Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-05-23
The Governments Conscience Fund
Continues to Grow, So Evidently
the World Is Not Getting Worse
Stamps, Pennies and Money
Orders Come From All Over.
RY RODNEY nTTTCHFR
Z Service Writer

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Orders Come From All Over.
BY RODNEY BUTCHER
NEA Service Writer
WASHINGTON, May % The
good old American conscience,
which has caused so much misery,
shows no signs Of wearing out.
For more than a hundred years an
average of about $500 annually has
been dribbling into the ~treasury's
conscience fund
Nearly all those who make any
comment on their donations ex-
plain that religion has come into
their lives and caused them to pay
back money Of which they claim
to have defraudcd the government.
OF course some of these conscience
fund" contributors don't owe the
government anything and are OBJ
viously reveling in artificial ecstacies
OF atonement.
Six Bits for Pebbles
Here's q typical letter recently
addressed TO President Hoover,
which found its way to the treas
ury:
Thanking God for his Saving
Grace. I am indebted to the Treas
ury the sum OF Is cents for peb-
bles. small stones. acorns and
leaves taken as .rvenirs while
visiting Gettysburg National Gem
etry some years ago. God in his
love has shown me Il was dis
pleasing him. Thanking him who
died for me for making il posi-
bic 10 make al things right.
Yours In Christ"
Explanations are most likely 70
come from the smaller contrlbu-
tors. For instance, N come two
cent stamps from somebody who
saws. Il used stamps from old
letters that were not marked.
Heaven forgive met" But the iarg-
est contribution which has come in
lately-S437 sent 20 the internal
revenue office in New York-was
contained In several money orders
signed by a name which proved TO
be fictitious.
The conscience fund" was born
IN 1911 when IN anonymous per-
son sent the treasury IS. OF which
he said he had defrauded the gov
eminent.
II now totals more than $3.50, 900.
The term fund" Is a misnomer,
however. No real fund was ever
established. The money is turned
over to the treasurer Of the United
States and increases the available
balance" It comes under the gen.
eral supervision or TIRE Division OF
Bookkeeping and Warrants.
In only one year were there no
conscience" contr.nutions-l848.
Once a Civil War veteran az
Greencastle. Ind. sent in 5000 be-
cause he had stolen a mule from
the army. Some years ago a clergy
man in a foreign capital gave the
American consul general $l4,225.l5
which had been handed to him by
a communicate who confessed that
he had defrauded the u. 8. govern
ment.
Another man who had forged
a check and thus beaten Uncle
Sam out Of $500. finally sent in
S510.50. which included compound
interest. Ten or Is years ago a
veteran Of the Civil War sent S.
for a saddle blanket which he had
appropriated in 1859. A hundred
dollars came In to pay for the duty
on an undeclared watch brought In
from Europe.
Enclosed find check for 81 to
cover Is rounds Of ammunition I
sent home for a souvenir while I
was in the service in 1eiS-l9," an
Oregon man wrote a few days ago.
signing his name. II have accepted
Jesus Christ as my personal savior.
He requires that I straighten I'D
all my wrongs as far as possible to
do so. Please forgive me and see
that the money reaches the right
place"
Eighty-five cents In silver came
in from Springfield. Mass, the
other day, with explanation or in
dication OF origin.
A man in Reading, Pa. last
April found q nickel on the street
and immediately sent It to Secre-
tary Andrew w. Mellon, explain
ing that he couldn't find the own
er and preferred that Mellon take
the responsibility.
In another envelope, postmarked
Reading. came three pennies. Pos
sibly these were from the same man.
A Soldier Coughs Up
Religion inspired r contribution
Of SHOTS recently received BY the
War Department. This ex-soldier