from the shops, as well as Mr. George here, and I couldn't
stand it no longer.

ASHER. What's Mr. George got to do with it? The cases are different.

BERT (stoutly). I don't see that, Mr. Pindar. Every man, no matter who
he is, has to decide a thing like this for himself.

GEORGE. Bert's right, dad.

ASHER. You say he's right, when you know that I need every hand I can
get to carry out this contract?

GEORGE. He's going to make a contract, too. He's giving up all he has.

ASHER. And you approve of this, Timothy?

TIMOTHY. Sure, I couldn't stop him, Mr. Pindar! And it's proud I am of
him, the same as you are of Mr. George, that he'd be fighting for America
and liberty.

ASHER. Liberty! License is what we're getting now! The workman thinks
he can do as he pleases. And after all I've done for my workmen,
--building them a club house with a piano in it, and a library and a
billiard table, trying to do my best to make them comfortable and
contented. I pay them enough to buy pianos and billiard tables for
themselves, and you tell me they want still higher wages.

TIMOTHY. They're saying they can go down to the shipyards, where they'd
be getting five dollars and thirty cents a day.

ASHER. Let them go to the shipyards, if they haven't any sense of
gratitude! What else do they say?

TIMOTHY. That you have a contract, sir, and making millions out of it.

ASHER. What can they know about my profits?

TIMOTHY. It's just that, sir,--they know nothing at all. But they're
saying they ought to know, since things is different now, and they're
working for the war and the country, the same as yourself.

ASHER. Haven't I established a system of bonuses, to share my profits
with the efficient and the industrious?

TIMOTHY. They don't understand the bonuses,--how you come by them.
Autocracy is the word they use. And they say you put up a notice sudden
like, without asking them, that there'd be two long shifts instead of
three eight-hour ones. They're willing to work twelve hours on end, for
the war, they say, but they'd want to be consulted.

ASHER. What business is it of theirs?

TIMOTHY. Well, it's them that has to do the hard work, sir. There was a
meeting last night, I understand, with Rench and Hillman and a delegate
come from Newcastle making speeches, the only way they'd get their rights
would be for you to recognize the union.

ASHER. I'll never recognize a union! I won't have any outsiders,
meddlers and crooks