Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-16
CHAPTER XXv1rt
PRESIDENT MARLEY PRESIDE!

4 covered the great secret of the Clandes
tIne street-car convention. There was n,
: foolins them They besleged the dele
r gates in their rooms, waylaid them II
; corridors, followed them in the streets
/, bent over them Unexpectedly at table
and pursued them, almost into the privacy
of their baths The Inuuitous controller,
OF one Of the most Indispensable public
utilities had banded to fight the fine bit OF
restrictive legislation proposed by tina,
sterling friend of the people, state Sena.
tor Allerton, so there
President Marley Of the Ring City
railway Company. In n finally secured Of
fetal interview. admitted the truth of
this and pointed out. at great length and
with much heat. Just why the proposed
legislation was iniquitous.
1T would be a burden" he contended
upon the already ovcrburdened trans
portatlon companies, and would reduce
the inducements for investments in this
| form of muCh-needed enterprise TO
minimum, The people do not seem TO
realize that they cannot have the i'm
| proved street-car facilities for which
they clamor, unless proposition is made
| which would be attractive to investors
There being eight active minded inter-
| viewers about him at tho time in the
| lobby of the Abbot, Mr. Marley posed
]
! would be correctly quoted, and stroked
! his Nandyke with complacent assurance.
| What percentage does an Investor
! need to make n proposition attractive?'
| inquired a young man who made disbelief
a profitable profession.
Frank Marley had him that time,
-Four per cent, or even three, where
there is no risk" he lauChInclv replied.
with quite justl1able pride iu his quick
penetration. "The constant threat, how
ever, of competition. of adverse legisla-
ton, of city-mprovcment expense, rem
ders street-railway investment n speCua-
tive one, eXCept'-and here he cleverly
bore the stock market I'm mind-"eXcept
in rapidly growing municipality like
Ring City, the transportation facilities OF
which are vastly Inadequate"
You think there's room for two COM
panes in Ring City. them" suggested the
young man. who, because he believed
nothing. had been elected spokesman OF
the interviewing party by voceIess con-
sent.
Plenty" asserted Mr.. Manlcy quickly,
He bore the rest of that inquisltion
nawlessly, aud the Outstanding w w,
Wakefield listened In quiet approval
Marley, by common consent, had been
permitted TO be the one to give out this
interview. and all that the reports sur
prscd out of him was everything that he
knew-namely, that the stTeet-car inter-
eStS or the state were III jeopardy by
reason of Senator Allerton's unexpected
and drastic bill. It was even limited,
by a coarse and meanly suspicious anti
Allerton organ, that the state Senator
had framed this bill merely as hOld-up
of the street railway corporations, ana
that after the Senator had achieved his |
ncfarious purpose of clubbing the com
pauies into submission and tribute, the |
bill, which was n boon and n blessing |
for the downtrodden public. would die in |
committee. and never be heard of more.
Now that the bars were down. and the |
secret out the car maCnates were bold |
In their defiance. No matter what the |
ultimate purpose of the bill, whether for
buncombe or blackmaiI they meant to
fight it tooth and toe nail, and they even
allowed the reporters a seat at one of
their meetings.
Mr. Marley presided, and half dozen
street-Car magnates made Incorporate
speeches dcnounCnS the unfairness of
the measure, which was grand material
for the literary genuSes who had to have
news whether there was any or not. It |
was a clear case. If the street-car mag
mates were AGAINST Senator Allerton's
stern but Just bill for the Protection of
Against Monopolstic Per
petuity of StTeet-Car Companies, the
were for it-on behalf of the
people! Sledge sat In the back corner
of the room and listened in expression
u. 1
At late hour. after an impromptu ban
1uet, Frank Marley went home, and then
the real meeting took place-just an in
formal gathering In the apartments OF
w. w Wakefield. Nobody presided at
this meeting, although sledge made a few
very brief remarks. and there were no
present.
Marley found Molly waiting for him
and she slipped down to Join him In the
den when she heard him,
I've been trying 10 get you all aft
arnoon and evening" she told him. full of
II phoned to the hotel for you several
lines"
"Yes, I received the call" he acknowI-
edged; land more than once. on one oc-
casion I was in the very midst of
speech. I wish you would not intrude
your personal affairs upon me. Molly, p
when you know that / am very busy"
This is not personal, except i'm that II |
affects all of us" she patiently explain
I'd. ITS business"
He smiled.
"a pretty girl and business don't mix"
he kindly reproved her lone OF them
has TO suffer"
TITS usually the girl" she agreed.
Father. can you sell your stock?"
'I could" he informed her, too COM
placent and well pleased with his per-
'Ormanee of the day, to be annoyed. 1T
see no reason TOT uOlnB So however |
ITO whom could you sell it?"
"An upstate syndicate has made me
IN offer"
Good" she replied 'I wouldn't want
poor people, like Jessie Peters father. TO
ouy It,"
whats the occasion OF all thls?" de-
handed Marley.
IT wish you would sell your stock to
his syndicate Immediately" she urged
lim.
IF were you would not attempt to
nix into affairs which could not posi-
,ly understand. Since you seem to be
distressed, however, / don't
mind telling you that the company, since
have become the absolute controller Of
I, has brighter future than ever and Il
would be very foolish In me to dispose OF
ny stock at the tremendous loss such a
curse would entail at this time"
How much could you get2" she wanted !
o know,
mot 10 exceed $4,000, Molly"
"OhP she replied family. you owe
more than that, don't your"
II meant nifty thousand. clear OF ali my
he explained. Was Bert
Iere tonight7'
Yes. Father, Mr.. Sledgs will never
top until he has absolutely ruined you"
oh it's sledge, is it7' he laughed. re-
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