Transcription
September 12, 1949 – dictated September 9.
Dear Irene:
I am so glad you sent me the August issue of Savings Bank Journal, for in it I learned many things about Milt’s business activities and influence that I never knew before. The Editor’s tribute to Milton was particularly good.
Because the Savings Bank Journal was founded by Milton and was his baby for approximately half of his life, I went through the August issue page by page to see the types of articles published and the general character of the magazine. I was particularly interested in the two controversial articles on the proposed Massachusetts State Bill to tax the dividends of mutual state banks. If you did not read the article by Joseph Perry defending the savings banks against the charges of Governor Dever, be sure to read it – he has the best side of the argument.
The House voted to tax the banks by the close majority of 104 to 101. I am hoping that the Senate votes to defeat the Bill. If in the next issue of Savings Bank Journal there is an article on the action taken by the Senate, I wish you would send me that article.
As I read through this issue of Savings Bank Journal it occurred to me that basically it is more important to educate our citizens on personal thrift than on national thrift. I like the thought that Milton had devoted nearly thirty years of his life to the editing of a magazine that was continually promoting the philosophy of thrift.
If more families would be willing to keep their standard of living within their means, how much better it would be for the nation as a whole. One very definite goal I have in mind for Bill is to get him well grounded in the principles of thrift so that each year his books will show that he has lived within his income and has tucked away a surplus that will build for the future.
That was a very good address Mr Hoover gave on his 75th birthday. I passed along to Pen, Fred and father both the Hoover address and the Savings Bank Journal, with the request that they be returned to me for filing, as I would like to keep both of them. Out of the Hoover address I wrote down one quotation which I shall keep in my quotation file. He said: “Nor should our minds work like a sun dial which records only sunshine”. There is a good thought for the Pollyannas who seem to think there is virtue in seeing only the rosy side of life.
Upon my return from Bronxville I received a letter from Al Booth that tugged at my heartstrings, for it told how they had lost their son in a very sudden and tragic way. Al and Tevis were on their vacation in Estes Park, where we had been just a month before, when they received the tragic word that their son had fallen from the fire escape of the building where he was working and was killed instantly. He was very happily married, which made the tragedy all the worse.
Then just this week some close friends of ours here in Akron lost their son in a plane crash, as you will see from the enclosed clipping. Judy knew young Leslie Caldwell better than I did, but I have known his mother and father quite well for a number of years, and know what an adjustment they are facing, particularly since he was their only son. Sarah Caldwell, his mother, is a Biology teacher in one of our Akron High Schools and last year was given a year’s leave of absence to travel all over the United States and part of Europe on a national assignment from Washington. Leslie, Senior, is in the Advertising Department at Firestone. Their son apparently inherited a good mind from both his parents, for he went through Princeton with a high standing and had promise of a successful career ahead of him.
Al Booth, in his letter, showed that they are doing their best to get adjusted to their loss, and the same will be true of the Caldwells. Such is life!. [sic]
Time is a healing factor, so I hope by now you are beginning to get adjusted to your new life. A person with no particular interests and with a lack of natural talents is apt to find life meaningless in a time of great loss. Conversely, a person with many interests, with special talents and, perhaps more important still, with a sound, common sense philosophy of life will find a real purpose in living and will be happy in leading a constructive life. You know as well as I do that you belong to the latter class.
Mary joins me in sending you our love.
Devotedly,
Bill
Mrs Milton W Harrison
25 Sagamore Road
Bronxville, N Y
Monday a.m.
P.S. Fred is leaving for Washington so he asked me to go with Bob to the Akron U. meeting tonight. I just phoned Stan Hywet, but Bob has already left for school, so I’ll phone him around dinner time tonight. I’ll be interested in seeing what the meeting is like.
WPSTranscriber
Cindi RokeLanguage
English
