MR CARNEGIE'S CONUNDRUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 60

MR CARNEGIE'S CONUNDRUM.

Last summer Mr Stead visited Mr Andrew Carnegie at his new castle in the Highlands ; and during the stay of the editor of the Review of Reviews at Skibo, the Scoto-American multi-millionaire confided to his guest that he should find the disposing of his fortune of £40,000,000 a much heavier task than the making of it Avas. After reflecting on this remarkable confession, Mr Stead, probably in order to repay the princely hospitality he enjoyed doAvn in Sutheriandshire, decided to furnish Mr Carnegie with a few suggestions as to the best Avay in which to spend his 40 millions sterling. These suggestions are set forth in the Christmas number of the RevieAV of RevieAvs, and are entitled, "Mr Carnegie's Conundrum." A large part of the brochure is taken up Avith a dissertation on millionaires in general. After a survey of what the enormously rich men of the piesent generation have done for the benefit of their felloAA' creatures, the writer is forced to the conclusion that Christianity has no greater work before it than " a mission to millionaires." If it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, the case of the Astors, the Rockefeller's, the Vanderbilts, the Jay Goulds, and the Carnegies is one that calls for fully more sympathy than that of the heathen. Mr Stead does not belieA'e Avith Carl Marx that all property is theft ; nor does he accept the opinion that no man can make a large fortune honestly. He appreciates the importance of Avealth Avhen rightly expended and recognises that without a supply of cash the best man can do little or nothing. H's friend, Mr Rhodes, once observed to him in a moment of inspiration, " You are all for idea*, and your ideas are very good ; but I tell you you can do nothing Avith ideas unlos you have money at the back of them." If this theory is true, it is somewhat difficult to explain the spread of Christianity, the founder of Avhich Avas a carpenter's son, and the Apostles of which were mostly poor fishermen.

Whilst millionaires as :i claps are not a particularly noble set of men, Mr Carnegie, Aye are assured, is in advance of his class as xeg-irds both doctrine and practice. He has propounded a gospel of Ave<jlth, according to Avhich the man avlio dies rich dies disgraced. The great Pittsburg ironmaster holds that a wealthy mm is bound during his lifetime to dispose of his fortune for the benefit of his felloAvmen. Acting upon this principle, Mr Carnegie has built and er,doAVfid libraries, uniA T er*ities, museums. arL galleries, and concert halls in the Republic in which he accumulated his Avealth ; whilst in this country also he has giver, several large benefactions — mostly in aid of public libraries. But, even deducting all these gifts, he can yet boast of the largest fortune ever possessed by a single person, the interest of his investments alone coming to two millions steiling a year. He has still to get rid of such an amount of " surplus wealth," that the human imagination is scarcely capable of realising Avhat the figunv indicating it mean. As regards the best means of disposing of ".ho £40,000,000, Mr Stead does no- conceal the opinion that he Avould like to ■-..: Mr Carnegie exhibiting the '* faith and enthusiasm " of his friends Mr Rhodss and Air Beit, avlio, Aye are gravely asked to believe, " haA r e spent millions like water in furtherance of the Imperial ideal," and Avhose schemes of Empire expansion coincide, in some unaccountable manner, AA - ith plans for their oavii enrichment by gold or diamond mines. But Mr Carnegie detests Imperialism, as he showed Avher. he offered the American Government live millions in order to redeem the Philippines, Avhich, he considers, the United States had no business to annex without consulting the wishes of the inhabitants of the islands. Expenditure on such an object as " the lealihation of Jic Linj.ei ii*l ideal" being Li'rred, Avhy ,aoi:kl Mr Carnegie not devote his enomioii; v. oaith to purposes connected with religion, philanthropy, and charity? From Avluil Mr Stead says, it seems that " the ' laird ' of Skibo is an Agnostic, and the only religion he would approve of endowing would be that of Avhich Mr Herbert Spencer is the chief apostle. As for so-called Avorks of charity, Mr Carnegie believes that in wore

than nine cases out of ten the money ."-pent on them is 'absolutely wasted.' Therefore, he has made up his mind to give nocliing to any of tho.se beneficent objects which naturally suggest themselves as deserving of support. Such a decision is only explicable if we allow that a man who is master of 40 millions of money has a right to be singular in more ways than one. But Mr Stead does not despair of Mr Carnegie's millions Lsing diverted to some gieat end. He draws up an elaborate scheme for the conversion of the Pittsburg ironmaster into "an international Influence.'" He suggests that Mr Carnegie should set, up first in Britain and the United States, and then in every civilised country, machinery which will rail}- the forces making for peace, and comb.it those making for Avar. " A Look-Out Man," who is a hybrid between an ambassador and a journalist, is to have his head-quarters in every capital. He will "keep his eye open," and "read the signs of the times" from his "Watch Tower."' If he perceives war clouds in tho sky, he will despatch a messenger to the " Bureau of Peacemakers." who will immediately settle all differences. As the " Mecaenas of Internationalism," Mr Carnegie will periodically entertain the Parliaments of the world in the enlarged Castle of Skibo. By dining together, the legislators of the earth will the more readily discover points of agreement. At least, such was the experience, Mr Stead informs us, at The Hague Conference. In addition, Mr Carnegie is to form a Secret Service Fund, which Avill be useful in order to discover the real motives prompting the Jingoes. Besides all this he may establish a Great World Library, endow a university where diseases of the body politic will be studied scientifically, set up an institution at which everything that has ever boen printed will be indexed, publish a halfpenny as well as a twopenny morning newspaper, which will be at once the greatest educative and Christianising agencies the world has ever seen. Finally, Mr Carnegie will bring out " a veritable Bible for the human race," which will completely eclip&e the Holy Scriptures and ■which will do for the history and literature of the world what* an Old Testament has done for the history and literature of the chosen people. Mr Stead explains that the Old Testament is simply " Hebrew pemmican — a kind of 'Review of Reviews."' This is a view "which appears to have escaped the notice of the higher critics, but it ;s; s one which will enable everybody to see how simple the preparation of Mr Andrew Carnegie's " veritable Bible "' will be. After having done all that Mr Stead suggests — devised machinery which will render Avar impossible, founded numerous cosmopolitan institutions, and issued a brand neAV Bible of his own, the Pittsburg millionaire might Avith advantage apply his " surplus wealth " to the reduction o'l the national debt or to the payment of the cost of "Mr Chamberlain's Avar.'' By so doing, he would earn the undying gratitude of mankind in general and of the British taxpayer in particular. — Home paper.