THE UNITED STATES.

Wairarapa Age, 15 October 1920, Page 4

THE UNITED STATES.

An unofficial estimate in August of the population of the United States put it at a hundred and live millions. The official report shows that it is rather more than half a million above the estimate. On this basis the number of "millionaires" in the .States, which was unofficially calculated to be approximately 50,000, may, in fact, be greater. A millionaire in America does not mean quite the same thing as in the Old Country, where to earn the title a man must be worth a .million sterling. In tlie States they count 'by the dollar, so that a millionaire need be worth only £200,000 sterling—if the rate of exchaifge is normal. The "millionaire group" even includes people not worth a million dollars, for it admits highsalaried officials of great corporations who are receiving 50,000 dollars a year, which represents low interest on a million. Ninety people enjoy annual incomes of between 750,000 and 1,000,000 dollars (roughly £150,000 and £200,000), while no fewer than 162 have incomes of more than the latter amount. The effect of the war is seen in the statement that in 1917 there were • only some 1(5,000 reputed millionaires in the States, less than one-third the present number.