p. 2 | Heaping Together Treasures

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 19, 1916

Heaping Together Treasures

Many indeed have been the plans by which men have in recent years gained great fortunes. Almost every day sees a fortune made or lost in Wall Street and Board of Trade. One of the most spectacular cases, however, of these operations occurred recently when two men bought up wheat to such an extent that they finally had 5,000,000 or more bushels. This they held until the terrific heat in the Northwest, and the rains, followed by chinch bugs and drought, made a great drop in the wheat production for the year. Jim Patten and Arthur Cutten still held their wheat until last month after the government reports showed a world shortage. The price of wheat rose. Only the two men were able to sell, one netting $1,000,000, and the other $1,250,000.

In belligerent countries many are taking advantage of the war conditions to gain wealth for themselves. In Italy speculators had stored up 10,000,000 eggs, holding them for such a time as the price might rise, so as to enable them to make a fortune on their investment.

It became necessary for the government to seize these eggs and sell them publicly at two cents each, which was only half the market price. The government hoped in this way to aid in reducing the cost of living, which is estimated to have increased twenty-five per cent during the last six months. It is surely lamentable that in countries which are suffering untold miseries from war and all that war brings, there should be men desirous of making fortunes from the poor by cornering the necessities of everyday living.

This method of accumulating fortunes by increasing the price of the necessities of life, which must be bought by the common people although they have less means with which to pay now in war time than in the past, is truly a sign of the greed which is becoming the prevalent motive in the commercial world.