Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-06

the country. and by studying the country
| bank you get a good idea of banks every
where. Let us look at the foundation of
such a bank. First a few houses spring
up at a crossroads. A general store Is es-
tablished. and, perhaps, a blacksmith shop.
Then more people come, there are other
| stores, and at last you have quite a coLec-
ton of business, and people. But as yet
there is no bank Everyone IN the com
munity has to so twenty or thirty miles
if he would cash a check or borrow money.
| Everyone wants a bank, n at last one
of the community, probably a thrifty farm
| er, who has a few thousand dollars ahead,
opens a little bank. The people deposit
There is no objection to him or his bank,
| and he is locke upon as one OF the best
| Institutions of the village. That is the
| situation in the country towns to-day. 1t
is not the individual local bankers that the
people, are down upon; II Is the INDEFINITE
| home. Now the city banks are established
for the accommodation of the people. just
as are the country banks, and they DO bus-
mess in the same way
Interest Rates and Usury.
How about interest rates, Mr.. Secre-
tary? Do you think they will rise?"
How can 1 tell" replied the secretary of
the treasury. IF times are good and
many people want money the interest rates
ISav P wii pP6ba Sc q Yall. II M ono Sh is ike Man5 ANY II
thing else. 1t is affected by the supply and
demand"
you think it advisable that the interest
rates for money should be regulated by
No. I don't" replied the secretary.
Money is worth what it will bring, and its
value should be governed by the same
commodities. The money laws rather in
crease than diminish the interest rates.
Where they exist and money is, worth more
than the legal rate there VIII always be
some one who will invent a method of
avoiding such laws
Not Afraid of Big Fortunes.
Are you not alarmed at the growth of
individual fortunes in the United S~tates?"
NO. 1 am not at all alarmed at it," re-
piled the secretary Of me fbroetaIssrrry; the
wealth of the country were more equally
divided among the citizens, but 1 do not
as 9sn IS generally Believed. It is true that
many of the rich are becoming richer, but
not that the poor are becoming poorer;
sharing in the general prosperity of the
country. An estimate made by Mr.. Henry
Gannett, the g~eOgrapher of the census,
showed that only 5 per cent of the capital,
in 1890, was held by millionaires and that
at that time fully nine-tenths of all our
wealth was held by the people who own be-
tween $1,000 and H,0OO,OO0."
How Millions Are Honestly Made.
Still, a million dollars is an enormous
amount of money. Do you really think a
man can make a million dollars honestly,
"Of course he can" replied the secretary
of the treasury. MANY men have made
millions, and that without damaging their
fellows. Hundreds of fOrtunes-yes, thou
sands of fortunes-are honestly acquired.
As a rule, the growth of a great fortune
benefits the masses as well as the few who
directly own il. Let me give you a case.
We will suppose that the farmers are get
ting a certain price for their grain. 1t
costs them 50 much to raise and harvest
ii. Then a man comes along with a method
or machine by which each farmer can
save 20 per cent of the cost of production.
He asks a farmer 2 per cent for the means
of making this saving. The farmer pays
ii and is is per cent better off as to that
item than he was before. The man has
made 2 per cent out of his invention. This
is a small sum with the individual farmer,
but when you take all the farmers of the
country, the 2 per cent amounts to a great
fortune. That is the story of some of the
fortunes which have been made out of
labor-saving agricultural machinery. There
are hundreds of similar cases in other lines
that 1 might mention"
Success and How TO Attain Ii.
as it in the power of any man to make
a fortune by practicing certain principles.
mo, / do not think So" replied Mr..
Gage. "Thi matter of money making is
to a large extent one of natural ability.
Ii is also one of opportunities and circum-
stances"
What would you advise a young man to
do who wanted to succeed?'
What do you mean by SuccesS2" said
the secretary of the treasury. do you
mean the getting rich?"
mo, not exactly that" said 1. at mean
the making the most of cne's self"
81 would advise him." replied the secre-
tary of the treasury, ITO do with all his
might the thing that is before him, and to
always keep the door open in front of him
to take advantage of whatever offers. He
should use his leisure for education, and
should be preparing himself for such OPP
p~ortunities as may come. As to getting
rich. that is a relative matter. What seems
riches TO some is poverty TO others. As
for me- think the golden moan lie tho
best. 1 respect the man who is able to
make a moderate competency, who does
educates his children and dies leaving
enough for his widow, but not enough to
raise a monument. Such men get too lit
tie credit in this life. They are entitled to
a great deal
Have you ever had a great ambition to
No. replied the secretary of the treas
ury. Il am not rich, ana do not care to
become so. have always done what was
enough to live comfortably and have not
worried about the future"
Mr.. Gage, as it was when you were
~ think not" was the reply. values
increasing so rapidly. The country is fast
becoming settled, and the chances for
money making are not so great"
Will Uncle sam Have to Borrow.
Just one question about our finances"
SdlG l.. Du Nbu tAlttl 10 nave TO borrow
gold of the English bankers in order TO pay
the running expenses of the government? ?"
Il hope We shall not have to borrow"
was the reply; but If we do we shall Dor
row where we can get the money at the
lowest rate, whether that be from the
English. the Germans, the Dutch or the
Americans. This borrowing money is not
a sentimental matter. 1t is not one of
faVcritism. nor does il carry any other OBJ
legation than that of mere repayment with
it. What we want is the money. and tina
at the cheapest rate. 1 think. however,
that if congress will give US the proper
tariff. and give IL at once. we will have
plcrty of money to run the government"
How about the prosperity which the
United States was to have under this ad-
minfstration-where is ito"
Il don't think it is very far of" replied
the secretary of the treasury. The seecs
Of II have been sown. They have already
sprouted. and under the sun of settled
business relations and a proper tariff they
will multiply MANIFOLD. I look for a
rarid Improvement in the times Just as
socn as the tariff bill is passed"
FRANZ G. CARPENTER.
Another savings of a lifetime's hard work
stolen. A box i'm our vault and Mr.. Hill
Igard'S q 700 u-ouId have beau cafa Nou-