Dr. Jonathan | Page 7

the shops! You didn't say anything about this, Timothy!
TIMOTHY. No, sir,--you have trouble enough today.
ASHER (to BERT). Why did you leave?
BERT. I'm going to enlist, Mr. Pindar,--with the Marines. From what

I've heard of that corps, I think I'd like to join it.
ASHER (exasperated). But why do you do a thing like this when you
must know I need every man here to help turn out these machines? And
especially young men like you, good mechanics! If you wanted to serve
your country, you were better off where you were. I got you
exempted-- (catching himself) I mean, you were exempted from the
draft.
BERT. I didn't want to be exempted, sir. More than four hundred of the
boys have gone 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 dictating my business to me.
TIMOTHY. I've been with you thirty years, come December, Mr.
Pindar, and you've been a good employer to me. I don't hold with the
unions--you know it well, sir, or you wouldn't be asking me advice. I'm
telling you what they're saying.
ASHER. I didn't mean to accuse you,--you've been a good and loyal
employee--that's why I sent for you. Find out what their game is, and
let me know.
TIMOTHY. It's not a detective I am, Mr. Pindar. I'm a workman meself.
That's another thing they're saying, that you'd pay detectives to go
among them, like workingmen.
ASHER (impatiently). I'm not asking you to be a detective,--I only
want you to give me warning if we are to have a strike.
TIMOTHY. I've warned you, sir,--if it's only for the sake of beating the
Germans, the dirty devils.
GEORGE (turning to BERT). Well, here's wishing you luck, Bert, and
hoping we'll meet over there. I know how you feel,--you want to be in
it, just as I do.
ASHER (turning). Perhaps I said more than I meant to, Bert. I've got to
turn out these machines in order that our soldiers may have shrapnel to
fight with, and what with enlistments and the determination of
unscrupulous workmen to take advantage of the situation, I'm pretty
hard pressed. I can't very well spare steady young men like you,