The Spiked Heel

McQuade made a dubious gesture with his head. “I wish I could agree with you, Griff, but I’m afraid I can’t. Every worker in this factory should feel a deep responsibility toward the company. If they steal from the company, they steal from their own pockets. I don’t mind telling you that I agreed wholeheartedly with Joe’s insistence on putting the prices of our shoes in code. It’s not wise to have too well-informed a group of workers, Griff. These men are making — what? — a cent, two cents an operation? They look at the work ticket and they see that we’re selling the shoe for fourteen ninety-five, and that’s a hell of a long way from what they’re getting. They begin to get dissatisfied, and then they begin to ask questions and dispute authority. Like that business in the Cutting Room last week. All right, I know you think I behaved rather harshly and I can’t blame you for the way you feel. But I hope you don’t think I enjoyed what I did? Far from it, Griff. It was a necessary evil. Those men had to be taught to obey!” He noticed the frown on Griff’s forehead. “Well, perhaps obey is too strong a word. Forgive me for using it. They’ve got to understand, though, that we are running a business and not a charity fund, and we’ll do everything in our power to see that they get a fair shake… but not at the expense of ruining the business. The business comes first, Griff. Once they understand that, well, you’ll see the changes.”

Griff said nothing. He nodded noncommittally.

“And don’t think Titanic isn’t taking the worker into consideration. The workers are the strength of any company, Griff. Without the workers, Management can whistle a pretty tune and it’ll get them nowhere. Workers are power. Power. It’s a question of channeling that power so that it will do the most good for… for the company. Titanic started with a well-organized company putting out a damned cheap line of playshoes. They retailed for a dollar and a quarter, so you can imagine what they cost us. But the company was well organized and well handled. It made money, and it began expanding. A few small companies at first, a few companies that put out shoes going for five dollars, let’s say, or six dollars. And then a few men’s-shoe companies, and then a few more, growing all the time, getting stronger and stronger, so that people who used to laugh at the name ‘Titanic’ when it applied to a cracker-box flea-bitten little outfit don’t laugh any more. They don’t laugh because they know we’re strong, and they know we’re getting stronger all the time. Well, see for yourself. We’ve got a toehold in the fashion shoe industry now, and that’s just the beginning. But what I was starting to say is that we don’t believe in making our workers unhappy. You’ll begin to see some radical changes around here in a very short while, and all before we’ve really started to realize any profit from the merger.”

“What kind of changes?” Griff asked curiously.

“Changes in the factory, and also in the ninth-floor offices. The toilets in the factory are like pigsties, you know that, don’t you? And the lockers are relics of the Civil War. We’ll be getting cleaner, better facilities. And we’ll be putting in better windows, and better lighting, fluorescent lighting, and we’ll be putting in new safety factors and sanitation measures. You won’t recognize this place in six months, I can guarantee you that. And look at your own office! For God’s sake, is that an office for a talented Cost executive? The hell you say! You’ll be getting a good desk, and new filing cabinets, and rugs on the floor. What the hell, Griff, this is where you live, isn’t it? Look at all the time you spend here. If you’re going to be happy, you’ve got to have happy surroundings.”

“I suppose so,” Griff said, toying with the idea of a new desk and rugs on the floor.

“But that’s why we can’t allow anything like theft to go on under our noses. We lost twelve dollars on that pair of shoes, we also lose twelve dollars that could have gone toward a new lighting fixture. I think that’s a reasonable enough attitude, don’t you?”

“If you want to hire policemen,” Griff said. “Stealing, Mac, is something that goes on no matter what you—”

“No, that’s not true. Stealing does not have to be. And it won’t be. Stealing is only profitable when it goes ignored. We’re damn well not going to ignore it, and people who are suddenly without jobs are going to realize it’s not worth the risk. You can’t spread butter on a pair of shoes, Griff, even if you got them for nothing. I’m sure Titanic doesn’t want to see any Miscellaneous Loss charges on its budget. Hell, I’m just a nobody who’s trying to get acquainted with a new phase of our operation, but I’m sure I can safely speak for Titanic on that one score. Theft is definitely out as far as the Titanic big shots are concerned.”

He heard Manelli replace the phone in its cradle, and he turned instantly.

“There are thirteen people in Packing,” Manelli said. “Eight of them are women.”

“Yes?”