THE GOSPEL OF WEALTH

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 January 1909, Page 8

THE GOSPEL OF WEALTH

r : ■•■ ■.:.- ' /— — >—■ —■ ■ ■'• ■•"■■•' "••■ I . •..-. -~-.. . ..:...;..::..,■■ ~/'.' .. .-:V: -,rj: - ACCORDING TO MR. CARNECIE. *•: ■ Mr. Andrew-'Carnegie has just.published a .'. \ I book called'•."Problems of To-day—Wealth, ;;:■■ . Labour,, and Socialism , ." According to. one : -. reference book, Mr. Carnegie "made.a forr ; 'tune in Pittsburg,-and returned to his native '. land'wih a fortune of £40,000,000, and an ■/-■■. ,..■.'... - income of £2,000,000." This information is ,:.: >■' essential to the' reader ': of Mr..Carnegie's . : , ; ■': bpokJ^v'-.- ■:••■■ ■-:■ .:.■"•. •:.'.'" ' .:■'■."]■ -■■' ,•; V .■■ . .' : ---' ? \- : " y '^. Mr. Carnegie's Outspokenness.: ■■-■;'■ .'.;■' . v ■■ .- . It may at once.be> said/(remarks "Publio ■•" ; ■>'"' Opinion"),that Mr; Carnegie is:far in'Vad-' ';/ . vance.in sympathetic outlook of many of thr, '.':.' ,'■ money : classes in this or any other .wuntry. / .; ;;■; I" He sees, ■'■. and, ■ better.;still, .admits certairi,.. , ; - [1 things which others must see,: but do",riot': ';-. , 3 admit: Thus:— ;: ■■; \U .;./,.;./■ .- \ : ':'■'..■ : "The: unequal: distribution of .wealth'.--Jiei»-.v-.'-.--- ; 'v' I, at the root of the present. Socialistic-activity.. : .. . ; »>. This is no -surprise to'.the : writer.-: It was .:. ]• >ound-to force itself to the front,-:b€cense|-'': ; ./ ■ ;- :exhibiting extremes unknown before,, itvlias:/■■.;■'■■'.■. become'one of the crying evils of our/diyi /:.-*:::; 5, Extremes of y/ealth. ■ : ':' .- ">'.: ''. ":'/:;' "In: the, world's .progress,: scientific dis> V. f "; cbyorers and mechanical inventors appearei".-. '. ' ,and adapt-ed the:forces and materials of:na»'- ; -;': {. .ture.to;;the uses of .man, followed by Vth« '. : -y !- commercial and industrial age in which we : : 5-- live,in which .wealth has been produced as ij'. '■'■.':, - : t, by niagic,. and fallen largely to,the captaini, .' ; ; .of -.industry, ; greatly/to;their own. ; surprise.'.: ■' ■ a - -new genus, have.ap.j '.peared, laden--with fortunes .of such-magni- . / : '~: .tude'.as the.pastTknewi.nothing The ex- /■ /: lj :tremes,in the. distribution of 'wealth have. V ; , ;■ never teen so'grea't' as they/are to-day; al- . '~■-..-,' ;■■ though salaries andwages.haveneverbeen.sq; / ;■ -high. "This has-naturally attracted the at v ''.:.'■ tention of the :wage-earners; and:others:not. :■:■. . deluged.by the: golden.;.showers, . and y the'.:/./ '* ' ''Socialist's'-.- Budget '.appears xas one; of the ■, : /.V' / remedies proposed:.'.-'■■■• -'■':■■ :' ' ':; y --H--^''h:':i-^ : '^v^' x, - rTo Tax Millionaires. •/ ', : /; ■; ;/:, ' v- : , r -' / ;:.-')■ In^the/''V(jpspel .-"of: (1889) iti) >;-/ : writer .advocat*sd.'graduated: taxation, uponi, ',-..> : estate's at. death 'of: owners, saying s™ ■, ■•?'-, .::/;'•■ V;-- '-•■■ ■::,"■' The growing disposition: to. taimore _aiid ; : */'■ more heavily .large'estates.-left/at death, is.a/: ; -Z 1 .. ". oheefin'g -inaipation 'of - the 'growth of a salu- /',' -,; ■■ ~'•' tary/change in public-.opmion.. 1 ..; The. State;:bf :,' ;. 'Pennsylvania now takesr^subject'to some ex-.; :: ;..:. ■ ceptions—one-tenth of.'tbe. property : left ' ~ its-citizens;:/. The';Budget''presented in/the , V : '■■ British 'Parliament the other.day. 'proposes to.'■ -...y . .increase the death-duties';, and, most: V. '-. ficarit'of all, the'new-tax is to begradiaated/; '''•■'--■■[■'. I •■ ."aOf. all forms/of taxation this seems;the-.v:\' r wisest.: • Men" who'continue '■ Hoarding .great'. -..'..- \ sums 'all their.lives,:the;proper, use"of,which'- .'■■ '- jj ! for.public-ends.would .work.good tp'the coin- :■ . 3 t .munity.from-which.it chiefly came,. should:be ■'.-.':',: ih. Mnade :to -feel', that .the,-community,:in: the. ■"'■■--'. : .';, :fprm of ;the : State, cannot thus.be deprived ■■'-.■ :of : -its proper share.-By taxing estates;h_eavily-' .':: -■ .-■ at ; .death the, State mark's;;is, eondeinhatibii- of ■-.:: : ■ i the. selfish niilli6naire's""unworthy/life:.'" 1, :•■ : . _.' ■;.- ■ .-:Mr."Carnegie ,^^^evenl agrees with Mr.