Class of 1903

Have you read Hoppy's letter to Leggett on the current Alumni Fund Campaign? If not, you should do so. I suppose some of our non-contributors divide the class quota by the one hundred sixty or so living members of the class; finding the result to be a figure beyond what they feel like contributing, they end up by contributing nothing. The majority of contributors in our class as well as in others, as a matter of fact, contribute less than their fraction of the class quota arrived at in this manner. However, numbers count as well as quotas; I'd favor every last man's getting in, if only a dollar or five dollars is the amount of his gift. When I left Dartmouth I figured out how much I owed the College in dollars and cents, due to the fact that I never paid full tuition, and also to the fact that the full tuition in our day didn't come near paying the actual cost of having me around the College, probably by half. This is entirely apart from any matter of sentiment, which might multiply my debt many times. Whatever I have contributed to the College since then is merely payment on my indebtedness. It isn't all paid yet; when it is, I'll start paying back interest. Of course, money is worth much less now than then, so the College will benefit less than it should from- these belated payments. The fact that it is asking us alumni for $130,000 this year shows that it still can make good use of the money. I shall do what I can to whittle down my debt; those who are richer in material goods should give more; those poorer, if any, will perhaps give less; but let's all give something.

The above is said spontaneously, and without consulting the class agent. Hope he doesn't mind.

There is a splendid article by Vic Cutter in The Nation's Business for January, entitled "The Golden Rule in our Foreign Trade." It's quite worth reading. Some of the retail purveyors of bananas in my neighborhood haven't heard anything about the Golden Rule. At least they practice quite the opposite. Vic, can't you do something about this? I feel a trifle sour on the subject.

Good note from Charlie Luce this month. He didn't tell me anything worth repeating to the rest of you. No news from Prexy Whelden. Prexy is full of news when he takes the trouble to write it.

I've had to give up trying to make this secretary job a full-time matter; I carried on on that basis from my election last June until a week ago, but I can't live on the salary. On March 20 I returned to my old place as principal of the Waters School, Chicago. Seriously, since July 2, last, I have been spending most of my time in bed, on account of a seriously impaired heart, the after effect of the flu, last April. The doctor doesn't approve of my getting out even now, but I couldn't stand it any longer. Seem to have stood up all right so far. Hope to have something besides personal news next month.

Secretary, 1033 Northshore Ave., Chicago