CARNEGIE AT HOME

Otago Witness, Issue 2927, 20 April 1910, Page 15

CARNEGIE AT HOME

TALKS ABOUT HIS MILLIONS. " A DISGRACE TO DIE RICH." ' (From Our Special Correspondent.) NEW YORK, February 20.. " All is well since all grows" better." Mr Carnegie pointed to these works done in large gold letters on the wall in his study. "That is what I have always been saying, and what I still say," he said. " The world is growing better, and so long as it continues so all will be well." There were other writings on the wall, some his own, some culled from his favourite authors. "To thine own self be true," "thine own reproach alone do fear" —these were among them. They are mottoes, he says, which have guided him in his life conduct, and he commends them to others. Mr Carnegie lives a simple life —from a •millionaire's standpoint, at anyrate. It is true that he lives in a big house, but there are men in Sydney and Melbourne living in finer residences than that of Andrew Carnegie, at the corner of Fifth avenue and •Ninety-first street, New York. It is true also that he keeps a large number of servants, and that three of them stand at the front door to admit the visitor in a properly becoming manner—one admits you through the door, and the other two assist in divesting you of your great coat and hat, —while a private secretary or two are ■kept on the premises for the purpose of replying to people who write for some of Mr Carnegie's money. He has a beautiful library, too, with ever so many beautifullyupholstered easy chairs and elegant writingtables in it; but, despite all this, there is an air of homeliness his house, and especially do you feel this when you step into his study. I found him in his study, resting on a couch after having taken a turn in Central Park. He was a distinct surprise, nothing like the man I had pictured. He was just a very ordinary-looking little old man, with a kindly face' and white hair and a short grey board. With him «vas seated his friend and counsellor, Mr Pritchard, president of the Carnegie Foundation, who visited Australia and New Zealand some years ago. Mr Carnegie himself takes a great interest in those countries, and in •his last book,' " Problems of To-day," are to be found several references to political conditions there. He has a cousin living in Dunedin.

" I am very interested in watching the working out of the White Australia idea," he said. "I see no reason why Australia sholld not remain white, and I think it would be a good thing for it to be so. Here in America, and especially in the east, we have had trouble over the same thing. The trouble had to come, and it is better that it should have come now than 20 years hence, when the problem would have assumed a much more difficult phase. But I can't understand what is the matter with Australia and New Zealand—why have •they not a larger population? They havo tha country and the resources, but where are the people?" The conversation turned tr the increased cost of living, and to the prediction of Professor Carver, of Harvard, that America will see a bigger panic in a year or two than the last one. The newspapers hold the Meat Trust and the Milk Trust and the other trusts responsible for the rise in prices, but Mr Carnegie puts the blame on the middlemen. He is not an ana-trust man, but, to give him his due, he advocates the proper regulation of trusts by the Federal Government- " The outstanding fact in conditions to-day," he said, " is that combines have come to stay, and we must recognise the fact. If I were asked to compare conditions to-day with w-hH they were a decade, or 20 years, ago, I would most certainly say that the most important change has been that making for combination in the management of industrial concerns. And I think it is a good thing, too It is one of the signs of progress. It is said that .they crush out the little man, crush out his competition, out that is a short-sighted notion. The little man has to be crushed out because the world has decided how it will do its business, and he must obey; but if he has to give way to-the trust or combine in the matter of competition, there is still work for him to do according to the magnitude of his business. When he is unable to cop pete against the combine it for him to work for the combine than to try «> make ends meet . in a foolish attempt to tight it. He must conform to. the demands of the age. The world wants things done on a big scale, and a big concern usually does things better than a small one The old gives place to the new, and each man must take his proper place in the new machine. Trusts will do away with middlemen to a ?ery large extent, though it doesn't matter much to the consumer whether the middleman or somebody eke gets the money ho has to pay. The law of supply and demand holds good eternally, and it is that which regulates prices. In Australia and New Zealand there > are various combinations, such as farmers' cooperative societies, aiming at the elimnaton of the middlemen; but whilst that is no doubt a good thing for the farmers, it doesn't help the consumer much —the farmer gets more, that is all. "LET'S DO OUR BEST." " The people are getting tired of existing conditions, and they want a change. I don't blame them. They are getting: tired of the rich—and I don't wonder. I am a rich man myself, but I would gladly welcome a workable scheme by which there would be a more even distribution of wealth. I admit that when I was in business I was as keen after the dollars as any man alive, but I have given up the acquisition of wealth now, and all I desire is to spend what I have as wisely as I can for the benefit of my fellow men. To die rich is a disgrace if a. man does not while he lives try to spend his riches for the good of his fellows. I have made _ a lot of monev, and now I am was a pleasure to make it, and it is a pleasure to spend it and leave the world perhaps a little better than I found it. What the next world holds for me I know not. I was not consulted about coming into this world, and I will not be consulted about going out of it; but I am ready to do my bast in the rw«rt world if colled upon, as I have endwi">-<"'''"d to do Day best here. While we are lmre let's do what we can to better things. I am trying to do my share—l have always done

