THE CAMEL AND THE NEEDLE'S EYE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12593, 6 September 1905, Page 6

THE CAMEL AND THE NEEDLE'S EYE.

Some curious views on riches andtßfe rich men recently expresed by Rev. Di\ Francis L. Patton, president of Princeton Theological Seminary, attructed more than usual attention b»cavso they were regarded as a contribution to the discussion of "tainted" n.oi?.ey." But Dr. Patton says he has no patience with talk about "tainted" riches. "I think," he says, "that one can do just as good with tainted money as with any other kind, and perhaps the doing good with it is the be^ way to remove the taint." But while ho is not a socialist, and believes great fortunes are necessary in these days, Dr. Patton is by no means satisfied with the attitude of the churches toward very rich men, ho thinks, are selfish and too ready to believe thaij.they have di&charged their full duty to their fellows, whereas they have done little or nothing commendable. For example:— "The man that I particularly object to is the cold-blooded, right living rascal who grinds the face of the poor under tho cloak of the law and by the sanction of customaccumulates a great fortune, and in doing it goes just as. near to the prison gates as he dares.

But when the rich man comes to die; then what? During his life we know what his neighbours say about him and he knows what they say about him. But when he dies the minister will discourse on his domestic virtues. Tho minister will tell how, in an unusually busy and arduous life, the deceased found time to be good ana kind to his family; that he kissed his children every night; that he contribut-e-1 liberally to the church and to worthy charitable organisations. But the minister wilt probably neglect to say how tho deceased millionaire ground down his employes, how he paid starvation wages and got everything he could at -^ the market price or as much under it as^ possible." ' -*vJu.t: Dr. Patton does not say in what way the minister can improve upon these "o&mfortirig" funeral orations. The common practice, it is said, is to avoid personalities when the late lamented is not a wholly satisfactory subject for post mortem eloquence. A practical reporter asked Dr. Patton just what complaint he had to make about the present millionaire methods ci: benevolence. The answer was an old one:

"1 would like to see them spend some cf their money while they are making it. I would like to see the poorly paid clerk and moderate salaried employee receive a little more practical attention from their employers. That appears never to enter the calculations of the rich merchant or manufacturer. For instance, and this is a caso that occurs thousands of times over e\ery year, there is a poorly paid clerk say, in some commercial establishment, the head of which is a millionaire. This poorly paid clerk, who gets 15d015., 20d015., or 25d015. a week, as the case may be, has (possibly and probably a wife, with three' children, and quite likely the wife'has consumption. That clerk's struggle in life is absolutely heroic. Does he get any help in luV .hard path of self-denial and privation' ''from the rich employer?" Not^a .bit 6f^ it Tho rich employe* may know, and probably does, all about the clerk's daily problem of existence. And what does he do ? Why, he gives* him lOdols. a; Christmas, and with that little gift', tho rich emplojer's heart swells up with tho great pride of good doing and he pats himself on tjia back to think how generous and thoughtful he is. Possibly it never -occurs to him that his miserly lOdols. is nofc a drop" in the bucket of the clerk's needs. What would it do towards supporting the, three children for the year .or how" many doctor's bills would it pay in thtfl| struggle to save the wife's life? Tha^ ii> the kind of benevolence—that does | not suit me." He pointed, out, too that w^hile many men gave vast sums to good* causes or praiseworthy institutions, and are highly lauded for it, they really make no great sacrifice in giving, since the gifts do not impair their fortunes or cause them personal privation or discomfort. "It does not suit me," he said, "that a man should make a great fortune and than try to square himself by giving large bequests to charitable institutions. I would like to see him give some of it aw ay while he is making it to the poorly paid people whom he employs. That would be a much more real -and effective benevolence than endowing institutions or swelling the funds of organised charity." The critic admitted that the temptations of the rich were very great, and that to advise was easier* than to take advice. But the church, ho added, must go en striving to make men rise to a higher standard, and to practice honesty, benevolence, thoughtfulness and humility." •