other peoples, but in cheapening means of subsistence, in facilitating their supply, in expanding the area of ​​​​their use, America leads all nations.
It may be asked: how can the even distribution of the blessings of life coexist with the enormous resources accumulated in one hand? As far as I can, I will answer: the rich undoubtedly have wealth and control it - they still can’t spend it on themselves! They certainly have legitimate claims to these riches and can control them themselves, but all this in the amount due to their personal needs. Money is scattered everywhere, that is, they are invested in something, and here they are, week after week, wandering through the account of expenses.
At the present moment there is no better method of deciding the question of the use of money than the method of personal possession. You can put money in a bank—whether it be national or individual states, it doesn't matter—but no legislation can guarantee its use in a more productive way than it is now. In none of the projects of socialism can one find a more expedient use of wealth for the common good. This is where the obligation of the rich to maintain strictly their claims to capitals and manage them themselves follows, until a person or a group of people appears who will show the ability to find a more expedient use of capital than that which the real owner is capable of.
As regards the other four components of civilization: desirable progress in the development of a form of government and legislation, progress in the field of literature and linguistics, progress in the field of natural sciences and philosophies, progress in the field of arts and aesthetic education, we believe that, most likely, this can be done. achieve a more appropriate method of education. That is why we have spent considerable sums of money in various branches of educational work both in America and abroad, with the aim of disseminating not only known knowledge, but also new research in this field. A single educational institution necessarily has a limited circle of influence and can only train a small number of students. But каждое новое открытие, каждая попытка расширить пределы человеческого знания новыми исследованиями, является общим достоянием всех ученых учреждений и тем самым становится даром всему человечеству.
Интерес представляют не только каждый план такой работы в отдельности, но также и новые пути, проложенные нами на достижение goals. We were not content with giving help where it was, so to speak, satisfying just requests. We realized that the mere interest in carrying out this or that plan could not yet serve as an incentive to invest large sums of money in its application, that perhaps there were thousands of other plans and enterprises more worthy of monetary benefits and only accidentally unknown to us. The bare fact of a personal preference for this or that good cause in no way determines the validity of the claim to support, unless his claim is based on something else that requires preference over others, perhaps a more needy cause, but we do not know.
That is why our little committee has never been content to let its help depend on chance or be given to this or that institution that asks for it, and the rest of the institutions that do not ask for help are left without support. This committee has taken human progress as its field of study, and has attempted to support each of the fields which we believe has the ultimate goal of that progress. Where on the path of striving for this ideal did not turn out to be willing to take on implementation of these plans, the members of the committee sought to found new organizations. At this time we are working in new and, I hope, amenable areas that place enormous demands on those working in them.
These philanthropic endeavors have always fascinated me and have had a tremendous impact on my life. Again I will say how important in this respect is the influence of a father on his children - sons or daughters - how important it is that he devote them to his charity work. From childhood, helping their father, they are accustomed to the consciousness of their responsibility to their neighbors. Like my father, I tried to accustom my children to charity. Много лет у нас был обычай после обеда совместно читать письма (поскольку они относились к делам благотворительности, в которых мы были участниками), разбирать просьбы о помощи по деталям и всем вместе следить за развитием филантропических учреждений, нас интересовавших, институтов и etc.

Charity trust

Charity system

Наступил, наконец, момент, когда я могу детальнее изложить свой любимый план, который многие годы был моим коньком, а именно идею сделать продуктивнее действие общего стремления к благосостоянию посредством объединения всех стремящихся к этой goals.
If, in practical matters, association leads to the conservation of energy and the achievement of better results, why not assume that in charitable matters this element will have the same success? This main idea of ​​"co-operation in the field of charity", especially in the improvement of the method of education, took on special significance from the moment when Andrew Carnegie agreed to become a member of the "General Chamber of Education". For by the very acceptance of a seat on our presidium, he, in my opinion, approved the principle of cooperation in the field of charity (especially in matters of education in our state).
I am extremely rejoicing, as I hope all other people are, that Carnegie, an enthusiast who uses his funds to improve the lifestyle of his neighbors who are less endowed with the blessings of life, is sure that his example, an example of participation in the good deeds of his new homeland, will remain forever bright an example of sensible charity.
The General Chamber of Education, of which Carnegie has now become a member, seems to me a remarkable example of an organization founded in order to achieve an expedient, or rather scientific, solution to the problem of how to improve and raise education in all parts of our vast country. It is, of course, impossible to say now what this organization will achieve, but under the leadership of its current presidium, it will undoubtedly achieve a lot. I can again speak quite frankly and impartially, I can express my personal opinion, as an outsider, not belonging to the presidium, a person who has never attended meetings, and because all the work there is the work of others.
There are many broader, more elaborate, and firmer plans in preparation, which have occupied me for many years, and I can clearly see how they are taking on more definite forms. It is always pleasant to know that there are people who are ready to provide generous assistance to any philanthropic undertaking. I had the opportunity more than once to confirm my experience, which greatly increased the viability of my favorite plans, making sure that many very busy people are always ready to put aside their urgent business for a minute and sacrifice their strength and mind for the cause of the progress of mankind, without demanding any remuneration for this.. Physicians, clergymen, lawyers, and not a few important businessmen, give extremely unselfishly their time and energy to the carrying out of many of the plans that also occupy our entire circle.
In order not to go far and name only one name out of many, here, for example, is Robert K. Ogden. For many years in a row, despite the responsible and exhausting work that takes all his time, he still found enough time to provide us with active assistance. In this he was helped by amazing enthusiasm.
He gave all his knowledge and strength and sacrificed all of them to the cause of education, paying special attention to the south of our country. But при этом его стремления были рассчитаны, имели своей коренной целью определенную строгую систему, и будущее, несомненно, принесет добрые плоды его трудам.
My children, instead of increasing their inheritance, as I did, took up just as seriously the rational justification of the work begun and applied all their zeal to it, fortunately fully sharing my opinion that with the reasonable use of their funds in the cause of charity, it is necessary apply as much energy and judgment as in their accumulation.
The "Universal Chamber of Education" has produced (and still produces) the most diligent research on the status, aims, activities, aids, administration, and value in the pedagogical sense of all higher educational institutions in the United States. The Presidium makes its contributions - about two million dollars annually - after a diligent comparative study of the needs of the country. Its protocols are open to everyone. Many philanthropists interested in the same subject benefit from our unbiased study and will hopefully always turn to us.
Many people assist us in the practical implementation of our undertakings in relation to the educational institutions of our country. But помощь не дельной, плохо поставленной, лишней школе, будет уже расточительностью. People who have thoroughly studied this problem hold the view that so much money was obviously spent in their time in the implementation of inexpedient methods of education that one could freely base and develop their original system of national American higher education on them. Many of these people, who willingly donate funds to improve the methods of education, would do better, before donating, to scrutinize the nature of the enterprises to which they are invited to donate, and in this study to pay special attention to the people who are at the head of these enterprises. But такое исследование, как я его себе представляю,