Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-14

were like bees They should not be inter-
fered with while making the honey, but at
their death, he believed, large part of all
the great fortunes that men acquire should
go back to the community which makes
their accumulation possible.
MY experience is said he, that I
would as soon leave a curse to my boy as
to leave him the almighty dollar" The
subject of wealth distribution, he said,
would not down. 1t was now obviously,
strangely unequal and the sooner We dis
covered a sane method of distribution the
better.
AS to the income tax, he said: There is
no tax so perncious. not only from an eco
nomic, but from moral point of view, be-
cause it is tax that requires the strug-
Cling young business man, fearful whether
the bank directors will pass his note for
81 900 tomorrow, to explain all his private
business to some man in the community
who may himself be a bank director, or
who is connected with the banks. 1t pene-
trates business to the core and the nation
will never regret anything so much as at
tempting to collect a tax upon men engaged
in business"
To illustrate mis- argument in favor of
the inheritance tax Mr.. Carnegie drew a
word picture of farmer, who, many years
ago. gave to one son farm on Manhattan
Island, which eventually became city prop
erty and enabled his descendants to live
without effort. Another son had received
farm further UP in Harlem and his chill
dren were obliged to continue doing some
thing to Justify the world in supporting
them" AS the generations came along
these children became millionaires through
the growth of the city.
Public Silent Partner.
who made that wealth." asked Mr.. Car
negie. 1.-The community, the population, the
people Then you tell me wealth is sacred.
l say the community was the leading part
ner that made that wealth. 1t was thou
sands of people settling around there. and
here these millionaires who have toiled
not, neither have they spun, they come
and they die. 1 am not in favor of touch
ing the bee when it is making the honey.
Let the bee work. But when he passes
away then l say the silent partner, the
community that made that wealth, should
receive it's dividend-a large proportion.
I'VE will suppose there is another son.
He settles in New York. He is bright
boy and sees that railroads are essential
to the future of this metropolis. and he
embarks in the work. He consolidates these
railroads. He is useful man. He does
the state some service. But he soon sees
fic so increasing, he could pay dividends
on his stock and issue more stock. and he
goes on and on. and buys up the stock,
gets a large interest in 1T, and he becomes
one Of that class which no other nation
has He is Indigenous to America. Now
he dies. His family all become millionaires.
who made that wealth? If New York
had remained village. II the western
states had not developed. If the people of
the United States had not increased in
population and by their labors become well
doing. and did not wish to visit New York.
ship back and forth, he would not have
been millionaire. There. again. wealth
flows from the community. l think society
makes a huge mistake If 1t ever interferes
with an organizing man in his lifetime. AS
a rule, millionaire is not an extravagant
man himself. The man who has made
money can usually be trusted to keep it.
Says It's Public Duty.
'Take another man, another brother, who
has settled In Pittsburg. He sees that cox
ing coal is there for smelling iron. and
there (pointing to man In the audience)
is one of the men that did it very early in
life, my partner. John Walker Why. 1t
was as plain as A, B. that Pittsburg was
steel cheaper than anywhere else In the
world, and that young man and other
bright, intelligent young fellows went to
Europe and saw what Great Britain was
manufacture. They found lack Of raw
materials. of everything. and they bought
up ore mines on Lake Superior.
This country's demand for steel increas-
ed. Now, who made that growth?
The growth Of the American public. That
Is what that wealth came from. And that
Is the partner In every enterprise where
money Is made honorably. And / say these
die and lie down with their fathers. COM
munity fails in its duty. and our legislators
fail in their duty, Ii they do not exact
tremendous share. progressive share-no
idea of ever making his children paupers,
no idea of interfering with his right to
leave them competence. but 1t Is the
enormous sum. those millions which should
really have different name from property
When a man was man OF property in the
old days it meant he had enough for him.
self and family to live well enough on. But
-e4,~ oHo 49,
Melville r. ingalls, said large fortunes
were due to the tariff. to illegal favors tc
shippers and to obtaining valuable fran.
chises by questionable me- hods. - favored
an income tax upon $1,000 or more on
fixed percentage. He also favored an in
heritance tax for the support of states only
He opposed the disposition OF property by
will, believing it should be divided equally
among the heirs after the states proportion
had been taken.
Professor Seligman said the federal gov