Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-02

cabin near Pittsburgh Judge Mellon
was self-made lawyer and then
judge. After the Civil War he opened
banking house, and through the era
Of industrial development around Pitts
burgh the firm of T. Mellon & Sons
waxed extremely prosperous. The sons
have stuck together. In banking and
business, and in late years to some ex-
tent in politics, the MELONS rank first
In Pittsburgh. One hears always Of
them as group-a family clan-the
MELONS. Andrew w. Mellon is rated
today the third richest man in America,
which may or may not be exactly ac-
curate. 1t is not important. For
years he has handled business, big
business. His father initiated him into
business by getting him a job as rail-
road brakeman. He worked up to be
conductor. He also worked as a me-
chanic in a wheel factory befc-e he
went into his fathers business. IT,
Mellon sons were not spoiled children Of
wealth. although their father died
millionaire. Besides early experience at
hard work, young Andrew Mellon had
| good education at what is now the
University of Pittsburgh
In an autobiography written in the
Dos, Judge Mellon commented on the
ability of his sons. Andrew manages
my banking business with eminent
ability and success" he wrote. There
was more than 40 years of this buSi-
ness success back of the soft-spoken
man who came to Washington in 1921
to be Secretary of the Treasury. Judge
Mellon also made a pertinent comment
in his own life story: 1T is more diffl-
cult to keep wealth, when you have 1t,
than to accumulate it." Andrew Mel
Ion is not given to talking about the
problems of wealth as a personal mat
ter. It is doubtful whether he ever
thinks much of it. Money has long
been to him a medium for doing bust
ness, developing industry. expanding
the prosperity of his business interests,
of his city and State, of his country.
On himself the Secretary of the
Treasury probably spends very little.
He is a man of regular habits. smokes
Sparingly of very small cigars. gets his
exercise chiefly by walking. and likes to
be at work. His chief extravaganza Is
collecting works of art, and he has.
doubtless, spent large sums at this. His
collection of Gainsboroughs is cele-
brated. He is student of early Amer
lean painting, and knows all about Gil
bert Stuart and Rembrandt Peale. His
collections of Hawthorne ware and Chi
nese porcelain are also extensive. AS
collector his taste is limited to things
which he has studied and understands.
Policies Are FiscaI-Not Political.
Almost the only thing Mr.. Mellon has
ever said about himself for publication
was said late in the term Of President
Coolidge, when he stated that he liked
to be Secretary of the Treasury. This
implied willingness to continue in that
position under President Hoover. He did
not explain just why he liked his job.
In one journal he was quoted as saying
that he might as we'll be here as any
where" but that was not exactly &C
curate, If he said the words they were
a poor effort at self-eXpression, and one
imagines that Mr.. Mellon has had very
little experience talking about himself,
and could not do it very well If he
tried.
It is probable that he likes his Job
because 1t is big and important task
and he has had to fight his way
through each step of it. He fights
without shouting or declaiming, but he
fights He fought for the Mellon plan
Of tax reduction, and at the start he
seemed to lose more than he gained,
because so many politicians thought
they must "tax the rich" and relieve
only the poor from income rates. Mel
lon kept right on fighting. and year by
year had his way with Congress, little
at time. He fought for his plan Of
collecting the war debts from our allies.
and step by step he has won, with two
nations yet to make settlements. Per-
hapS he wants to stay in the Treasury
until that lob is finished