Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-25

| he had turned to the dictation of letter
| regarding the performanC" OF the new
| composition steel when an edition "i
/ the COurant was brought in.
Reading the newspapers eagerly had
/ become rather a habit with him Of late"
and in the midst Of thoughts about the
new steel his eyes kept stealing to tn"
/ newspaper The letter finished. Jerry
7 took up the COurant one thrce-CnIumn
/ head concerned itself with new British
| offensive in Flanders; another of two
columns dealt with an explosion in a
Poor devils Foor dovils," mumurcd
Jerry sympathetically. thinking Of the
shattered bodies on the battlefield ant
| the shrvcled. hlaCkcned ones in th'
mine" when his shifting eye brought M
at a single column head. right in the
middle Of the page where it would have
claimed his attention sooner hut for
being OVerShadOwed.
"Wha-what" he gasped. sitting III
quickly, and opening and shutting his
eyes to make sure the vision was clear,
"Hurrah, huirah.' he shouted, leartne
to his feet and rushing w. toward oS hlS
he waved the paper wildly.
"No" exclaimed Henry 7. Archer
Yes" heamcd Jerry. Haunting the
THAT was indeed the way the headline
had it. but hedded in the type of the
story were two statements, the first
/ tnltHcteTlZed Nv nlEnltN ana n 1lllP sell .
restraint. but for all that loaded with
rehuke for the blatant tool-workS pc
titoners, This was from the chairman
of a committee of Councils. 1t said
THE committee was never aVerSe
to permitting the Archer Tool
Works to extend their present pri.
vate tracks across WintOn street.
II merely took the time necessary
to make sure the interests of the
community were properly protected.
Deciding, deliberately, that the pub
lie good would be served by such a
franchise, the committee recon-
mended it in due course, and the
permit will be issued in ample time
to meet the needs of the tool works"
The other statement was from the
Hon james F. Rand, and its tone was
CruSty.
The Archer Tool Works is a very
rich and self-important concern" 1t de-
whole business Of governing PhiladeI-
phia should be halted till it gets what
it wants There never was doubt in
my mind but that. properly safeguarded
by restrictions, the concern was en-
titled to a franchise, nor doubt that
Councils would, at the proper time,
grant 1t, However, and one could al
most hear the Honorable Jim rolling one
of his finest periods. Il know the char
aCter of the men who sit III Councils In
this city and the majority of them are
not men who can he brOwbeaten or
swayed from their duty by bluff or
blackmailing attempt of any sort. This
franchise was recommended by Com
mon Councilmen Hart. Callawav and
Beverly of the Forty-ninth Ward. and
by Select Councilman Schaff the ward
leader. II was inevitable, therefore, that
at the proper time, and regardless of
fuss and furore, Councils would grant
the franchise"
with his two sons looking over his
shoulders, Henry T. Archer read the
narrative as far as the end of these
two statements, and then looked up with
a dry smile.
ut appears that we merely helped
them in coming TO a decision" he re-
marked.
Assisted nature a little" chuckled
Paul. and reached over to slap his
brother on the back. "Old man. he de-
clared, you're a great assister"
IT had been given reason to suspect
1t would be a long and bitter fight"
said Mr., Archer leaning back with evil
dent relief
"Oh. we've won, all right" Chuckled
Jerry "and just when was beginning
to get cold feet, too: The question is
how did we win? Why did we win?
You and father hold the jolifcatior