The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-12-28
ONLY TWO CLASSES
IN AMERICA IS
CALLS ASSERTION

New York, Dec. 2s.-Te concentration
Of wealth in the hands or comparatively
few persons was vigorously denounced
and just as earnestly defended yesterday
az the opening session OF the 57th annual
melting OF the American Association for
the Advancement of Science.
In paper on THE Concentration OF
Wealth." Henry Laurens Call of Wash
ington, ID. c., declared there are only two
classes in America, the enormously rich
ana the miserably poor, and attacked
the right of John d. Rockefeller 10 his
fortune, asserting that II was not the
result OF natural causes, but had been
created through the activity OF copropa-
tions which the speaker termed
vicious"
He said that 80 years ago there were
not To exceed 80 millionaires In the whole
or the United States, and their combined
fortunes probably did not exceed $780,
100000, or l per cent of the then aggre-
gate wealth OF the nation.
sixteen years ago the combined for
tunes OF this class were estimated at
s56.5ooO0O.0cO. or 56 per cent OF our ma
tional wealth Today a bare / per cent
or our population, he said, owns prac-
t'caliy % per cent Of the entire wealth
OF the nation
'As result OF this wealth concentra-
ticn.' Mr.. Call said. industrial society
Is practically divided into the two classes
OF the enormously rich and the miserable
poor: our 100000 wage earners receive
an average OF but $ioO per year: nine
tenths of our business men are failures:
our clergy receive an average annual
salary OF about $500; the average for the
educators of the land is even lower and
the income OF other professional men in
proportion, while OF our 6O0O,OOO farmers
one-third are tenants. the homes of one
third OF the remaining two-thrds are
mortgaged and debt burden is almost
universal
our public and private mortgages. bond
and general indebtedness alone reaches
a probable total Of $1,000 900 600. or 1876
per capita, an amount equal 10 49,
times our per capita money circulation
and = times our savings bank deposits
Ihese conditions are not normal, nor
the result OF national law or causation
put are instead the result Of a monopoly
or iand and mineral resources. OF money,
or transportation and other public utili-
ties. as also of industry
Tho corporation should be made CO.
operative instead OF. as now. the instru-
ment of private greed. The ownership of
public utilities. such as street railways
should be in the hands of the public as
should all the control and distribution of
money. he corporation princinle and
junction should be extended TO mines, as
also TO land i'm cities and elsewhere re-
ouired for joint use and occupancy, with
perhaps reasonable restriction upon
non-occupant ownership OF land.
Moreover, in the taking charge Of
these properties by condemnation pro-
ceedings some restitution should be made
to the public of these enormous and ini-
qultous accumulations OF which IL has
been despoiled. In this complex situation,
manifesuy the most just. as well as the
most feasible, solution would be TO fix
some maximum limit, the amount
which any man can he said To have ac-
quired honestly or which he could have
acquired under just conditions, all above
such reverting TO tho public from the
holdings in the corporations"