Page:The fallacy of danger from great wealth.djvu/20

14 wages, and if, instead of being saved and invested and thus paid out as wages, part of the money was given away, the workmen would not have more. If the gifts were not to the workmen, they would have less. If the gifts were made and consumed, and if there was no production by means of the gifts to replace the consumption, then the workmen and society would be worse off than if the gifts had not been made and the money had been left invested in industry, paying wages and producing wealth.

When workmen see that a big sum is to be spent in anything but industry, their attitude, in their own interest, ought to be one of inquiry. Will such sum be spent for a justifiable purpose? If the sum remains in industry, it is theirs, the workmen's, though the legal title be in the investor. If the sum is taken out for a gift to a charity, the inquiry ought to be whether it is justifiable? If the government proposes to take a sum in taxes (from the rich or poor), the workmen ought to inquire whether it is justifiable? If not, then the loss is the workmen's, even though the loss of the legal title falls on the owner.

It is a wicked waste for a wealthy man (or any man) to take money from his investments