the shops. You did a thing no member of our family has ever done--
consented to an interview with a professional labor agitator."

"That is hardly the fact, sir. ... I asked for the interview."

"Which is worse. ... You even, as it is reported to me, agreed to
talk with this agitator at some future time."

"I asked him to explain things to me."

"Any explanations of labor conditions and demands I shall always be
glad to make. The thing I am trying to bring home to you is that the
men have gotten an absurd impression that you are in sympathy with
them. ... Young men sometimes come home from college with unsound
notions. Possibly you have picked up some socialistic nonsense. You
will have to rid yourself of it. Our family has always arrayed itself
squarely against such indefensible theories. ... But the thing to do
at once is to wipe out any silly ideas your indiscretion may have
aroused among our workingmen."

"But I am not sure--"

"When you have been in this business ten years I shall be glad to
listen to your matured ideas. Now your ideas--your actions at least-
must conform to the policy we have maintained for generations. I have
called some of our department heads to my room. I believe I hear them
assembling. Let us go in."

Bonbright followed his father mechanically. The next room contained
some ten or twelve subordinate executives who eyed Bonbright