DR. FRANK CRANE’S DAILY EDITORIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 151, 16 September 1927, Page 14

DR. FRANK CRANE’S DAILY EDITORIAL

THE WEALTH MAKER (Copyright , 1927) T3EOPLE who pile up billion-dollar fortunes in the steel business, in banking, in automobiles and otherwise are supposed to be the greatest adders to the wealth of the country. Some years ago, however, John Ruskin wrote about “The Veins of Wealth” in an article in which he held that the true wealth of the nation consisted not in the yellow veins of gold running through the earth but in the blue veins of human blood. In other words men were worth more to a country than natural resources. Had the Pilgrim fathers, who landed on the bleak shores of New England some years ago landed in Manila, the Philippines would by this time have been as prosperous as Massachusetts. Take all the Filipinos and transfer ihem to New England and in their stead put New Englanders in the Philippine Islands, in a short time New England would be devastated and the Philippines prosperous. It is men who make the country. With this in view we consider Senora Esperidiona Chavez, 89 years of age. of Los Angeles, rocking the cradle of her one hundred and sixty-secoml direct descendant. She has nine daughters and two sons and they are all prolific. Mrs. Chavez has therefore added to the country more wealth than tint of John D. Rockfeller. Property has to be cared for and property rights to be expected, but the most inestimable treasure of the land is its human beings. France is supposed to be? decadent because the death rate piles up and the birth rate is decreasing. On the contrary, it is faced by prolific Germany with a steadily increasing population The most important power on the earth is its out-populating power. This, in the end, wins more battles than armies or battleships. The health and vigour of a nation is a better defence to that nation than armies and equipment. No matter how many tools you have, it takes men to use them. No matter how marvellous and complete is a locomotive, it is valueless without an expert engineer. In the end, it is always the human factor, and men do well to conserve life above all things.