A DEBT OF HONOR

The plan to raise the 25th anniversary gift of the Class of 1924 by means of endowment insurance appears to be an exceedingly good one, from every point of view. Among its other advantages, it has the merit of distributing the burdon--of allowing every member of the class to assist in raising the fund to assist very materially, yet without great financial strain at any time. A class fund composed of large contributions from a few wealthy men may be just as useful as a fund which represents substantial gifts from every member, but it is certainly not as democratic; and the non-contributing members have no real justification for pride or interest in its ultimate disposition.

The management of the whole affair by the Insurance company will relieve the Class Committee of a mountain of work, which would otherwise dog its footsteps for several decades; it insures safety and no inconsiderable economy in clerical labor, collection expense and any number of similar items connected with the fund. It is gratifying to find that the interest yielded by this method exceeds that yielded by others; and it will no doubt be of great satisfaction to everyone to know that if he dies before his policy is fully paid up, the college nevertheless receives the full amount. Nay, he even does the University a service by dying as Quickly as possible, since the whole sum begins to draw interest sooner in such a case; and moreover, he saves money himself. The Class Committee, has of course, no intention of urging men to die immediately after paying their first premium, but it can be readily seen that from a financial point of view this would be a most happy and fortuitious proceeding.

Altogether, this plan makes certain whatever sum is subscribed originally by the members of the Class, if the premiums are paid; and it ought to be possible to form in the first few years out of college a good habit of paying premiums regularly which will last the rest of the twenty-five. It is not necessary to point out what every graduate owes to the University every graduate best knows that himself. But it is difficult to imagine any method of paying this debt more conveniently or more equitably than by the endowment insurance plan. It is about as watertight, as safe, as burdenless a scheme as can be devised.