Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-11-26
A GirIless
System
By I. B. ANDERSON

1920. Western Newspaper Union)
- Mllarge all the female employ
exclaimed old Hugh Bertrand,
elr e stood stock still viewing his
81 yer. Mark Seaton, with the stare
ii . tartled and perplexed man.
- at is the ORDER" answered the
Iat5v- tersely, "and it is to be put in
erect within a week."
Hr n Bertrand made no reply. He
was IN under superintendent of the
town plant devoted to the manufac-
ture Of Ioose-leaf devices, where he
had been employed for many years.
Within the previous month Mark Sea-
ton had purchased the business from
ifs original owners. Bertrand had
heard that the new proprietor was a
tyro and a d~isciplinarian and antici-
pated trouble. He decided to make a
sugge stion for the general good. In
a little speech to his fellow employees
a week before the arrival Of Seaton,
he said:
1--WE are a happy, contented group
of frif nds and have got accustomed to
easy, comfortable ways in our labors
here, but the world moves and we
want to adjust ourselves to its prog
ress, The new management will prob
ably install a time clock and a system
of penalties for late corners and make
considerable alterations in general
methods. Let everyone seek adjust
ment to the conditions. If we follow
this sensible course there need be no
disturbing friction.
81 can't understand what Mr.. Sea-
ton is driving at. Discharge the fe-
male employees Why, hat simply
overturns the efficiency of the whole
business" seriously reflected Bert
rand. His daughter Grace, was in
charge of one of the departments, and
to her he disclosed the situation. She
looked grave and troubled.
81 heard that Mr.. Seaton was what
is called a woman hater before he
came here" she said. "Only a few
DAVIS ago. a friend told me that
he overheard Mr.. Seaton telling a Wis
iting friend that he did not believe in
keeping women around. He said all
they thought of was face powder, hair
dressing and vanity. 1 fancy he must
have been crossed in love, father"
81 don't know" answered Bertrand
gloomily, "but he can't be human not
to see that the feminine part of our
help ~elevates our men workers, has
refined them to a degree and has made
work actually agreeable. / don't know
how it may be in the city where the
help is constantly changing, but here
we are like a family, well brought up
together,
1t was followed out and the girl
less system duly ~inaugurated. There
was a parting of lovers, of sisters
even of husbands and wives, for in
some instances whole families had
worked together. The places of the
girls and women were filled mainly
now by boys and young men. The old
male employees were dissatisfied at
the new arrangement. The pleasant
moor hours in agreeable, harmonious
company gave way to a dull, unevent-
full resting period.
OIdCG DcI anu NdIiC III "
tact with Mr.. Seaton because of the
fact that she had always headed the
girl employees as a sort of leader.
Many went to work in other towns,
and It was her province to visit Sea-
ton and secure recommendation TOT
them. It somewhat softened his hard
nature to realize the helpful, unsel1sh
~NA,,~@ f kh0 hy1cfn nCC1iEn GpnC1Dle
young girl, who expressed no overt
criticism as to his drastic eXact1on,
but still made him feel that he was the
means of causing confusion, and IN
some cases distress in scattering a
community of girls who's had lea a
safe, happy life under the old menage.
Within a month there brooded over
the plant a sense of disruption ana
discomfort that Seaton could not help
but notice. Many of the expert work
ers, fearing other changes and infested
with a sense of instability, resigned to
seek new employment. Nobody liked
the new proprietor. and he felt it.
Several times when he met Grace on
the street he engaged her in apparent
ly casual conversation, but gradually
brought it about to the labor SITUATION
and the results of the innovation ne
had made. The girl attracted MN
he felt the influence of new view
points. Secretly he wished he had
consulted her before he made the
change that he plainly discerned was
not beneficial to the general group
In a money way. TOO, there was d
palpable retrOgression.
One morning Grace Bertrand pc
came the heroine of the town. her
father out of friendship and sympathy
had taken the place of the Waterman
of the plant. who had serious illness