New-York tribune., 1908-02-02
BUSINESS MORALS.
Three True anecdotes That Nay
ThrOsC LIGHT on the Subject.


Here are stories of three who stand well.
did stand for many years, in the COM
munity in which they lived. An interesting
question is: Do they deserve now to stand well,
they enemies Of the common welfare?
Smith $50 will call him) is a prosperous
man who kept an account in one Of New York's
substantial banks. During the panic it was
hard even for prosperous men to get money for
their payrolls and other legitimate purposes. So
anxious were many concerns not to cause in
convenience to their employees that they paid as
much as 3 per cent to turn their checks into
cash. Smith, knowing this and having S1ntD
in the bank (Which, by the way. he had orig
inaIly deposited in the form of checks and
drafts. cast about for some way to make money
at the expense of somebody else He asked his
bank TO cash his check for $4,000. The bank
officers agreed to do so if he would assure them
that he needed the cash To get it he said he
had made a purchase and that the seller would
not take even a certified check, but demanded
cash. and. the bargain being good one, he did
not wish to Jose il.
He received the cash and straightway took it
to money brokers' and got for it a check for
$4,000 This check he foolishly deposited to his
credit in the same bank from which he had
drawn his money. The cashier recognized it as
the check of well known firm Of none brok-
ers, and upon questioning the deposftor forced
him TO admit the deception that he had prac-
tised and requested him TO take his deposit
away We will not knowingly have customer
Of that kind in the bank he said. Smith, after
many protestations and pleadings. forced
to accept mis- dismissal thereby illustrating the
proverb that a good name is more to be chosen
than $500.
Jones (or so we will call him) was discovered
by friend in the frenzied line of persons who
drawing money from a trust company
which did not fail. He OF property
and of standing. The friend eXpostulated with
him. and tried to convince him. first, that the
trust company solvent; secondly. that it
his duty example to the less intel
ligent and more timid; and, thirdly, that,
if there were real danger, he should take his
chances with the rest and not help bring on
general disaster. To this Jones replied that
everybody must look for himself, and the
rest Of the world might go hang. His friends
arguments proved unconvncing, and the friend
offered to bet him hat that the trust company
would pay everybody He accepted the bet and
when last heard from had even paid the
wager-Which seems to prove that some timid
people untrusworthy in ways than
Brown (or so we will call him) tried to do
silver coin. Being greedy, he decided to accept
the silver and to hire a truck and men to guard
it. But the money brokers declined TO buy this
silver in such large quantities unless the ags
were left for several days to allow them to count
it; and they would give him only a receipt for
bags said contain S1UVH.' This receipt be-
ing of to Brown, he inquired where he
could get the silver changed into bills and he
WAS told at the Sub-Treasury. But the Sub
Treasury, being bothered by several gentlemen
Of the same ilk. would give him only the
kind of receipt-"said to contain" etc. BY this
time he found his silver a burden and an ex-
pense and he carted it back to the bank where
ne was told that all dealings with him had
ceased After paying his expenses for the hack
and guards. and several days delays falling
premium, he came out barely whole on his vent
ure and lost reputation when a reputation was
most valuable-which seems to prove that man
endowed by Providence with the intelligence of
a truckman has business to undertake large
financial transactions.
The important thing a bout these experiences is
that all these felt that they had been badly
and enterprise. and, worse STILL many of their
friends agreed with them. claiming that they
had been or had tried be. smart" One WON
ders what proportion of people feel that in
time Of stress every one has the moral right To
forget the interest OF everybody else. How
strong OF how weak is most mems of 10y
atty TO the whole community. when by a selfish
disloyalty they can make, or think they can
make private profit? May these little expert
ences not show the connecting link between
panic and-a lack OF character?-World's Work
for February.