"We built this factory several years ago, to employ the widowed women. We import scrap and cloth from Europe, reprocess it, and make inexpensive clothes. We have been doing quite well. Then, a rich man near here built another factory and employed men to do the same work. He has been trying to take our market, but has been unsuccessful. There have been threats against the women, complaints that they are taking the mens' livelihood. Today they attacked our factory, began wrecking our machinery. The women fought back and you just arrived."
"I see!" Samuel muttered. "Thank you, sir! how much damage has been done to your factory?"
"Some of the smaller machines have been seriously damaged," the father explained, "all the heavy equipment is still in good order."
"Show me what ones are damaged," Samuel ordered. "Bring up those trucks," he told his men, "bring those men!"
In a couple of hours they had removed the damaged equipment from the women's factory. They then loaded the men onto the still empty trucks, and returned to their factory.
"Unload that equipment," Samuel ordered. "Go into the factory, bring out the matching equipment, and load it. Hurry up!"
The owner of the factory came running out. "What are you doing?" he cried, "What are you doing? You can't take my equipment!"
"Your men attacked the women's factory," Samuel snapped, "probably at your direction. You will replace the equipment they destroyed. We're making an even swap...their equipment for yours. If you agree there'll be no criminal charges. If you do, you'll spend the next twenty or thirty years in a labor camp, I guarantee you!"
"The men were only protecting their livelihood," the owner argued. "The women should have stopped working. These men have their wives and children to provide for. These women can do other work. Their daughters can do other work. It is more important that the men are able to support their families."
"Yes," Samuel answered, "I can imagine the other work you want the women and their daughters to do. I will allow free competition if you can produce a better product than the women are producing. You have a right to manufacture your goods and sell them, but I will not allow unwarranted harassment, I will not allow you to set up business and grab up a market they have developed by use of threat and force. Now, I'm sick of talking to you! Write up an agreement of transfer trading your equipment for theirs, or be placed under arrest. The choice is yours!"
"I have friends in the capitol!" the man screamed.
"So do I!" Samuel answered.
The man began to tremble all over. Finally he dropped his hands to his side and nodded his head. "All right!" he said, "All right! You win! You are taking the food out of children's mouths, depriving men of their work, but you win!"
They went into the office. The man made out the papers. They got witnesses and signed them. "One other thing," Samuel put in, "the priest was struck by one of your men. You will pay a five hundred credit fine personally to him, and an equal fine to every woman who was injured by your men."
"That's a fortune!" the man screamed. "I could buy some women for five hundred credits."
"If you prefer a labor camp," Samuel answered, "and the seizure of all your property, that's up to you. But I want to discourage anyone else from attempting the type of thing that you've attempted. I want to make a good example of you."
"This isn't right!" the man screamed, "this is blackmail! You're using your power unjustly."
Samuel got right in his face. "You're perfectly at liberty to make a complaint!" he growled. "I have the right to make summary judgments on my own. You have the right to appeal them if you think they're unjust, and take your chances with a judge and jury. The choice is yours!"
Again the man trembled. "All right!" he finally answered, "All right! I'll pay the fines! It's not right. I was doing what was right, but I'll pay the fine!"
Samuel took the equipment back to the women's factory and supervised its setting up, then called everybody together outside.
"I want something clearly understood," he announced from the back of a truck with a bull horn, "from now on these women are under my protection. I take the duties of their husband, I protect their children as their father. Any more trouble any man tries to abuse them in any way, and he will answer to me. And I am of the Spir. We are very protective of our women. We do not allow them to be misused. We are very harsh to any man that touches them against their will. Let the word go out to any widow in the district. If she is being treated unfairly get word to me, and I will rectify the situation swiftly. If those around her do not have the common sense to rectify it before I get there and avoid my wrath.
There will be no more of this. As long as I am in command of your district make it clearly known to all, now, I want the men who attacked this place to come forward and apologize to the women, and from now on I want there to be peace between you. Come on! That's an order!"
The men came forward hesitantly. The women came out to meet them. At first they merely stared at each other then finally one man came forward, took a woman's hand and said "I really am sorry," soon they were milling among each other talking and shaking hands. Samuel got down from the truck and went over to the priest. "Well, I think

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