“No, not solely, but pairtly. A know by experience and A hae har-r-d the man, and he's no fit for his job, A'm tellin' you.”
“I suppose you know the qualifications of a foreman, McNish?” enquired Mr. Maitland with the suspicion of sarcasm in his voice.
“Ay, A do that.”
“And how, may I ask, have you come to the knowledge?”
“A dinna see—I do not see the bearing of the question.”
“Only this, that you and those you represent place your judgment as superior to mine in the choice of a foreman. It would be interesting to know upon what grounds.”
“I have been a foreman myself. But there are two points of view in this question—the point of view of the management and that of the worker. We have the one point of view, you have the other. And each has its value. Ours is the more important.”
“Indeed! And why, pray?”
“Yours has chiefly to do with profits, ours with human life.”
“Very interesting indeed,” said Mr. Maitland, “but it happens that profits and human life are somewhat closely allied—”