Chapter VI
The Board-Meeting
"Gentlemen"—it was G. H. Bondy addressing the meeting of the Board of Directors of the M.E.C. (the Metallo-EIectrical Company) held on February 20th—"I have to inform you that one building of our new group of factories at Vysočany has been completed and began production yesterday. In a very few days the standardized production of Karburators will be in full swing, beginning with eighteen finished machines per day. In April we expect to turn out sixty-five per day; by the end of July two hundred per day. We have laid down fifteen kilometres of private line, chiefly for our coal supply. Twelve boiler furnaces are now being erected. We have begun the building of new quarters for our workmen."
"Twelve boiler furnaces?" Dr. Hubka, the leader of the opposition, asked at a venture.
"Yes, twelve for the time being," confirmed Bondy.
"That's strange," Dr. Hubka declared.
"I ask you, gentlemen," said Bondy, "what is
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