-Snow- .',:/ : :'/ iden's...(the:Soqialist M.P.) Budget,' which -proposes'.thnt'ione-h'alf,of:a:deceased;million-' • ''?.'■'. l( j' ;aire's.hoard',should go to : the/State'iWheri '.:'v m the estate'.exceeds:a':millipasterling;: ,Y .-/! ■/../■/.. ,w ';. "Mr. Snpwden's/ protest, V.against/indirect:. 'i?-:-;. : :. taxation,..of.;.c6mmoditiea.'is..also '. sound, ■'■ be- .- .. ;: ' to -ca-use. this favours:the-rich.'. One-individual..' -'-: r-- : dp'es not.consume.much.more of these ■ttan'-S"'.-''-/ to . lanother/'whileithe' ability of rich : td-pay-- v^. , ?2 .duties,:.is infinitely: greater than.that/of-ithe ■■.■,-; .masses."-;"; /' : ; -!.//'";/. :':■■'- -::'^,/;;>":::.;:;s^,v----■e" 'Why^andyValues'CrowV , ::'" ::;::■■ /.■^'■■fii;^^-.'^ st , ",^Mrl^'Carhegie^ /takes; ; the two". .- ,, - 1, ;brpthe'M ) ''-'who- , eacli;.took. ; ferm;3i; : p'ne';m::the',--.i''. i -.'.- S ;centre of.: Manhattan Island, : and! the other- • ; ie beyond the' Harlem.: ... ■/ ■ v.: : ';r/' : ' ; "^^^- ~'-r. '■■ / n . ;.;.''The•; growth , 'of; New , ;York^City,-north.; % : : r t .wards soon makes the.children of the,younger ; "-■■' —; 'millipnaires,* while, those of the elder remain ';. /'.'' ;s, simple; farmers ;in comfortable (circumstances,'. ■ ' / id "but; fortunate in this beyond itheir.cousins, i- -J ■«' still of ithe'iclass-'who ■haTe'-to/ i perfpim'!-'spme - -' V: «' : ! n service toitheir"fellows and thu^eafh^a-livelii '■>■''■ g- hood;:,v i: :/ -> ---i-.;■'■ i^ ■:■ ..■;-''/• -: .: ,"Now, who'of.what' , 'made':this. different .- -J ;: - fa .in wealth ? y Not .'labours'/not .'skill; , ' •? No'l'/norS* :'■ ' id superior ability. nor'enterprise,' tior"- ;j''-'-. : bs , ' iTlie : > i -coniniuni^y; t '-/'i , '' i 6,; created;theJihillioiiaire's.wealth; he ''■-■■''' ■ ot; slept'itgrew as fast as-when: he was'-awake; 1 "- : n-' It .would have arisen exactly'as : it'did : had,he" : ■'"'.- ] i - 1 -. T)een /on: the-Harlem' and his'brother'on the' -.'•' ~-' J farm , ;-'-'-'. : -';- "v ; ' ; -; M^;:-. , -"-',:;: '• / "The :ybuhger : farmer,.' nqw : a great: pr<* v ,. ''• he perty-holder,,rdies,' and': his "children -in.,' diae '?''■:'■' h;? timeipass away,' : each T leaving :mUUohs,':sinTO.i. ! . he the farm'lias become part of : a city, , pid. and immense. buildings -it produce :'an-;'"§i 'or: nual:' rents : of \' hundreds'of thotisands: of "•"^•'•-'■ el- 'dollars.- /./v-:,//i ; ../>- : '^' : './;-"/; : : -/:.■■ "/./''y. ; ;-; : -':.. 1° Why tlia State Should Step ; In. v ,: ; :';;;K' ;;:' D 6,: ;.."When^these ;; hive.; ■:';"''. 31.. .neither/toiled : nor spun, whai.canon'of ivis- . :i ■ pg. 'ti'ce.;wpuld/'^e'.{viplal^- I ,weTe','.tte'--,natioh-Jjio,-'r.:.,'.:.'. "<!> 'stepin'and. saythat, 'since .theiaggregatipn. , . :■■ W of: their/, fellow-inetf called.' the immunity'..'.: ; . ■■ *g. created the descendants' .'wealth, "it. : :is . en-,-. ■•...•■-.■ n g titled'to .a • large portion '.of it as: they.'passea' > ;..: ■ 15: >away?v:' >:' ; %.-. '.- .-■':' '^■■■'■^.: : l'. ■.'.'■;■■ ■?.- hV r '/"The community:, has /.refrained from- ex-. '.'<. -..- he' acting-any" part'during'their.'liyesv"" The heira .': )re allowed to'erijoy it'all,'.-beca v use , '.- "I*, 'although' in. :their.case/the/.-wealth'with -a sv .v=r".v : ? e purely/ coiniaun'al..groivtb, ,'yetiin' other 'cases/ 1!."' 5P wealth; often, comes, largely/from ~'!.. .-" effort;and abilityj/'and hence"it. is".better..for'.'" ij]- 'the community to'allow/'such -ability:to.re-. ."'.';': i a i; main in■ chargerof l fdrtuhe-making,'■;because/.: /V a most" likely ; t0 succeed, /and 'in so doing de-"..-:, >d- country's, resources.' ■'-..'••/;'. '' 'S: te-- 1 "It would be:'unwise to interfere,withj.the. ■'~■: 'Py-. '.working, bees; better allowthem, to' continue./ /.:;' m ? ■ gathering_ honey .during their lives./;./ When,: •:■ 'i ?Jj th'ey.. die, the nation /should:/have a 'large "'■■[-. £1 ,portion-of..the honey:remaining.in the hives_; ■';-, -,: , n t. it':is;.immaterial at what date/coUection: ia ::'Vng jinade; so"that, it j' comes; to the National' '..;, QO: iTreasury ,at.""]ast."'-.--"-;;-,i'':V.'',-,'"..\.':-, .V: '■-':;" OV:'.