I can't see your basis

"They pay your salary," Marrineal pointed out. "Not mine," said Banneker vigorously. "The paper pays my salary." "Without the support of the very advertisers that you are attacking, it couldn't continue to pay it. Yet you decline to admit any responsibility to them." "Absolutely. To them or for them." "I confess I can't see your basis," said the reasonable Marrineal. "Considering what you have received in income from the paper--" "I have worked for it." "Admitted. But that you should absorb practically all the profits--isn't that a little lopsided, Mr. Banneker?" "What is your proposition, Mr. Marrineal?" Marrineal put his long, delicate fingers together, tip to tip before his face, and appeared to be carefully reckoning them up. About the time when he might reasonably have been expected to have audited the total and found it to be the correct eight with two supplementary thumbs, he ejaculated: "Cooeperation." "Between the editorial page and the advertising department?" "Perhaps I should have said profit-sharing. I propose that in lieu of our present arrangement, based upon a percentage on a circulation which is actually becoming a liability instead of an asset, we should reckon your salary on a basis of the paper's net earnings." As Banneker, sitting with thoughtful eyes fixed upon him, made no comment, he added: "To show that I do not underestimate your value to the paper, I propose to pay you fifteen per cent of the net earnings for the next three years. By the way, it won't be necessary hereafter, for you to give any time to the news or Sunday features." "No. You've got out of me about all you could on that side," observed Banneker.