Атлант расправил плечи
The Non-commercial
Itwasmailpickedasurgent,ithadtobereadtonight,buthehadhadnotimetoreaditintheoffice.Hissecretaryhadstuffeditintohispocketonhiswayout.Hehadthrownittherewhileundressing.
Anewspaperclippingfluttereddowntothefloor.Itwasaneditorialwhichhissecretaryhadmarkedwithanangryslashinredpencil.Itwasentitled"EqualizationofOpportunity."Hehadtoreadit:therehadbeentoomuchtalkaboutthisissueinthelastthreemonths,ominouslytoomuch.
Hereadit,withthesoundofvoicesandforcedlaughtercomingfromdownstairs,remindinghimthattheguestswerearriving,thatthepartyhadstartedandthathewouldfacethebitter,reproachfulglancesofhisfamilywhenhecamedown.
Theeditorialsaidthatatatimeofdwindlingproduction,shrinkingmarketsandvanishingopportunitiestomakealiving,itwasunfairtoletonemanhoardseveralbusinessenterprises,whileothershadnone;itwasdestructivetoletafewcorneralltheresources,leavingothersnochance;competitionwasessentialtosociety,anditwassociety’sdutytoseethatnocompetitoreverrosebeyondtherangeofanybodywhowantedtocompetewithhim.Theeditorialpredictedthepassageofabillwhichhadbeenproposed,abillforbiddinganypersonorcorporationtoownmorethanonebusinessconcern.
WesleyMouch,hisWashingtonman,hadtoldReardennottoworry;thefightwouldbestiff,hehadsaid,butthebillwouldbedefeated.Reardenunderstoodnothingaboutthatkindoffight.HeleftittoMouchandhisstaff.
