The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-25

bit Of IT, With an intuition worthy
OF Napoleon YOU perceived the road to
victory and you took IT. With one
stroke OF your pen you tilted the price
OF coal a commonplace man would
have raised the price just enough TO
have met the increased wage fund, but
YOU are not an ordinary man, Brother
Baer. 1t is this capacity to take advan-
tage Of an opportunity which distin-
guishes the American business man
above all others in the world, and you
have been gifted I'm a most remarkable
degree
In looking over your most interesting
autobiography In Who's Who In
America" / note this significant para
graph. For years confidential legal
adviser In Pennsylvania TO j, Pierpont
Morgan" That tells the story. While
other young men of your age frittered
away their time in studying medicine,
arts sciences and other non essentials,
you aimed straight at the mark, and
now look at you, The eminent posi-
ton you have attained and which you
go worthily fll should serve as les
son and O stimulus to the rising gem
Grafton.
or course, not every young man can
expect to become confidential legal ad-
wiser in Pennsylvania to J. Pterpont
than Pennsylvania. and other great
men than Mr.. Morgan. but L must say
that il would be difficult to select
more attractive combination
If YOU are still confidential legal ad-
wiser In Pennsylvania 10 j. Pierpont
Morgan ! VIII suggest that you advise
him to finish his business with the
Pope as soon a1s possible and come
home. | presume he sometimes advises
YOU and In such a crisis as coal
strike 7 can think OF no one whose adj
vice and moral support would be more
desirable.
Don't YOU think IT a good Idea to tilt
the price OF coal little right now?
Then If the men go on strike the public
will have adjusted itself to higher
prices for coal and If they do not go
on strike there is nothing lost.
l have been making a careful study
of the people in my section Of the coun-
try, and I must say that I do not agree
with the theory that they will kick if
YOU put up the price of coal another
notch or two. Most of us, including all
of our widows and orphans. are owners
of Reading stock. and we are willing TO
pay a little more for coal SO long as
Reading continues to boom.
The only way in which money is alb
solutely lost to a community Is by pay
ing II out in wages. This is a fact we'll
known to all modern political econo-
mists. If you were to be so foolish as
to double the wages Of every man, wo-
man and child I'm your employ-what
good would 1t do the country? Not a
bit They would purchase no automo-
bileS, they would not help support the
stock market, they would build no cost
ly residences, their daughters would
have no expensive weddings, they
would rent no boxes at the operas. they
would flock TO no watering places-in
fact they would not help support any
of the great institutions which keep
money In circulation. and on which our
continued prosperity as a nation de-
pends. This truth is so apparent that
II needs no lucid argument
The workman Is a sort Of a necessary
evil which will disappear as civilization
advances Even now one can live in
New York City for weeks without en-
counterng one-unlesS you call wait
er a workman, and ! do not class him
as such. We are beginning to call him
a steward" In New York but ] think
that trustee" Is more diBnihed and
appropriate title for him.
But as / was saying, the workman
should be made to realize that he is an
dndCHTOnlSln. II VIII not nelp MS social
status to give him more wages. Sta
tistics prove that he spends all that
he receives. and the constant fluctua-
tion In wages only increases the work
Of bookkeeping.
Excuse this brief dissertation on the
economic features of the case Like you,
l once worked for n living. and am
thus able to take a calm and dispas-
sionate view of those who are so unfit
as to continue in that class.
Stand firm, Brother Baer! If you are
again compelled TO grant more wages
and shorter hours soak up the price OF
coal The public will stand It, they are
used to ii. They Will not blame you
they Will vent their wrath on the stu
pid coal miners who are not content to
submit tamely to the DEGREES Of an all
wise Providence. In the meantime.
cable for j. 2. / am on the track of
Mr. Rockefeller. Sincerely,
FREDERICK UPHAM ADAMS.
Copyright 1906 bS + l. Alama