Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 217, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1912 — Reprisal. [ARTICLE]

Reprisal.

“Look here!” stormed the man in the costly attire, as he rushed into the grocery store. “What do you mean by charging me bo much for everything?” “Charging you so much?” meekly asked the grocer. “I—l don’t quite understand you.” 5.' “Why, confound it, man! You’ve added 25 per cent, to the cost of every item on my bill.” “Oh, I didn’t do that, Mr. Lignite,” explained the grocer to the coal barpn, for it is indeed he. “I didn’t do that. You see, my delivery boys struck for higher wages last month.” “Huh! Your delivery hoys , don’t make the groceries.” “I know that, but I had to give them a 10 per cent, increase in'wages.” “Teh per cent, on their wages! And you have the nerve to add 25 per cent. t% my bill because of that?” “It isn’t nerve, Mr. Lignite. It’s simply modern business. I’m obliged to you, though, for the idea. I’d never have thought of it if I hadn’t ordered my next winter’s coal the very day the boys struck. Between you and me, I think strikes are pretty good things for us. You needn’t use all that bad language—you couldn’t begin to say what I said when I found out what coal would cost me. I even invented a few new ones —until the delivery boys struck.”