s. The world that
mistrusts the church on principle, that only waits the chance itself to
profiteer and to get social preferment, is quick to anathematize the
man who in a big way seems to corelate church, profits and society.

The public are no longer concerned, neither did they understand at the
time, whether the Davies Co. made 5.05 cents a pound on bacon or 5.05
minus overhead charges, 4.1. Here was the first "sinner" caught;
sentimentally lynch him. It made no difference then what had been the
man's serious work in philanthropic organization and in public service;
or that for war production he had offered the Wm. Davies plant to the
Government to operate at so much percentage to the company; or that
Flavelle himself had no connection with the management and at the time
concerned knew very little about it. The public appetite did not want
extenuating facts. It wanted a victim. Certain other interests,
curbed by Sir Joseph in the matter of prices for munition contracts,
wanted revenge. Under the old system of contracts these men had made a
fairly good start at plundering the nation in its extremity. Between
the long-suffering public, who thought they had a reason for hating
Flavelle, and the profiteers who really had such a reason, Sir Joseph
had an experience that would have tested any man's Christianity.

However, he made no protest; did not resign his post or leave the
country, but worked on. The time came when he could have said, "Et tu,
Brute!" to men who with no record for helping the church or organizing
to help humanity had profited far more prodigally than the Wm. Davies
Co. But he kept silence. He believed in his conscience that the
company buying hogs at competitive prices, and selling in a protected
market was ethically A1 at Lloyds. He still believes so. His
enthusiasm for the company has not waned. He admires it even to a
point of emotion. The company was not his, but he had made it. From
the day that William Davies drove to Flavelle's house in an old open
buggy and asked him to sell out his provision business to manage the
company, till the day it produced about 100 million pounds of bacon
alone, in a year, he had been its energizing head. The Wm. Davies Co.
was but the main thing from which he made his money. Its stock was not
sold on the markets. There was never any need of capital except what
came from the business conducted by Flavelle. There was no wit and
philosophy in "The L