The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-11-28
By ANDREW CARNEGIE,

After making full allowance fol
differences in men, it still remains
true that contrasts in their wealth
are infinitely greater than those ex
listing between them in their diff
ferent qualities, abilities, education
and, except the supreme few, their
contributions to the worlds work
1t should be remembered always
that wealth is not chiefly the prod
uct of the individual under present
conditions, but largely the joint
product of the community.
Imagine an honest, hard working
farmer who finds himself able to
give each of his sons a farm. The
sons find farms, the younger in the
center of Manhattan island, the
older beyond the Harlem. A few
hundred dollars buy the farms and
the loving brothers set out for
themselves. They are respect by
all, loved by their intimates. They
are equally Industrious, cultivate
their farms equally well and in
every respect are equally good citi-
gems of the state. Their children
grow UP and are educated together.
The growth of New York city
makes the children of the younger
millionaires, while those of the
older remain simple farmers jim
comfortable circumstances
Now, who or what made this diff
ference in wealth. Not labor, not
skill. No, nor superior ability, sa-
gacity nor enterprise, nor greater
public service. The community Gre
ated the millionaire's wealth While
he slept it grew as fast as when he
was awake. 1t would have arisen
exactly as 1t did had he been on
the Harlem and his brother on the
Manhattan farm.
When these children die, who
have neither toiled nor spun, what
canon of justice would be violated
were the nation to step in and say
that, since the aggregation of their
fellow men called 1.-The community
created decedents, it is entitled to
large portion of it as they pass
away?
1t would be unwise to interfere
with the working bees; better al
low them to continue gathering
honey during their lives. When
they die the nation should have a
large portion of the honey remain
Ing in the hives; it is immaterial
at what date collection is made so
that it comes to the national treas,
ury at last.
(Here Mr.. Carnegie tells of five
brothers, the first seeing the great
possibilities in railroads invests
largely In them, becomes a great
organizer and dies a multimillion-
Rire. His children are all left mil
lionaires. An expanding population
was mostly responsible for all their
millions, Mr.. Carnegie continues
Now, while the founder of the
family must be credited with re-
markable ability, and with having
done the state some service in his
day and generation, it can not be
denied that the chief creators of
his wealth were the increasing
communities along the railroads,
which gave the traffic that lifted
these lines into dividend payers
upon a capital far beyond their
actual cost.
In the work and its profits the
nation was an essential partner and
Is equally entitled with the individ.
nal to share In the dividends.
"a second son went to Pittsburg
and into the steel business. Much
OF his great wealth came from min.
erals that were once public prop.
erty, and the rest of it from the de.
mand OF an expanding population,
engaged in settling a new cont
nent. A third son went to Chicago
became millionaire meat packer
and his wealth, too, came from the
community. A fourth son became
= copper and silver king. An ex
banding population gave value to
his once worthless stones. A fifth
remained In New York and was a
stock gambler. His iii gotten gold
Mr.. Carnegie says, should be levied
upon by the state at the highest
rate OF all.) The writer continues
X IL difficult to understand why
AZ the death OF its possessors, great
wealth, gathered or created In any
n these or In any other forms
.ebolId not be shared BY the com