EARNED AND TRANSMITTED WEALTH 309 



remaining to be considered which, whilst based on Book iv 

 an admission that wealth-production is motived by the 

 desire of wealth, aims at showing that this fact does 

 not necessarily result in more than a fraction of the 

 consequences which have up to this time flowed from 

 it, but merely shows in reality that those consequences 

 are unalterable, and adds new force to the arguments 

 that have just been urged with regard to them. 



The objections referred to are those embodied in it is argued, 



. ... i i i i however, by 



the well-known contention that though the posses- semi-socialists 

 sion of exceptional wealth must be allowed to the [JlSuJ^r may 

 exceptional men who are actually engaged in pro- ^^^ ^ 

 ducing it, and the exercise of whose business ability duces - but that 



J this must end 



is just as essential to the country's prosperity as to with his life, 

 their own, yet this possession of wealth should be passed on to 

 limited to themselves personally, and should not be Surest TO" 

 allowed to distribute itself amongst their idle and 

 inefficient families. In other words, it is urged that 

 whilst the founders and conductors of businesses are 

 entitled to the incomes, no matter how large, that 

 are due to the exercise of their own powers, these 

 incomes should cease with the cessation of the 

 powers that caused them, and should not be allowed 

 to perpetuate themselves, as they do now, in the 

 shape of interest paid to the passive owners of 

 capital. Such an arrangement, it is maintained by 

 those who advocate it, would at once coincide with the 

 dictates of abstract justice, and whilst securing to the 

 exceptional wealth-producer, whose services society 

 requires, the full reward and motive necessary to 

 ensure his activity, would enrich the community at 



