Harve Traine, publisher of the ""The Pacific Grove Press,"" warns the community in a series of editorials about the ecological havoc industrial pollution is causing the local bay and surrounding ocean. Parochial financial concerns who advertise with Harve's newspaper, however, cause Harve serious emotional hardship and a potential financial disaster. Harve's daughter, Petey Traine, a writer for the paper, and Jim Bronson, both believe in the cause of the paper's editorials. Yet, does Harve stick to his editorial guns and face monetary ruin or does he acquiesce to the wishes of his advertisers and in the process loose the respect of his daughter?