my best according to what gifts I hau, and I am not afraid of any punishment in the next world. Wo are marching- on — progress is the watchword,—and nobody can deny that the world is getting better." It was then that this little man of kindly face and simple dress —he was wearing a soft shirt and a homely Scotch tweed suit —pointed to the writing on the wall —" All is well since all grows better." And his little eyes flashed bright as he added: "See there—and there —and there," as he pointed to the other mottoes in gold letters. " The most consoling of all facts, and that which reconciles us to the evils of our day, is the fact that conditions have so greatly improved and are so rapidly changing for the better and that man is bound to continue improving. Retrogression is impossible. There is room for all, 'there is opportunity for all, and the young man of brains and ambition to-day has a better chance than he ever had before. The hand of fellowship is ever ready to be extended to the truly deserving, and the exceptionally earnest, faithful, and competent young man has within himself magnetic power which attracts friends anxious to aid him. We call Fortune a fairy, a goddess, but no keener eye ever beamed than that of this so-called blind and fickle goddess. It is a question whether wealth in youth is more desirable than poverty, but to my mind a man who is born poor will do more for himself and for the world than one who is born rich. FEW MILLIONAIRES HAPPY.

" The saying in Yorkshire, ' three generations from clogs to clogs,' is rendered in America by ' three generations from shirtsleeves to shirt-sleeves '; and from my experience I know this is true. The heirs of the millionaires return to lives of strenuous toil, which is a much-needed reformatory school. I, cannot but believe that it is best for the nation that wealth should be allowed to pass freely from rich to poor, unimpeded by legislation—all left to the free-play of natural forces, the spendthrift getting rid of the burden he cannot use well, the poor man acquiring it by strenuous exertion, self-denial, and useful service. Our experience in America is that the sons of millionaires do not compare well as valuable members of society with their fathers, nor with those compelled to earn their living by honest labour; and as for the millionaires themselves, so far as my knowledge does, few are happy m old age." A man who never laughs cannot be truly happy-and zn, the words of Mr Carnegie millionaires who laugh are rare, verv rare indeed." •' Mr Carnegie pointed tc the photographs of 40 men in a frame hanging on the wall. bee tnose men !" he said. "Alf of them doliar-mallionairos. I have been accused of assisting to make millionaires— and there they are. I have assisted to make tnem but that was because they were worth assisting. Once a year I -meet them fv. at . dlnn,er . : th « friendship of other days, -the days of employer and employee, isi soil! the same as it was, although I 'have retired from business: All these men are active workers in the Carnegie Stesl Trust, and not one of them won his way up by any kind of influence other than that of personal worth. The day is coming when the test will_.be neither how a man was born nor how much wealth he possesses, nor even how much he knows, but how he has served his fellows—what has he done to make the world, or the little spot where he was born, a little better than he found it?. Surplus weaith is to be considered only as a sacred trust, which the possessor is bound to administer as trustee for the good of his fellows, a,nd he who hoards his wealth or bequeaths it in inordinate amounts to one or more of his family dies, unfaithful to his- trust, unwept, unhonoured, and unsung!" RETURNING THE MONEY TO THE PEOPLE. A good deal of Mr Carnegie's "money has gone towards assisting in the formation of libraries in Australia and New Zealand, and there is more of it available for such purposes in any part of the world, he says. Peace and Education—these are the two great things he loves; and it is because he believes that peace will ultimately grow out of universal education that he devotes so much of his wealth to the establishment of libraries, the founding and endowment of educational institutions, and to scientific research. Tiie Carnegie Institution alone will perpetuate his name. It was founded in 1902, when Mr Carnegie gave to a beard of trustees £2,000,000 in registered bonds, yielding 5 per cent, annual interest, for the purpose of founding an institution which shall in the broadest and most liberal manner encourage investigation, research, and discovery, show the application of knowledge tc the improvement of mankind, and provide such buildings, laboratories, books, and apparatus as may be needed. In 1907 Mr Carnegie added another £400,000 to his gift, and in the same year created a fund of £l,ooo,ooo—the Carnegie Hero Fund—for the benefit of the dependents of those losing their live., in heroic effort to save their fellow-men, or for the heroes themselves if injured. In one way and another Mr Carnegie has given away £30,000,000. There are millionaires and _ millionaires. Mr Carnegie is one who is giving his money back to the people it came—"as wisely as I know how." ( The people are entitled to it, he says. By taxing estates heavily at death the State marks its condemnation of the selfish millionaire's unworthy life. It is desirable that nations should go much further in this direction. Such taxes should be graduated, beginning at nothing upon moderate sums to dependents and increasing rapidly as the amounts swell, until of the millionaire's noard, as of Shylook's, at least the other half comes to the privy coffer of the State.' A policy of this kind would work powerfully to induce the rich man to attend to the administration of wealth during his life, which is the end that society should always have in view, as being by far the most fruitful for the people." HIS FIRST NEST-EGG.

