Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-22
CONSCIENCE FUND"
BIGGER THIS YEAR
$5.241.31 Received by U. S.
as Former Workers Re.
pent Misdeeds.

The American peoples conscience
hurt them more during the year ended
june 80. l325. than ut any time since
the World War.
This is Indicated by their contrihil.
tons to the conscience fund" in
Uncle Sans Urea sury. which is the
rendezvous for All sorts of things,
which have heen lying heavily on
guilty minds and hearts, from stamps
to thousand dollar bills
During the fiscal year 1925. accord
Ing 70 figures revealed last night AZ
the TreaSurN there was received a to-
tai nf S5,241.Sl. which is far above the
average for each wear since the World
War. In 1927 guilty consCiences sent
TO the Federal Treasury a total nf
about So 500: in 1872" s. 400: in 1928,
$500. and in 1924, s5.5oo.
Reason Unexplained.
OaciaIs Of the Treasury were Al a
loss 10 explain the unusual increase
in the apparently even stream of re-
turns to the Government from un-
known contributors. Perhaps pros
peritH. or more religion. or decrease
in Government employees with the
growth Of that guilty feeling" when
outside of Uncle Sans bailiwiCk
had something to do with il. accord
ing 70 various estimates. No one
knows
Persons send in NOT only money. but
stamps and curious things which they
say they have taken from the Gov
eminent For instance. one Of the
latest contributions 10 the conscience
fun" was three electric Signal Corps
bulbs"
Recently some one returned a valu-
able slide rule used by scientists and
mathematiclans, saying they had
taken It from the Government
What to do with these things some
times proves a poser for Government
employees. especially when use can he
found for some OF the articles.
Money Goes TO Several Funds.
The practice has been adopted.
however, that all money or property
which is received must he turned int"
the general fund Of the Urea sury, or
miscellaneous receipts.
The three light bulbs were under.
stood to have been sold md he money
turned into the myst eriouS conscience
fund
in the case OF the slide rule how.
ever. it was found that Government
agency needed just such an article
So il was turned over To that agency
transaction by which fair price for
the rule was paid out 81 appropria ?
ttons for the agency and turned into
the conscience fund.
AS matter of fact the money
which is thus received from anonv-
nous givers never has been Secre-
gated in any one place. In other
words, there is no such thing as a
conscience fund" II acquired thai
use simply because people BEGAN send
ing things to that fund. The money
all goes into miscellaneous receipts
1t all started as far back as 1911.
when the first letter came bringing 81
10 the fund from a person who said he
had "defrauded' the Government
Sis'e that time there have been more
or less regular contributions. Some
times several will arrive within a few
days, the publication of newspaper on
magazine articles often stimulating
such contributions, according to some
officials.
Half Million Received.
The total amount received from
"consciences since the fund was
opened in 1911 is shown on Treasury
records to be $685.. 980.7S. as Of June
80 1925. the end of the last fiscal
year.
One Of the largest contributions. &C
cordinc 10 one story related a. the
Treasury came wrapped in one thick
ness of yellow paper. When unfold
ed it was found to be $40, 600 in bills.
Another package contained $4,000.
Only last week some one from Wall
street post office station. New York
CITY. sent two 500 bills in an on