taste, to say the least of it. He had told Sam often enough, one would
think, that he meant before long to put in a good businesslike system of
fees, small fees....

The Commissioner was continuing: "Point is, V.V., there's nothing gained
getting these people's backs way up. They 're sore now. A little tact, a
little bit of--"

"Tact!"

"Sure thing. Look here, old boy, remember it's only a week since my
report was in the papers, practically blacklisting those four plants,
and I've already called personally on every one of 'em, putting it right
up to 'em. You heard me at Heth's and the Pickle people's, yourself. I
guess I put it up about as strong as could be done, hey? And that's all
can be done till I get me some more law. Put it right square...."

But V. Vivian, gazing steadily over the chair-back, had obviously been
stoking his inner fuel.

"Ah! Rousing public opinion's no use at all?... Why, don't you _know_
that public opinion is the grandfather of your little statute-book laws?
Don't you--"

"Yair. Know. See you say that in your letter."

"Well, it's a _great truth_!... How tactful will you feel some day, when
one of those floors at the Heth Works collapses and kills a
hundred people?"