r..,viN.T.i-i'iiiiwi'i'i''i-i''i"iirl'l'"',!i " ii1 " i H '( ' "fMif-
.ijiH)IB)liWli'WMil""11 1"""""""1 ""' '" ' " '
yr- M-iT'yiJTy
;. j.
- y-;-rf"
.''-t
r,M
i.V
& -
6
the usage that tho chairman of the committee
(Mr. Wheolock) should make tho comparisons
and tho committco adopt his report. I shall cross
this off my memorandum, and you can, if you
like, lay it aside for Willie on his arrival, unless
you havo some other views."
THE COMMITTEE also finds that many of tho
charges made by Alexander are true or
"measurably true.", With respect to Hyde, it
finds': First, That ,Mr. Hyde has habitually in
volved tho society in transactions, especially of
purchaso of securities, which were of great mag
nitude, without tho previously obtained autho
rity of the executive committee. Second, That
he carries large amounts of stocks belonging to
tho society in his own name, without there ap
pearing any minute' of any act of directors or com
mittee authorizing it. That ho has used tho funds
of tho society to pay for certainly ono social en
tertainment given in his name and the name of
ono other director of tho society. Fourth, That
ho shared in the profits made by banking syndi
cates in effecting sales of securities to the society
at a time when he was a member of tho commit
tco which made tho purchaso, he frequently vot
ing for tho same. Fifth, That ho has been guilty
of other acts which were irregular and not in
compliance with the society's law or with sound
business practice. Tho committee does not at
tach great importance to Mr. Hyde's explanation
of theso charges. "
ONE may obtain from tho Frick report many
valuable hints showing tho impunity wL.i
which the men In immediate control of these great
corporations use their power to their own spe
cial interests, and in utter disregard to tho wel
fare of tho stockholders or policyholders. The
Frick roport shows that tho last sub-committee
We Commoner.
on salaries of which there is a record on tho
minutes was composed of two persons, ono of
whom receives a salary from the Equitable and
the other a salary from an institution in which
the Equitable is largely interested. On this point
extracts from the printed report follow: "There
were in 1905 thirteen executive officers in the
society who held tho same positions in 1900. In
1900 these thirteen officers received salaries ag
gregating $297,000. In 1905 the same officers
received salaries aggregating $448,600, an increase
6f $151,500, or 51 iter cent. Of the thirteen offi
cers, three have received tio increase in salary
since 1900. Deducting these, the' average rate
of increase to the other ten has' been 61, per cent.
The salaries of six of the thirteen show an aver
age increase of 86 per cent. The salary of tho
vice president, which was' $30,000 in 1900 and 1901,
was advanced to $75,000 in 1902, and to $100,000 in
1903. The rapidity of these increases is not only
unusual, but there can be no warrant for them
through any question of ability to retain tho
officers' services at lower rates of compensation.
At the time the vice president received' a salary
of $30,000 he was 24 years of age. When his
salary was increased to $75,000 he was 26, and
when it was again increased to $100,000 he was
27 years old. These facts indicate that the ex
perience of the' officer in question could hardly
have been considered a factor in the estimation
of the value of his services. It is found i that tho
vice president of the society, in addition to hold
ing the presumably purely honorary position df
director in over forty corporations, is vice presi
dent of three companies, from which he receives
salaries aggregating $17,000."
IN THE TABLE presented, showing the increase
of salaries since 1900, appears the name of
the secretary to Vice President Tarbell. Five
years ago this secretary a woman was draw-
t ' .VOLUME 5, NUMBER si
k
ing $4,200 a year. In 1901 her salary wn,
creased to $7,200; in 1903 it was increS ,
$10,000, and in 1905 it was increased to sio nnf?
The committee finds that the percentage 0fi
crease in this woman's pay for the nerinri J?"
ered five years was 185.7. cov
OJS THE SUBJECT of pay roll the Frick com
mittee report is as follows: "The way in
winch the directors, through, their executive' com
mittee, and that committee through its sub-corn
mittee, have increased the salaries of the 1)rjn!
cipal officers of the society quite naturally does
not in its effect end there. An examination of
the office pay rolls shows that the treatment re.
ceived.by each officer from the board is generally
reflected in the treatment accorded by him to his
subordinates. In these departments, of which tho
heads' have received no increase in salaries, tho
salaries of tho working force have remained' con
stant or have shown such slight increase as an
po'ars to have been no mere than consistent with
the general tendency of salaries in all industries.
On the" other hand, those officers who themselves
have been rapidly advanced quite generally havo
seen that their subordinates shared in their
prosperity at tho society's expense. In the vico
president's office four employes who received in
the aggregate $5,444 in 1900, receive $13,900 in
1905, an increase of 155 per cent. In the second
vice president's office six employes who received
$10,720 in 1900, receive $24,840 in 1905, an in
crease of 132 per cent. The total salaries paid
to employes of the president's office have in
creased 48 per cent slice li)00; of the vice presi
dent's office 134 per cent, and of the second vico
president's office 126 per cent. The total ofllco
pay roll of tho society increased from $770,282 in
1900 to $1,177,501 in 1904, or 53 per cent. As
compared with this the total income of the society
increased but 36 per cent from 1900 to 1901."
"SCATTERED AT THE FEET OF HAN"
Did you ever pass an hour in conversation
with a botanist without realizing your woeful
ignorance of "tho sweetest things that God ever
made and forgot to put a soul into?" Did you
over listen to the instructions of an astronomer
without being impressed with the great realities
that are moving about you and shining above you,
wondering all the time that you had neglected
these opportunities? Did you ever listen to the
orations of the sage whose philosophy inspires
him in prosperity and supports him in adversity
without realizing that at least some portion of
your life had been wasted? Did you ever stand
in the presence of a man who, reared in poverty
had overcome all obstacles and climbed high
into tho tree of knowledge, learning so many
things worthy of being known, and remembering
everything he had learned, without feeling your
own ignorance and your folly in failing to grasp
what seemed beyond tho reach of a man handi
capped as you had never been?
