The herald., 1897-03-07
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
/ Responsibilities OF WEALTH T;
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ard, for that matter. none more i'm
portant, than how rich men shall spend
their incomes. Curiously enough, those
least concerned In the solution of the
problem are the rich men themselves,
though that may be accounted for by
the fact that the rich men who would
be disposed to consider the question
from philanthropic point of view find
that the funds slip through their I'M
gers in some unaccountable way. and
the only concern of the others is not
how to sperd the money but how to
keep 1t. writer in one OF the English
magazines has recently undertakes to
offer some suggestions on the subject,
and his article shows that he has Ideas
that are worth considering. His no.
tioris of rich man are somewhat high,
but that 10 a matter of judgment. He
figures on q man whose income Is
$250, 900 a year. which is the interest at
s per cent per annum on S5,0O0,O00. or
these there are in the world about 5000,
and, according to his theory each of
them ought to maintain country house,
with twenty outdoor and thirty indoor
servants, at an annual cost of $4,000.
A town house would cost $4,000, steam
yacht $50, 900, allowance to children $2o,-
coo, poor relations $2500, general philaa-
thropy 0.000. and the balarce to go to
travel, racing. betting and religion.
This is a comprehensive program and
has some merit though the chances are
that the average rich man would pre-
fer to make the list of expenditures for
himself Some. and maybe a onsider-
able number, especially of the American
brand, wouldn't probably care to ex-
pend nearly goo year in travel,
racing, betting ard religion and very
large proportions OF them would regard
$50, coo spent in maintaining yacht as
Il.xf tx mn
IDEAS of the English writer are correct.
The man who has an income of $3.50, 600
a year, or ever, half CIR quarter OF that
sum, ought to spend it In some way that
will benefit those who have hardly any
income at ALL To that extent he is his
brothers keeper Hoarding money Is
very much like burying talents in the
ground.
1t may multiply but It does not in any
way Increase the available wealth of the
world or add to the force that is accom-
plishing good. Idle money is just like
idle men. 1t takes up room, causes trou-
BILE, incites crime and compasses harm
in various directions, but II contributes
nothing TO the sum of human happiness
and aids in no way in the alleviation OF
human miseries. The philosopher who
declared that money is the root of all
evil clearly meant money that is hoard
While no man, rich or poor, wants to
have rules made for him fort the expendi-
ture of his income or earnings, Ii may
be accepted as a truism that there is
moral obligation resting on every one
to spend as much ae he can AFFORD. This
is especially true of these who have con-
siderable incomes. and in times OF in
dustrial and commercial stagnation.
The more money that is spent in wages
the better for the community. The man
who disburses SIC, 900 in rewarding labor
accomplishes more than If he had given
an equal sum either to organized or
promiscuous charity. He prevents the
poverty which charity would relieve.
He provides not the ounce of prevention,
which Is equal to a pound of cure, but
gives pound for pound. The great mis-
take which well-to-do men of frugal in
stincts make is that when times are dull
they begin to retrench in their expendi-
lures If, as a body, they would extend
their liberality as far as possible without
impairing their own credit, hard times
would not last long. A manifestation
of confidence by free use of money
where it is possible is powerful factor
in.Fthe encouragement of prosperity.
1t is not necessary that the rich man
should own yacht or spend money on
horse racing or betting. Money thus in
vested produces the lowest percentage
of philanthropic results. But he should
employ as many men and women as oos-
sible and pay them as high wages as his
income will allow. He should live as
well as his means will permit. Taking 1t
all in all, the obligation to keep money in
circulation is quite as strong as that to
preserve the peace through the medium
of good behavior.-Kansas City Star.