The New York herald., 1922-09-17

store once walked eight miles to
return three cents to a woman customer.
is equaled almost every day right here in
wicked New York. This Is shown by some
OF the persons who contribute to Comp
troller Craig's conscience fund.
IT'S lean day when Mr.. Craig's mail
does not contain at least one letter signed
Honest or Reformed Sinner" with
s. or $40 bill incIosed and note explain
ing that the writer Is unburdening himself
OF a debt-spurred by conscience
Sometimes the remittance is as much as
$50: sometimes IL Is only a few cents in
postage stamps. Usually the letter is writ
ten or printed in a disguised hand. Often
the writer is illiterate and. judging from
the paper, too poor not to miss the money.
At least four-fifths of the conscience fund
donors are poor. IL that's any line on the
relative honesty OF the classes
The ComptroIIer's office Is not the only
one that gets these letters. The United
States Treasury Department probably has
the largest conscience fund correspond
ence In the world. especially when times
are flush. Apparently consciences do not
prick so hard in hard times.
The Post Office, the Collector OF Gus
toms, the railroads. hotels, department.
stores, all receive money anonymously.
my little boy was years old and told
the conductor he was only and should
ride half fare" writes a conscience stricken
mother to a railroad. inclosing stamps to
make up the difference.
six years ago I rode on your railroad
and the conductor did not take my ticket.
I cashed it and got my money back. s14o.
which I return herewith" writes passen-
ger. who signs his letter "Remorse."
A great many contributions are unac-
campanied by letters or contain merely
slip bearing the words conscience fund
or restitution fund" In the Treasury De-
partment's fund there are hundreds OF let
ters from former soldiers and sailors who
helped themselves to pistol or couple
Of blankets or some serviceable item when
they left the service.
sFor articles stole when in the army
is the customary explanation that accom-
nanie-such remittances. The other day the
Government received SIS ticketed. "for
nair Of shoes and blanket, which sold
when I was IN the army IN Belgium"
ANY doughboy who could sell pair Of
army brogans and blanket to Belgian
for sf5.- said the clerk who got this let
ter "ought to be peddling snowshoes IN
Panama. but this lad IS too honest to get
rich that way.
"F,or two Cancelled two-cent stamps I
used about fifteen years ago." This. In
woman's handwriting. with 81 enclosed,
vas received not long ago by the Post
oa7ceL IL this woman had been as quick
az compound interest tat per cent? as
she was meticulous at remembering the
stamps. she would have sent only eight
cents. She has paid for those stamps.
interest and all, for sixty-six years, or
until 1878. Or. supposing she counted
simple interest only. she has paid up until
the year 23SI
However. conscience fund subscribers
usually do not bother about interest at all.
t4ara Il a letter from city employee,
added recently to Comptroller craig's col
lection:
ST have been employed by the City
years and one time through some error
cot Three Dollars and fifty cents too
much. I want to pay It back to the City as
IsthInk you are the right person to send IL
to Would like il 1t was published In tne
papers.-respectfully yours-Honest."
school teachers. women teachers espe-
cialIy. seem to have unusually sensitive
consciences. The city OF New YORK -
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