Mr Carnegie's account of h<sw, as a working boy, be made the first 10,000-dollar nest-egg of his vast fortune is interesting. " When I was working for the Pennsylvania railroad a fellow named Woodruff came around with a couple of little sleeping car models wrapped up in a cloth. I could see we were going to need those cars in the railroad business some day, and I said so. The road did order a couple to give them a trial. Then Woodruff rnd I seemed like a bright young fellow, ai\d he offered to let me in with him on the thing by sell-

ing me, an eighth interest for a few hundred dollars. I went to one of my employers and asked him to lend me the amount, to be paid back at five dollars a week out of my salary of 40 dollars a month. He said ' All right, Andy—yes. You're a good boy; I guess I can let you have it.' And that's how I got my start. I made 10,000 dollars off that stock, and later got into the Pullman Company." Most people will be inclined to look upon that as a speculation, but Mr Carnegie says he is no speculator, and never has been —he denounces speculation, in fact, as " the parasite )i business feeding upon values, creating none." He has very distinct views on Wall street, views that are not at all favourable to Wall street. "If you want to find parasites," he says, "go to Wall street. The man who makes his money by speculating there is a parasite. He is an incubus-on the community. He has nothing to do with the creating of values." THE WORKMANOF THE FUTURE. " Whether State as against Individual control of wealth;" he went on, "would prove more productive may gravely be doubted. It could not make much difference to workers- whether the title to the wealth rested in individuals or in the State if the State decided, as individuals now do, to recompense labour according to value as determined by demand, the fairest standard. The bridge has yet to be found that spans the gulf between equal and unequal compensation for varied service. But leY us not forget that under present conditions the world has grown and is growing better, and we steadily approach nearer the ideal. Never was there so much of the spirit of brotherhood among men, never so much kindness. I lcok forward to the day when it shall bs the rule for the workman to be partner with capital. I am convinced that the huge combination, and even the moderate corporation, has no chance in competition with the partnership which embraces the principal officials and has adopted the system of payment by bonus or reward throughout its works. The next step towards improved labour conditions is through the stage of shareholding in the industrial wprld, the workman becoming joint owner in the profits of his labour." THE LAND QUESTION.

On the land question Mr Carnegie holds some decided views. He is a freeholder to the backbone. Ho contrasts conditions in {jrreat Britain with thcss prevailing i, n the United States and other countries" In the United States, in 1900. there were 5,739 657 farms, with 10,331,765 adults engaged in agricultural pursuits. The farms averaged 146 acres. The figures represent p,n aver" age increase of 85,000 farms per year for tbc past 50 years. Land is free for sale or purchase, and is lightly taxed where it is taxed at all. " Why has our land policy been successful?" said Mr Carnegie. "The answer )s because we have free land. The 'W who rent for the time have the desire and reasonable hope of soon owning their homes, the wisest purchase that can be made. Similar conditions, I understand, prevail in Canada, Australia, New Zealand. France has five and a-half million peasant proprietors, Germany has over six millions, the average holding being 30 acres. It is only in the United Kingdom that the land question is acute. The type of men -developed in America upon farms they own, taken all in all, is not to be equalled. They would never agree to come under any restriction of their right to do as they pleased with their own homes. Is it not the same with Canadians and Australasians? It would be futile to indulge the belief that the masses of Britain will much longer be content to see their fellows in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and America enjoying free land, without primogeniture or settlements, and sites taxed at true values, equality of voting power through equal electoral districts, one man one vote, payment_ of members, complete control over the liquor traffic and local option rapidly spreading. "Not as we take, but as we give." •

"The day is coming when kindred institutions shall prevail in all the nations of our race, that which proved advantageous in one being promptly adopted by all the others. We have many things to learn from Australia and New Zealand, and they might adopt some of our American methods with advantage. In this way will be laid the foundations of a lasting and beneficent imperialism of race, whose influence in the councils of the world, always pleading for peaosful arbitration of disputes will lead to the reign of peace brotherhood of man. Franklin was right when he proclaimed thac ' the worship of God is service to man.' Rich or poor, we can all be of some service,, but my experience is that the man of wealth is handicapped. Wealth robs life of the heroic element, the sublime consecration, the self-sacrifice of ease, needed for the steady development of our powers and the performance of the highest service. " Not what we have, but how we use,

Not what we see, but what we choose,

These are the mar or bless The sum of human happiness. " Not as we take, but as we give, Not as we pray, but as we live,

These are the things which make for peace, Both now and after time shall cease." "Our race draws closer and closer together—blood is becoming very much thicker than water, betokening co-operation in the rrear future, I believe for the world's good. As our race abolished private wars, so we may hope it may soon proclaim to the world that nat'onal wars shall cease ; as no man is permitted to-day to sit as judge in his own cause, so no nation shall be. Nations, like men, must live under international law."