A TEST OF HONESTY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 August 1924, Page 14

A TEST OF HONESTY.

h rom an ingenious test of public honesty which has been carried out in Fiance by an evening newspaper, the Paris Soir, it would appear (says the London Daily Telegraph) that only about 30 per cent, of men are scrupulously honest. The newspaper’s experiment was made on one hundred men, representing a wide variety of oc. cupations and social grades. Their names were selected from a directory, five being chosen to represent each profession or stratum of social life, and to each one was sent a letter enclosing five francs in postage stamps, with the following note: “In reply to your letter I am enclosing herewith the sum of five francs which I owe you.” The name of the writer and a private address were given, no mention being made, of course, of the newspaper. Those who received the letter and enclosure must have seen at once that there was an error, and that their duty was to return the sum immediately. But only 30 did so, the remaining 70 either being content to profit by a mistake or at any rate willing to give themselves the benefit of any doubt without seeking any explanations. The most honest were members of Parliament, and men of letters, for in each of these catetgories four promptly returned the money, while only one kept it. Next in order of merit came civil servants, doctors and chimneysweeps, each class having three who returned the remittance, against two who kept it. Ministers of religion, academicians, diplomats, actors, and magistrates had each only two representatives out of five who. did the right thing, while the proportion was only one in five among lawyers, publishers, manufacturers, dressmakers, hairdressers and bakers. Grocers, butchers, and wine merchants came out of the test with the least credit, for in every case they kept the cash and asked no questions.