"It certainly looks that way. I didn't think it was anything like this, did you, Steve?"
"No; I did not. We had better be starting now."
On the way the lads were hailed by Mr. Penton.
"Where are you going in such a hurry, lads?" he called.
"We are going out for the evening," answered Steve. "I have been thinking about labor unions to-day, Mr. Penton. Are you opposed to them? Are they a factor for good or otherwise?"
The superintendent laughed.
"Older heads than yours have disagreed on that subject. I hold rather pronounced views. There are unions that are ably managed by upright, intelligent men. Such unions are a good thing. The difficulty is that many others are managed by unscrupulous men, working to serve only their own ends, no matter what the cost to the employer. Such unions are a menace, both to the men and to their employers. That is my position."
"Then, Mr. Penton, if you were to have a union, say in your mines here, honestly managed and directed by upright men, you would not object to it?"
"Most assuredly not."
This was a new point of view for Steve Rush. It gave him a broader insight into the question.