MIFFLIN:  Frankly, that’s a detail I don’t know.  But I do know that everyone is delighted and that the profits have been large.

GIBSON:  And no friction among the men?

MIFFLIN:  No—­I—­no, none at all; no friction; nothing that could be called friction at all.

GIBSON:  Then it’s a complete success?

MIFFLIN:  Absolutely!  Why, just let me picture it to you, Mr. Gibson.  Don’t you understand, these men are not hirelings now; they’re comrades, a brotherhood!  You should see them as they come from the factory in the warm afternoon sunshine.  They stop in groups and continue discussions of matters of interest that have come up during the day.  You hear the most eager discussion, such spirited repartee; and in the factory itself these groups gather at any time.  When there may be some tiny bit of friction it is disposed of amicably, comrade to comrade.  And some of the wives of the workmen have taken the greatest interest!  Imagine under the capitalistic regime a wife coming and sitting at her husband’s side and taking up little matters of importance with him, as a wife should, while he worked!  Oh, the wives have caught the idea, too!  They’re proprietresses just as much as their husbands are proprietors.  And you can see how keenly they feel the responsibility and want to share in settling all questions that come up.  Then they walk home with their husbands, talking it all over.  Mr. Gibson, I tell you, sometimes it has moved me.  More than once I have found my eyes moistening as I watched it.

GIBSON:  And do you happen to know—­well, haven’t the men felt the need for a certain kind of general management of the institution’s affairs?

MIFFLIN:  Oh, that’s all met—­all met by meetings of the governing board, the committee.

GIBSON:  No; I meant, hasn’t any need been felt for a man with a certain specialized knowledge?  Say, for instance, to deal with the purchasing of raw materials?

MIFFLIN [somewhat vague and puzzled]:  I think they did do this through an individual for a time.  I think the head bookkeeper was given charge of such matters; at least I think so.  But probably they found that the creation of such an office was unnecessary.  Purely clerical work.  At least I haven’t seen him about for several weeks.

GIBSON:  Was he there on just one share of the profits?

MIFFLIN:  Why, of course!  That is the sine qua non.

GIBSON [thoughtfully]:  I see. [Paces up and down and halts again.]
So you say everybody is happy?

MIFFLIN:  Radiant!

GIBSON:  Everybody?

MIFFLIN [beaming]:  Come and see!

GIBSON:  Ah—­Miss Gorodna seems to like it all, does she?

MIFFLIN:  Does she!

GIBSON [a little falsely]:  None of them are happier than she is, I suppose?

MIFFLIN:  Miss Gorodna is the radiant, joyous sunshine of the whole place!