The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-25

HE DISCUSSES QUESTION SUCCESS:
TED BY JED. RoGKEFELlER, JR. $
As He Views It.. the Man Of Large For
tune Is Hampered by Popular Mis-
understanding and Prejudice in His
Work for the Benefit Of Society.

Speaking in pale-faced earnestness to
his famous Sunday school class, John
D. Rockefeller, Jr., a week ago today
said that the rich man was the unhappy
one; that the man to know, real hap
plness was he of small means and cir
cumscribed effort tho self-sustaining.
what does Z. B.: Walker say about
wealth as a burden7 =. 49,. -.
Owner Of a vast estate thickly peo-
pied with almost priceless pine--an es-
tate which, potentially at least, is of
the same class as the Rockefeller for
tune Mr. Walker regards wealth as
the instrument of opportunity for good
more than as burden. To his notion
the rich man is not only instinctively,
but also perforce, the friend and bene-
factor of society. Would society only
quit hampering and nagging him in the
development Of his, great ideas, the
good done by the owner Of bulky for
tune would more than; counterbalance
any evil. e..e z>s>@-~
Referring to James Hill, with his re-
puted millions, Mr.. Walker said he did
not own the roads he operates. He
manages them with the results that
thousands Of millions of dollars are re-
turned to the commonwealth. He en-
phasizes the fact that captains of in
dustry get only a small proportion of
the profits for their own use, and that
yet their compensation, would be suffi-
Gent to themselves if they were only
appreciated. III o. =. -.
The Rich Misunderstood.
cit is difficult to convey my opin-
ion in a few Sentences said Mr..
Walker. 'There is more misunder-
standing of the real life work. of men
of large business interests and large
wealth, and that is accomplishing more
misunderstanding and disadvantage to
the commonwealth, than almost any
other thing in modern times. -
=" Men Of large wealth as class do
the greatest amount Of work for the
smallest compensation, and, notwith-
standing the fact that they, in Nmany
cases, do things that are excessive in
maintaining and developing their bust
ness, yet the: evil that they do comes
mostly. on the other men Of. the same
class. and in general not on the public.
"The impression on the large part
Teller have possession Of hundreds Of
millions that they are taking away
from the rest of the people and using
and consuming it for their own benefit:
whereas, they are not using for their
own advantage and consumption one
nall OF per cent. The public really
has the benefit. and use Of it. to "a
greater extent, more completely and
nsefullY, than if it were conveyed in
fee simple to the commonwealth. 1t
is better and more usefully handled
and the increment is better reinvested
for the benefit Of the public than it
would be. If the public owned it. ~
/ Such a man is really more Of a
slave to a hard lot in life than almost
anyone, that can be found in this coun-
try. At the same time he is one Of
the best managers Of great interests
that the world has ever known. and
the public is really getting the. benefit
OF his superior management and abil-
lty. despise trust methods, vigorous
y combatted them at every step in nv
business life, and refused to enter into
them under any conditions whatever.
yet j., appreciate and understand The
immense I'M developments that have been
made by this class Of men, Of which
we have all derived the benefit. III
would readil advocate the absolute de-
! struction Of all the trust combinations.
but principally for the reason that,
when they are successfully handled
by men Of large ability, and have as
sumed such proportions as Rockefel-