The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1898-01-14
CLASSES AND MASSES.

TO disprtve the truth OF the allcga-
ton that the itch are getting richer
and the poor poorer, and that the
middle classes are thus being crushed
out, is the task undertaken by W. II.
Mallock, the well known writer On
economic and philosophic topics The
subtitle of his new book, Qhe title of
which is given at the head of this ar
ticlc) is wealth. Hopes and Welfare
10 tho United Kingdom and he uses
estimates Of the wealth Of the rich,
poorlaw statistics, census and income
tax rcturns to sustain his contention,
in which, while treating of conditions
IN England alone, he deals with the
general problem of the distribution Of
wealth common to all countries.
Mr.. Mallock says that it is wrong to
consider the unfOrtunateS as a result
of the present industrial system:
"rhc unfortunate class Of to-day is
not in any sense Il sign or product of
anything special in our modern in
dustrial system. A similar class cX-
listed before that system was born; and
that system, rs | have said, has rela-
lively reduced and not increased its
numbers. The right way, indeed, in
which to regard it Is, not as the pro-
duct of that system, but rather as
something which has resisted it-not
as part of it, but as something that
has failed to be absorbed by it: and
the real problem for philanthrop!sts
and refOrmcrs is not how to interfere
with existing economic tendencies,
but how, as far as possible, to bring
the rcsidiuum under their influence.
In considering, therefore, what these
economic tendencies are, we must put
the unfortunate class altogether on
one side; that Is to say, out OF the
$1,000. 900 inhabitants of this country
we must put aside the exceptional case
Of 5000, 900 and contine our attention
to the representative case OF 81. 900, 600.
"lf we do this we shall find that the
saying which l began with quoting,
namely, that the rich are getting rich.
er, and the poor are getting poorer,
aud the middle class arc being crushed
out, is not only not true statement
of facts, but Is in every word an alb
solute exact inversion OF them. We
shall find that the poor are getting
richer; the rich, on an average, getting
poorer; and that OF all classes in tho
community the middle class Is grow.
ing the fastest"
Mr.. Mallock gets his relative reduc
tion of the poor from returns under
the income tax law. The increase OF
the classes that pay income TAX ha'
| been more rapid than the increase q
population. The population increased
, from 27,O0O,OO0 to 35,00O,OOO, the in
a come tax payers from l,5OOO,OOO tt
4, 100000, showing that the growth o
wealth of the rich and the middl
/. classes does not mean the growth 0
fortunes already established, but tn
ri constant creation Of new fortunes
el small or large, by individuals risin
from the ranks Of the working classes
in Mr.. Mallock makes the rich includ
'e persons whose incomes are abov
s., 900 a year; the middle classes, pc
1t sons with incomes between $3.50 an
be 5000; the working classes, person
with incomes less that $3.50. He fint
'" that in thirty years the number
y, the middle class families has been u
"' creased from 100000 to $4,000, OF Il
rich from $4,000 to 8O.OOO-an incrca
"e OF 09O,O00 middle class families
$4,000 rich families. "The midd
classes are increasing with far great
rapidity that the ricll-in fact, tho
~ increase ~ the most distinctive N
:. extraordinary feature Of the tiu
ol. while II we compare their increa
with that Of the working classes,