hat he is better off than many.

BISHOP. Keeping him alive is not the point. It is not enough. His
spirit is crushed, his education unused, his manhood wasted. He is
ambitious, wants to work, to establish a home of his own. He is
strong, and he is capable.

PRESCOTT. Yes, yes, I understand. I deplore the waste. It is
shameful. But in any event, these conditions won't last much
longer.

BISHOP. They have lasted a long time.

PRESCOTT. Yes, longer than they should.--I wish I could help you,
James, but I cannot.

BISHOP. I want you to give Kenneth a job, Stanley.

PRESCOTT. If I could, I assure you.

BISHOP. Any job. Anything that will make him feel useful and keep
him occupied.--Surely in an organization like yours ...

PRESCOTT. At the moment we are doing no building whatever. One or
two small projects; and a mere skeleton staff to keep my
organization.

BISHOP. I saw in the papers ...

PRESCOTT. That I am interested in the mass production of fabricated
houses. Yes!--And men associated with me are ready to launch
large-scale production as soon as we are assured of freedom from
competition with cheap government money and cheap government labor.

BISHOP. Then, surely ...

PRESCOTT. I have just returned empty-handed from a bunch of
half-baked theorists who are heading us into socialism and calling
it democracy!

BISHOP. With a view to your project going through, could you not
take Kenneth on?

PRESCOTT. Impossible. My small staff has already done all the
preparation that needs to be done. My hands are tied till these
socialists in Washington are out.

BISHOP. But has not business been given a breathing spell?

PRESCOTT. I don't sell hot dogs. I build houses. People don't
consume houses during a breathing spell.--I tell you I could put a
capital of twenty millions at work tomorrow if we were guaranteed
that in ten years, or even twenty years, we could get our money
back.

BISHOP. But what do you fear? You just said you did not fear a
revolution.

PRESCOTT. I don't. I fear the continuance of what we already have.
Stagnation and semi-socialism.

BISHOP. When could you give my boy a job?

PRESCOTT. When a sound administration goes into power at
Washington.

BISHOP. I don't dare to make him wait.

PRESCOTT. Then you must continue to take care of him.

BISHOP. It is not the cost of his living. He needs work. I can't
provide that. You could, if you would.

PRESCOTT. Believe me, I would if I coul