The non-observing man sleeps upon his op
portunities. Even the eminently practical may
learn much to their advantage if they be not
ashamed to give attention to the little things
and to show some concern for the lessons that
may be learned even in seemingly insignificant
affairs. There are all too many of us who are
like the man of whom it was said: "A primrose
by tho river's brim a yellow primrose was to
him, and it was nothing more." But as tho
astronomer could point out truth and beauty in
tho skies, as the philosopher could direct atten
tion to beauty and truth in philosophy, so the
botanist could show truth and beauty, and beauty
and truth in the yellow primrose by the river's
brim.
In every fact of creation, in every incident of
life, in every love and in every passion, in every
duty and in every sacrifice there is a lesson
to be learned; and it will do tho busy man no
harm if he becomes more observing of tho things
that are not intimately associated with stocks
and bonds, with purchase and with sale.
Recently in the city of Omaha happened an
incident that ought to be carefully considered by
every human being. It had the elements of
tragedy and there was in it a bit of comedy, too.
It was fraught with lessons of love and of life
lessons which might give courage to tho hopeless'
lessons which might inspire the prosperous.
A man, brought to tho depths of despair
through his own folly, feeling that his career of'
usefulness was at an end, went to tho river's bank'
determined to end it all. Those who thought
they knew this hopeless creature might have
been pardoned for concluding that it would have
been just as well had tho man been permitted
tb carry out his purpose. But some'thing hap
pened which saved this being from a suicide's
grave. We are told that just as "this man was
about to plunge into the current of the Missouri
some one threw a little dog from the bridge.
Instantly the better nature of the would-be suicide
was aroused. His desire to destroy his own life
was forgotten in his consideration for the little
animal struggling in the waves. Instead of
plunging into the water bent upon taking the
life which it was his duty to preserve and use
for the benefit of the world he plunged into the
stream and rescued the little dog.
Newspaper reports say that "with the wet,
shivering dog nestling in his arms," the wet,
shivering man applied for shelter at the police
station. He refused to part company with his
little protege and the newspaper reports state,
"when he went to sleep on the .bench in the
hall-way at the police station the little black
dog was curled up on his breast."
The sufferings of the helpless dumb animal
instantly appeal to the hearts of men. On the
occasion of President Roosevelt's visit to the
city of Lincoln a powerful dog jumped upon a
smaller dog and was getting the better of him.
when half a dozen stalwart men rushed from the
crowd, and taking the .part of the smaller animal,
beat off Iiis assailant. It is well that men show
such sympathy for the beast. But is It not
strange that they do not show more sympathy for
the man who, in some cases, through his own
folly, in other cases through no fault of his own,
is made to feel that he has reached the end of his
period of usefulness, that the world has turned
against him, and that self-inflicted death must
be his portion.
It requires no great effort to lend a helping
hand to an intimate friend, temporarily suffering
under adversity, but real heroism is displayed
when, without hope of recompense and merely
in His name," we reach out into tho darkness
and tho gloom enshrouding a human being who
has lost all heart and believes himself to be be
yond all help, and do our part in tho effort to
rescue the perishing. Many men will be sur
prised to learn how far even a kind word or the
warm pressure of a hand will go toward changing
or perhaps preserving, the life of, a fellow creature!
Important as the lesson involved in the in
cident referred to may be to the more prosperous
man, the greater lesson is to the maa who has
lost hope. Words cannot describe the condition of
"the man who has lost hope." That condition
canjie understood by one whose life has not been
broken upon the wheel of adversity only when
ho imagines what his own career would he it
hope were entirely removed from it. Ono might
imagine that it would 'be impossible to revive
hope within the breast of the would-be suicide;
but the fact that there was so much good in him
that he forgot his own sorrows in the sympathy
he had for a dumb creature, provides conclusive
proof that even to that most hopeless man lifo
la worth living. The man who, under those cir
cumstances, could display such love and tender
ness, is capable, with a little encouragement,
of conquering himself and proving to the world
that it is better because he lived. He is but the
representative of a type, and every one of his
class is entitled to the tender sympathy and tho
substantial encouragement of his more fortunate
fellows.
The finest tribute that could be paid to any
man- and we must not forget that it may, in
truth, be paid to many men was given by Robert
G. Ingersoll at his brother's grave when he said:
"If everyone to whom he did some loving service
were to lay a blossom on his grave he would
sleep tonight beneath a wilderness of flowers."
There are so many heartaches and so many
tears, so much grief and so much sorrow, so
many heavy crosses to be borne by disheartened
men and frail women, that it ought to be the
pleasure, as it is the duty, of their stronger fel
lows to lend a hand.
Every tear that falls in response to another's
woe, every handclasp meant to give reassurance
to a faltering comrade, every word of encourage
ment uttered in the presence of a despairing
creature, every sacrifice made by the prosperous
for the unfortunate, provides healthy seed for
fertile soil. It is, at once, a prayer and a bene
diction; -a help to others and a help to one's
self. It blesses him that gives and him that
takes; and generous heart and grateful soul need
give no audible utterance to the prayer which,
although unspoken, beats about the great white
throne and there interprets itself, in the very
language of Tiny Tim: "God bless us, every
one!"
If the busy man would but give some thought
to tho things going on about him in every hour
of the day, he would learn that "the primal
duties shine aloft like stars," and "the charities
that soothe and heal and bless are scattered at
the feet of man like flowers."
RICHARD L. METCALFE.
h'i
I- iK.
tM
ef'MU
' Mfa-V. ?
' J'
