The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-06
WEALTH AND WELFARE.
A Lesson in Political Economy for Cap
italists.
prof. Jerome Dowd in Christian Edu-
cator)


catOr.)
North Carolina is getting to be an i'm
portant manufacturing State. Our man.
are adding much to the wealth
of individuals and to the total wealth of
the State. We should all rejoice
over this fact for two reasons, first, be-
cause North Carolina is one of the poorest
States in the Union, having only about
$3.50 of wealth per head as against S.
800 in some of the other States: second
because manufacturing is the salvation
of the South. We cannot hope to adj
vance much in wealth and civilization
while depending upon agriculture as our
chief resource. We cannot compete in
raising staple products with the cheap
virgin soils and cheap labor of foreign
countries. The sooner we learn this fact
the better, but let us not all go into the
same line of manufacturing.
Now as the future of our State is to
pend upon it's manufacturing, let us make
sure that he money that we derive from
that source shall represent real worth
and not mere dollars and cents. Let it
stand for welfare as we'll as for economic
ii'hCo. ue uollOu )TebdllS auOUS u
great many people that any individual
who acquires wealth in any legitimate
industry, has added to the welfare of So
ciety, and is a blessing to the community.
This notion is false and is fast dSing out
among enlightened people. Every dol
lars worth of wealth is to be measured in
two ways, first, its power for good or
evil in the hands of the owner, second
the good or evil that has been done in
earning it. Every dollar has moral
character. Somebody has either been
blessed or damned in the production of
the wealth that it represents. Let us
hear Ruskm on this point. 1T is impos-
sible to conclude" says he, ''of any given
mass Of acquired wealth, merely by the
fact of its existence. whether IT signifies
good or evil to the nation in the midst of
which it exists Its real value depends
on the moral sign attached to it just as
strongly as that of a ma thematical guam
tity depends on the algebraical to it. Any
given accumulation Of commercial wealth
may be indicative, on the one hand of
faithful industries, progressive energies,
and productive ingenuities; or on the 9TH
er, IT may be indicative of mortal luxury,
HitIClltSS y TuiuIOuS
Some treasures are heavy with human
tears. as all ill-stored harvest with I'M
timely rain"
The question for every manufacturer
tand any body else for that matter) is
this, How many human beings have
been blessed in the production Of my
wealth?-blessed with good health,
comforta bles homes, and elevating en-
vironmentT or How many human be-
ings have sacrificed their health, shorten
ed their days, polluted their morals land
ruined their souls perhaps) in order to
make me a rich man." The question is
not how much wealth one has piled up,
but how much life it has given to or taken
from the world. If it has not elevated
humanity, it does not deserve the name
of wealth. The most prosperous manu-
featuring period in Great Britain was
characterized by greater hardships and
degradation among the wage class than
had ever existed before or that has ever
existed since. The object of all money get
ting should be to promote welfare Admit
ting this principle, why not proceed to
earn money and spend it TO that end:
Now these CONGRATULATIONS are not to
be taken as a rebuke to the manufacture
ers of our State who are as considerable
of human welfare as any other class and
perhaps more so. The writer holds be-
fore them an ethical standard, that he
recommends, to all capitalists, including
those who own and build houses to rent
to the poor.
If any manufacturer in North Carolina
would like to know how to carry out
fhese principles in detail, perhaps he can
get some suggestions from the following
facts as TO what is being done by capital
lists for their employees at the Crupp
Iron Works OF Essex, Germany.
BENEVOLENT WORK AT THE
CRUPP MILLS.
The enterprise was started in 1910
with ~ hands. 1t son swelled TO inn
mense proportions; population became
OvercrOwded, houses were inadequate,
and hy, producing an abundant har-
vest of disease and death. Numerous
petty retail shops infested the community
supplying bad food and shoddy clothing
at extravagant prices. In 1872 the firm
decided to institute reform. They rebuilt
the plant and the dwellings of their labor
ers, according to modern architecture.
In all there were 3,700 new buildings, to
accommodate 10000 employees who with
their families made up population of
10000 people.
The houses were rented at a low rate
so that the capital invested in the houses
yielded only , per cent. Forty-three of
these houses were free to widows. Free
public baths were provided, and hospi-
ia. built and maintained out of an insur-
anee fund against sickness.
Having secured comfortable homes for
the laborers the next effort was directed
to supplying them with better and cheap
err food, clothing and other necessaries.
The firm established large general
store and many retail shops at convenient
points in the city. There were fifteen re-
tail grocery stores, one shoe factory three
Spring storms first overturn
those trees which are not we'll