Conscience Conquers
FIFTY-YEAR-OLD DEBTS PAID
SOME OFFER INTEREST
After fighting an uneasy con- science for over half a century, an unknown person has at last given in and sent £20 to the Leeds Trans- port Department. A note enclosed stated that this sum was taken from horse tram fare boxes more than 50 years ago.
This is only one of scores of people who have waged a losing Aght with their consciences during the past financial year. Although no reference may have been made to it in his Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been busier than ever during the past twelve months acknowledging payments of "conscience money" through newspaper "Agony"
columns.
Most of the money has been "on account of Income-tax," though there was one payment of £15 "on account of unemployment benefit."
If it be true that "coneclence doth make cowards of us all," then- It is equally true that Lent tickles up the conscience, for paymenta are invariably brisk during the six weeks before Easter:
The financial crisia of 1931 was also responsible for many extra twingea of remorse, and it was at this time that the Chancellor of the Exchequer received what was believed to be the largest amount of "conscience money" ever pald to the Treasury at one time- £8,575.. It was sent to the Chan- collor in respect of unpaid Income- tax and Sur-tax. The inrgest item in the total was £7,100, and two other payments of £700 and one of £75 made up the full amount. Until then the highest sum ceived by the Chancellor was £5,000 sent to him during the war.
re-
Nine of every ten paymonta aro signed with a nom-de-plume, und
. the Chancellor hus had to address his replies to names such as "Saved by Grace," "Sorry Forgot," Wor- ried," "Anxious," "Doubtful," and "Int"
FREE RIDES
Although the Treasury, receives the largest number of payments of "conscience money," rallway and ather transport companies receive contributions from namurous people who have managed to "get away with free rides.
Large stores all over the country receive conscience money from wo- men who have taken goods without payment. Explanations accom- panying the money are invariably Lyped, or written in disguised hand- writing.
Among the more-umasual pay- ments of conscience money made in recent years was one of 12 half- penny stamps, received by a Lon- don cinema a short while ago from someone who had sat too long at the pictures.
Four halfpenny stamps were sent to the Bournemouth beach inspec- tor's office by someone who had evidently rested in one of the Cor poration's bench chairs without paying.
A more recent payment was that of 5s. 3d, received by the treasurer -of-Kensington-as-conscience, money,
for the breakage of a Belisha -ben- con at pedestrian crossing..
A guilty conscience, it would seem, can remain alive and prick-
ing for a very long time. It is no
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1935.
Four 700-hp. air-cooled supor charged motors pach with con trollable-pitch propeller.
Radio direction-anding mast and antenna.
Bridge Ind. paTÍ« gation hatake] Four offcars on
duty.
Anchor compart- ment, forward
hold.
Wing, with 130-foot span.j
Outboard, pontoon.
rago compartment
Central fust com- partments.
Sleeping quarters.§
dalley, store-#Navigation
ofcer and TOOM and on- commander In charti
trance hatches.
room,
Cutaway sketch of the Pan American Clipper, pioneer plane of the trans-Pacific air route, which may soon be seen in Hongkong.
A
The German community in Shanghai celebrated Labour Day as their national day with a fing-raising ceremony at the German Consulate-General in the morning, and sports and folk-dancing at the German school in the afternoon. Mr. Kreibel, the German Con aul-General in Shanghai, is shown above presenting across to a former German soldier" gift from the late President Hinden- burg," while to his right are a number of members of the local Nazi organisation photographed during the ceremony. In the lower right corner is Dr. O. P. Trautman, the German Minister to China, addressing the assembly following the Flag-raising ceremony, and on his
left, a group of students at the German school during a drill display.
REFORMS IN PRISONS
CANADIAN.
ncommon thing after 20, 30, and | CONVICTS WILL BE
even 50 years to find that a victim
of such a coniciguce unn stand it m
longer and pays up.
\
ed
THE LOST COIN
Such a case was recently récord.
at Southampton, where
An
elderly woman walked into A grocor shop and handed over 29., reminding the grocer of an in- cident 50 years ago. As a child
PAID
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Ottawa.
Without any particular publi.
she bought some treacle at the city, reform in the Canadian peni- shop and lost her sixpence change.tentlaries is being brought about. The grocer replaced it on the understanding that if the last cofa la recent months, the privileges ex- was found she was to return it to tended the convicts include com. him. Later she discovered theman association at certain hours sixpence sticking to the bottom of In the big halls with radio and the treacle container, but instead other entertainment; pay at the of taking it back, kopt it. The 25. recently paid was for the six rate of 30 cents a week, which, ia pence, plus 18. 6d, Interest.
allowed to accumulate for payment
So fur only one case of con- on release; more frequent visits science money by instalments has of relatives and a widening been recorded. The offer was re-opportunity for vocational train ceived from a British workman
ing.
who stole-a-ride-in a closed waggon
of 'n Canadian National Railways Furthermore, fallowing some in- train bound for the prairies. Ho wrote offering to pay the £3, 108.vestigation to bo mude in England, saved by the ride, plus interest, it is intended to Install the "bor- on the Instalment plan, and on-stal" system. This gives to your closed in his latter the Arst pay offenders, between 16 and 21, the ment.
chance of Improving their educa- tion and better equiping them. aclyes for a life, apart from criminal associations.
STOLEN GOODS
A parolo bourd may be set- up, Oxford In place of having all parole
Charles Káble. of Avenue, Morton Park, went into
a secondhand shop at Touting and
was offered his father's bicycle,
authority centred in one officer at
The Shanghal Japanese cómmunity celebrated the Emperor Hirohito's 34th birthday with grout eclat and the beautiful weather added greatly to the enjoyment of the occasion. In addition to the seen top gathering in Hongkow Park there were various other celebrations. In the picture are left) the Iwate, Aagship of the Japaness Third Flest, decorated for the occasion, (bottom left) sailors in a wrestling match, (top right)"zeremony at the Japanese School in Range Road, (bottom right) - drinking a toast at the Japanese Cónavista-General with Mr. Jahil, Mr. T. V. Soong. Mr. E 3.- Cunningham, and General Wu Te-chen promisnut in the picture.
Ottawa, with little opportunity of reform-from
without-lu the substitution of the electric chair district where the crime was com- which had been stolen tive days | personally interviewing applicants contralisation of all hangings in for the scaffold. As it is, these mitted and bungling is not un-
for release. Another projected penitentiaries and possibly the executions now take place in the known.-United PTERS.
before.
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AND
FLANNEL TROUSERS
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ORIGINALLY $22.50°
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Don't be Vague
ASK POR
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