The Washington times., 1923-07-30
What Is Surplus Wealth?
In earnest reader who signs his name Thinker writes
Is There ANY?

An earnest reader who signs his Thinker writes
congratulate you your attempt Victor Hugo
weakness declaring The paradise of the rich is the
hell of poor but your attack is morally weak. Modern
thought say Surplus wealth is the creation of the
helpless, hogged by the few 8
Victor Hugo was wrong and our good friend Ihnker
also wrong in his definition of surplus wealth
say 1.-THE paradise of the rich the hell Of the poor
is paradise of the rich very often the hell
Of the RICH that alleged paradise" they become
bored overed with alcohol diseased unhappy
devoid of ambition and worthless
Furthermore the scalled paradise of the rich is really
field Of e1perimentation which wealth gradually develops
comfort and convenience for the poor.
When the Roman empsrOrs were building their baths Of
for the ten million little porcelain and iron enameed bathtus
the rich spending their money the first auto
mobiles 900 apiece and rushing at foolish speed through
1s which and for millions
families.
When the bicycle first came toy and
principally of those that had money and leisure
road through spite puncture scattering
of tacks and glass done when the automobile in
out to the poor in pocket and the foolish spirit that when
they put tacks or glass on the road they were interfering
expensive bicycle with which rich playing would
be abandoned by them and be used by worgmen to
foolish and envous also told that the $4,000
automobile in due would be replaced by within
the DOLLAR car were necessary to make
the CHEAPER possible
That prophecy also has been verified.
Our thoughtful readers statement Surplus wealth is the
modification.
Surplus wealth the amount produced BY ALL COM
BMED in of the actual needs of the population.
Thus far there s properly speaking, NO surplus wealth
For until every family has automobile comfortable house
good bathroom good food and plenty it, good schools
children good for ALL good roads, etc. there will be no
SURPLUS wealth
There a soCALLED surplus wealth. which represents
profits that the more cunning more intelligent or more indus
Those that work for not necessarily 1.-THE help
less They often workers for at moment and
employers thousands later Charles Schwab iron
worker-then great mill
say wealth produced by helpless and hogged by
the few incompetency remain incompetent
fatteng the vanity Of the weak and lazy Far better tell
them that surplus wealth is something that you cant get
sacrifice your comfort in the beginning.
you say Vanderbilt that wealth. The original
Vanderbilt rowed boat from Staten Island Manhattan
carrying passengers He slept at night with tired back and
bstered hands he had intelligence enough recognize the
value the railroad along He and his descend
also had good deal of they hired lawyers
that had ten times as much.
And the descendants have the pleasure of doing moth
ing, you call that pleasure.
AS of fact the boring thing in the
world The man in the slum that owns his own pushcart
counts his little profits at night and gets early to begin
again. has pleasure in life than Vanderbilt the
Vanderbilt does nothing but eat Sleep dress and undress
The name "Astor' means WEALTH It stands for an old
gentleman that in the language of Lady Aston used skin
skuns and other urbearing animals in early days he
had sense enough to keep his money and buy land with it.
The mothers produced millions of children and that made
the land valuable
Single takers will tell you that the land should be owned
the people SO should they have intelligence
enough to manage it, provided they take it honestly
The best thing for everybody is to be compelled work
The intelligent thing for the great crowd is to tax wealth
enough to make it pay its share.
Don't richer after him, and catch up with
him if you That's the American plan far It may
change, but not for good long time.