The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-07
SOURCES OF WEALTH.
Paul F. MOhr's Views on Useful
Production.
THE COAST NEEDS WORKERS
Travelling In Company With Elijah
Smith, He Talks Sensibly About
the Returning Prosperity.


Yesterday ne was at the Rainier-Grand.
after a trip along the Columbia * Puget
Sound road He declined TO talk about
the affairs Of the company further tnan
10 say that he did not intend making any
Immediate changes. Before making any
move he had resolved TO become thor
oughIy alive TO the condition OF aHalfs
Mr. Smith has been accompanied ny
Paul II. Mohr, who Is interested In the
proposed portage railway at The Danes
OF the Columbia, near Cello. That work,
he said, depended entirely on the COM
pletion Of the government locks al the
Cascades. His company. he thought,
would have the portage railway IN run
ming order within four months after the
opening OF the locks. IT was highly PROB
able that the locks would be completed
within two years, and possibly they would
be open by next January.
"I have come West" said Mr.. Mohr.
largely for the purpose OF sizing up the
economic situation OF the North Pacfnc
Coast. with a view OF enlisting Eastern
capital for investment. and OF ultimately
establishing my home out here. Ny con-
nection with Elijah Smith is OF a friendly
nature I came out with him 10 help him,
n could, IN the fight with the Starbuck
faction. Mr.. Smith is the kind OF man
for whom any lover OF genuine sterling
human nature would take his coat of 90
help In any venture ne would undertake
II is to this fact that his success was
due I'm the recent election. Many of his
old friends az well as others who knew
him but recently. fairly fell over each
other TO hand him their proxies when
they learned he wanted the control OF
the Oregon Improvement Company.
Mr. Mohr says he is more than inn
pressed with the glorious climate and
great resources Of the Pacific Coast, and
believes that the prediction recently made
by a cultured and obseryant HinGoo
prince. while passing homeward through
New York. that in time the wealth and
prosperity of this coast would eclipse that
of any other section of the world of equal
area. is not overdrawn. Mr.. Mohr adds:
.sOf course this wealth must be ere
ated. II can only be created just SO fast
and no faster, and only by the exertion OF
useful labor. All wealth is but CONCEALED
labor. an accumulation OF that surplus
part OF the collective labor community
which IL not expended in it's OWN main
tonance and renewal. We. and / among
the rest, thought we had discovered a
short cut 10 fortune by capItalizlng the
labor OF the hundreds OF thousands not
yet here; by clothing ourselves in the
skin OF bear not yet killed: but we
have had a lesson. and / hope we will
all remember IL. The one thing of more
Importance than all others. II seems to
me- Il 10 guard against a repetition of
our bad mistakes. Yet find many of my
old friends willing TO resume the old eff
fort of blindfolding themselves as a prep
aration for chasing after the mighty dol
lar. The careworn faces OF many others
of my old friends should in itself be
warning. As a matter or fact however
this VIII not be necessary, since it will
take many years before the lesson is for
gotten by those living East and abroad
who hold the strings OF the somewhat
fabby purses out OF which the capital
for future development must come"
In common with the great mass OF peo-
pie East and West. Mr.. Mohr has con-
sidered the subject OF good times. He
thinks the cure for financial stringency
and the way to prosperity Is Cor every
one to become. II possible. a producer.
lie says;
1T is needless to say that the question
uppermost In everybody's mind and on
the end of every tongue is When are
good times comingg' Since my arrival
on this Coast have heard IL many times,
and confess categorical answer 10 be
a most difficult thing, especially when the
question Itself Is based In most cases up
on an entire misconception of the basis
of prosperity. To the extent that the es-
tablshment of confidence can help the
country and particularly this Coast. we
Will no doubt experience an Improvement
but confidence In itself. except as facili-
ia ting exchanges and tightening the pres
cure upon legitimate productive indus
tries. Is not a factor In the creation of
wealth The further influx OF capital
either into real estate or such industries
rs are not an immediate necessity. while
II may help in individual INSTANCES. will
not help the general economic condition
OF the people as n whole.
ION this Coast particularly we have
suffered more frora the consequences OF
n disproportionate development OF the
facilities and means for carrying on the
commerce of this region. as compared
with the creative capacity OF The legiti-
mate working population than from any
other cause. Take the railway transpor-
tHti0n facilities as an instance. The In
terstate commerce statistics show that
within this group the burden Of sup
porting q given mileage OF railroad falls
upon ore eighth the number OF people as
compared With the group comprising
Ohio. Indiana. Illinois. Michigan and Wis
oonsin, and upon one-twelfth as COM
pared With the group comprising the New
England and North Atlantic s:atcs: IN
other words each individual engaged tn
this state IN useful productive 'sbor was
expected 70 hear from eight % twelve
times the burden CT his brother workers
IN the groups named or course such a
burden IS beyond the capacity az this
or any other POPULATION The results are
shown IN the bankruptcy OF the rail
roads"
In the consdera ton Of Tits problem.
Cir. Nonr says 4 must ~ horne IN mind
that The capacity FOR labor does not vary
materially between individuals n differ
sut parts 81 the country. while the capar.
ity Ter capita fer crea ting surplus wealth
likewise varies only between narrow
limits lie continued;
zion facilities urban improvements a.
every description. facilities for trade
banking and commerce generally. have
been and still are out Of all proportion
70 the requirements az the actual and
sc;ive productive pcpuls tor. The invest.
snent o. wealth IN unproductive proper
lies increases the drag On prosperity
whether his 10 ~ manufacturing facill-
ties Tor ne Transportation % conwcfi-
lies beyond the ahsorptive power az the
tributary population. whether Z he iu
buildings o. otherwise TIE class -
which you ana and many other urban
citizens belong after all creates nothing
We work. Il IS true. huf 81 is r kind 81
labor which consists % taking from the
element engaged In true productive ianag
a part ~ that which he saves above and
heyont the cost 81 his maintenance. and
uRtn the class which Is engaged In the
creation 81 true use values such a.
farmers miners. stc., increases IS col
lcctiVe capacity Tor the production o.
wealth. 81 Is difficult 20 See how We are
galrx 20 have what Is called better times
TEE purely logically process 81 lrhsr
DEVELOPMENT 3 that - should follow ere
general development 90 the couutry. in.
stead 81 preceding e. as has bcen sNs
case fer several decades IN thIs country.
w have heen making wild estimates g
MIA: tnc productive capacity % this