Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-11-03
Conscience Money!
BY FRANK CURTIS.

years and one time through some error
got Three Dollars and fifty cents too
much. want to pay it back to the City as
think you are the right person to send 1t
to, Would like If 1t was published in the
papers, respectfully yours-Honest."
School teachers, women teachers espe-
cially, seem to have unusually sensitive
consciences. The city of New York Is
not going to force them to take any sum
of money they haven't honestly earned. A
good many Of the letters Mr.. Craig gets
are written in neat little schoolmarm
handwriting and signed Public School
Teacher" Here is a sample:
Enclosed please find five dollars ($5.00)
which represents days salary to which
the writer was not entitled. l should be
grateful if you would see that it is turned
over to whomever receives deductions for
teachers absences.-A Teacher"
Religion, doubtlessly, plays a part in
the psychology Of the conscience fund.
Children are particularly susceptible to it.
Often on Monday morning boys and girls
who have been to Sunday school and re-
pented being notwithstanding some trihe
from the lassroom-surreptitio leave
few pennies on their teachers desk with
childish notes explaining. II hooked pen
cil' or "a ruler" or whatever it happened
to be.
Trying to be a Christian" and similar
expressions frequently are used by grown
up contributors. They are not all cheer
full givers, however. Witness this:
II am inclosing herewith So interest.
Kindly credit to the conscious fund or
anything you like. The deal / received
from the city of New York prevents me
from giving you this anything but re-
luctantly. Yours truly City Employee"
Here is sample of the poor, but hon.
est" type:
Deer mr.. paymaster. received ten
dollars to much from one of yur pay
masters and / am returning it,"
Reformed Sinner" writes to the Kings
County Hospital, Brooklyn, as follows:
Il wish you to add this to your con-.
science fund, If you have one, or turn it
lin to the Board of Charity. 1t is in pay
ment for goods wrongfully taken from
Kings County Hospital. The amount l am
seHu4nS is greatly IN excess or the value.
OF the articles taken, but l feel better
satisfied sending this amount"
This one is short and to the point: En-
closed please find $50, as It does not be-
long to me. wish to return it."
"A Sinner" writes Enclosed please find
IS that I had taken from tie Department
of Ferries when I was employed as an
agent. Would you be so kind as to add 1t
to the Dept. Account and orige."
A teacher writes: 1T am enclosing SIS
from the absence refund received Satur-
day My physician made some errors in
regard to the number of times he saw me
professionally" "e
II am sending (for friend)," writes a
man who signs his name, but does not
mention the name of his friend, this $40
for the conscience fund. which he wants
to return"
The biggest single item received by the
Treasury Department this year was $S1,
with which came a slip 'for incomplete in
come tax returns for 1919" The smallest
was SO cents, with no explanation at all.
The Oldest is an item of SO. "for payment
of duty on silk dress pattern brought into
the United States from Canada fifty years
ago." from a woman.