulse.
Roger brought home to dinner my old
friend. Mr. Robert Reamer, a graceful
writer and a gentleman of honorable fam
ily. 1t developed that Mr.. Reamer had
lately been investigating mill life upstate
for one Of our most conservative and re-
liable magaziues-a magazine always hon
ored in our circle because in the present
trend toward yellow sensationalism it has
kept firmly to its policy of protecting
property rights.
my dear young LADY," he said to Mi
nerva at dinner, II am afraid you have
been temporarily led astray by the rapid
cry of the demagoEuc-the self-seeter. I
have, | assure you, made an exhaustive
study OF conditions in our mill towns.
have talked with all the men in power
there. This cry of social justice is sim
ply the old cry of envy against those who
have succeeded
ut Is, on the contrary" said Minerva,
her eyes flashing the cry of the cham
pons of the weak"
"A fine pose-protector of the weak
answered Mr. Reamer, smiling indulgent-
y 1T appeals to those who love the
llmelight. But common sense, not emo
tlon, must decide these things The price
labor receives depends on the law of sup
ply and demand. Business is business
your friends want to make it n phlan-
thropy."
And ruin the business man." cried
Roger How about our small stockhold-
ers? Who ever thinks of them? There
are some OF them who could ill-afford re-
duced dividends. There are widows and
-"
"oh, father" cried Minerva, don't tell
me your next word was to have been or
phans. | think of some of our stockhold-
ers deprived of their limousines, their an
nual trips to Europe-and my heart
bleeds"
"Anuyhow," put in Mr. Reamer. "even
II some of these mill workers don't make
enough to live by the best standards
that needn't worry us. They have never
been used to anything better" Robert
Reamer always did have the knack of
stating original facts vividly-it has been
the secret of his writing success in Bos-
ton.
Mr.. Reamer," inquired Minerva, have
you ever tried keeping a wife and five
small children on IS a week."
MI. Reamer hlushed. lie is a bachelor,
with an extremely sensitive mind.
"of course not" he said. 1T couldn't
90 H. I've been used to better things.
ANA remember, too, that children are not
the fault of the mill owner"
=, Exactly" cried Roger. who asks
mem TO bring children into the world? I
lont It's no affair OF mine. can't
raise wages Just because my employees
les"
There is justice in that viewpoint"