t
difference, whether the forelady was one foot or one hundred away.
Like as not the forelady was laughing with the rest. Only once did I
ever see authority exerted to curb merriment. On that occasion things
reached a climax. All those not directly concerned with the joke
became so curious as to what it was all about that one by one the
girls left their machines and gathered up one end of the room to laugh
with the rest, until production, it was apparent, was at a standstill.
Winnie went out and told Hap. Hap merely stepped inside the room, and
every girl did "sure get busy." It was the only time even Hap so much
as paid the least attention to what went on. All day there was talk,
all day laughter, all day visiting a bit here and there, back and
forth. Yet in the month of April production had reached the highest
point ever, and the month I was there was expected to surpass April.
It is significant that with all the fun, the standard of efficiency
and production in our bleachery was such that out of eighteen like
industries in the country, we were one of the only two running full
time. Thirteen were shut down altogether.

That first day I asked Mamie what time work began in the morning.
Mamie giggled. "I dunno. Say, Margaret, what time does work begin in
the morning?" "Seven-fifteen, I think." Under the Partnership Plan I
knew that each operative was allowed a week's vacation on full pay.
But every time late, after fifteen times, deducted so many minutes
from the vacation, just as any time off without sufficient cause meant
that much less vacation.

"Ever been late?" I asked Mamie.

More giggles. "Say, Margaret, she wants to know if I was ever late!"
To me: "Ninety-seven times last year--no vacation at all for mine. Ask
Margaret how many time she's been late."

Still more giggles. Margaret giggled, I giggled. Margaret had been
late one hundred eighteen times. Some of the girls were late
practically every day; they were like small boys who would not for the
world have anyone think they would try to do in school what was
expected of them. Yet there were several girls who were to come into
their full week off--the names and dates were posted on the bulletin
board; others were given five days, three days, down to a few whose
allotment out of a possible week was one-half day. But several of the
most boastful over their past irregular record, and who were receiving
no vacation at all, claimed they were going to be on time