"VULGARITY OF WEALTH."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 298, 16 December 1902, Page 2

"VULGARITY OF WEALTH."

The latest victim of Miss Marie Corejli's indignation is the "mere millionaire," upon whose . head she pours out the vials of her scorn in the pages of the first number of the new monthly, "King and Country," in an article entitled "The Vulgarity of Wealth." Many of her wise and witty sayings are intended to apply to the genus millionaire. But two of these are honoured by particular mention —Mr Pierpont Morgan (Miss Oorelli dispenses with the. Mr), and Mr Carnegie. Of the former she says: — "We. see Pierpont Morgan, the moneyed octopus, stretching out greedy tentacles in every direction, striving- to grasp British shipping, British industries, and British interests everywhere in that devouring and deadly grip which, if permitted tc hold, 'would mean mischief and loss of prestige to our country, though, no dou'ot, it might create rejoicing in America." And she looks Mr Carnegie's gift horses determinedly in the mouth, thus: "They (the. masses) hear of Andrew Carnegie strewing free libraries over the surface, of the country as if these institutions were so many lolipops thrown out of a. schoolboy's satchel; they follow the account of his doings with a mingling- of Wonder and derision. . . With many of the more independently thinking class, millionaire Carnegie's money, pitched at the public, savours of 'patronage' which they resent, and ostentation which they curtly call 'swagger.' " Miss Coreli puts forward the hypothesis that free libraries are by no means essential, to perfect happiness, "while they may be considered extremely detrimental to the prosperity of authors." With characteristic ingenuity the novelist finds opportunity for the expression of her views on many subjects, such as the Education Bill and the future of the Transvaal. In regard to the latter she points out that "though the King is now 'Supreme Lord of the Transvaal,' there is no chance whatever for British subjects to make fortunes there, the trades being swamped by Germans and the- mines controlled by Jews."