The Secret Of Wealth

Everything you throw away or destroy is partly or wholly paid for by yourself and everything you see the other fellow throw away or destroy means some loss to you, unless it is his own property, and even then, it means an economic loss to the Country, which means some loss to you.

In the face of such a condition should we willingly continue to destroy the other fellow's property knowing that we must in the end pay for that property? The waste and destruction we have referred to is only that part that could be computed and valued and there is probably as much more which cannot be determined.

Even if we should forget to save in any other way, we would as a nation grow fabulously rich in one generation if we could eliminate only the avoidable waste and destruction of which we are guilty.

In twenty years' time the material wealth of this Country would increase one-third and the salvage and its accrued interest would buy South America, Africa and Australia.

If you are twenty-one years old, that is what we have thrown away since you were born--just three continents, just one-fifth of the present value of the whole world outside of the United States. Think of it again--our salvage in seventy years would buy the whole world.

If you agree with us that the time has arrived for us as intelligent human beings to stop the destruction of our own property and the other fellow's property, then let's begin today to cure ourselves of this destructive habit and do what we can to make other people stop their destruction of our property and of the property of others.

Perhaps it was your own great-grandfather who first said:

"Wilful waste makes woeful want."--Basil.

And someone else said:

"By the hands of many a great work is made easy."--Horace. 

CHAPTER XLI

"There are two times in a man's life when h* should not speculate; when he can't afford it, and when he can."--Mark Twain.

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