The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-23
Mr.. Guggenheim's Beneyolen,
Ideas.


The benevolence Of intent Of Mr..
DANIEL GUGGENHE1M cannot be ques-
toned hut the unwisdom of many Of
the views which he expressed 10 the
Federal Commission on Industrial Re
lations is equally unqueStionable. His
ideals are all right: the methods by
which he proposes To reach them are
all wrong.
We must see" said Mr.. GUGGES-
Helm. that the worker not only gets
sufficient wages but also that he gets
some of the comforts ana Injuries "
life" Most true. This is the aim or
the worker has been improved 800 per
cent. in nifty years Ills means Of
education and travel have developed
enormously lie aud his family are in
hntry better clolhcl than ever before
L history. Free libraries. free pie
lures. free music. free parks are 1t
their disposal. together with seaside
pleasures in summer and indoor shows
all the year round at moderate rates.
Perhaps all these advanced gifts
have not reached complete development
in the mining camps. But some NJ
them have. and as n whole the mining
camps are far ahead of what they
were fifty years ago ana are still al
vnncing 1t may Lee added that all
workers do not enjoy the comforts
aud luXuries of life" which the times
offer them. hut this is because their
own notions Of comfort and luxury are
ON Il lower plane. The workers, es-
pecially Immigrants from backward
regions. have to be educated up 10 their
opportunities. but this Is being done
very fast everywhere. The movies are
running the saloons faster than pro-
hibtion.
So much for Mr. GUGGENHEIM'S as
piration for the workers. But Le wants
the State and Fedora Government TO
take up the work of catering 10 their
wants in the matter Of comfort and
uxuries. To this end, he says, the
state must raise the money by taxing
the large estates when those who have
them die Mr.. GUGCENHElM here adj
vocates the most dangerous form of
seriously extended would wipe out
nearly all the capital of the country
in Il hundred years. Death duties to he
spent for current expenses of any sort
| "a "a Ia. anni li nf unulth md In
proportion rs they approach or exceed
the COuntry'S capacity for saving they
mean first retardation of development
and finally retrogreSsiOn. This Is a
principle no longer seriously disputed.
and the new idea is 10 put the pro-
ceeds Of death duties into permanent
productive public improvements
But should the Government under
take To cater To the workers in any de
gree? Mr.. GUGGENHEIM says: THE evil
Of private benevoepce is that you pan
perize people This is only too true
bur how does state almsgiving I'M
prove matters? II the worker Is get
! ting his comforts ana .luXurles' ny
means of he money Of the rich. and
10. b. his own effort, is he not equa ly
pauperized whether the dole comes di
rect or through the grasplng and Law
Ishing hand OF the state The down
fall Of Rome, It has been said, was
brought about by free bread free baths
and free shows in the arena. The
workers ceased to he workers aud be-
came mob pampercd by the empire
ma squcrading under republican forms
Let us beware how we fan into the
same evil way.
why should new element of class
hostility he brought into the economic
lIfc Of this country why should the
workman's notions of what the world
or the Government owes him he per