The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-13
SCHOOL SAYINGS BANKS.


The notion of ENGRAVING habits of pru-
dence and economy In the v-ry young VIII strikc
most persons as pleasantly utopian. Yet that
to which prccept and mple are ludicrously
unequal has been nc rompshsd in most enec-
tive way by an lbs tuition lately adopted IN the
schools Of England and France. the remark
able results which have already attended the
Introduction OF savings banks in those primary
establishments NAV well engage the attention
Of those VINO are Interested in education.
The establishment Of school savings banks
was preached In France sons forty years ago,
but the idea failed to take substantial shape
until in 1865 simple AMI practicable system was
devised aud set on fOol In Belgium. The
method followed may be described in few
words. Once week, usually on TUESDAYS, the
master receives the small sums handsd IN by
each juvenile depositor and inscriDes them i'm
medlately register and also on Nv
leaf which he delivers to the pupil. once a
month the accumulations Of those scholars who
have saved one franc or upward are transmit
ted, In round sums Of francs for each dopositor,
to the savings bank established by law In the
locality, where they are entered In an ordinary
bank book. BY this proceeding the child Is OF
course constituted the direct creditor OF the
bank, and tho Instructor so far relieved OF &C
countability. When, In view Of some useful
disbursement or of aiding his family In strait
ene1 circumstances, the pupil deslres to with
draw bis dep islt he needs only the Intervention
OF his legal gu rdian.
1t Is this bank book, wherein the young de-
positor nnds himself treated like a man be-
cause he has performed mans act, which
becomes the educator OF the child, ana also In
many cases OF his family. That the habit Of
economy is oft n comm iniclted by the pupil to
In
Belgium. where the rapid lncrease of adult de
positors during the last decade Is attributed, In
lrge me isure, - the school savings banks
According to an onlcial report published last
year. tho mai ,rity OF the scholars parents
knew nothing OF savings Institutions, and would
never have dreamed Of using them, before they
saw their chilurens bank books" The same
result has been observed In France. and notably
| NJ Bordeaux. where school savings banks have
been in operation since the beginning OF 1875.
| In the following year II observed by the
Bordeaux Savings Bank, ono OF the largest
establishments In Europe, that the gain both in
| the number and amour Of their deposits was
Ave times greaterth IN the norm Il rate. 90 well
satisfied IS 1t with the positive results OF school
savings b nks tn tits preparing. through its
| fourteen branches, to extend their application
to the whole district OF bordeaux.
| The Delsian system was i'm ported into Eng
land In 1874 by Mr.. Fitch, the q ,neral Inspector
~ Schools and Is known to have acquired a
large development. al hough on this head pre-
else statistics re wanting. At the same date 1t
was adopted In France. after AN inquiry suggest
ed by the Ministry OF Commerce. and the sue
cess Of the Institution Is sign tlized In re-
cent report of the society hArged with its intro
| auction and control. 1t ap Jears that some
twento-thrcs hundred schools, distribute 4
| ,hr q no a IA Va IA
nisned with the requisite Appliances "a register
and dcpJsitors' slip), and that the mes Of
more than a hundred and 1fty-1ve thousand
school childre are now entered on the books OF
the Government SAVINGS banks. Nor tn,
aggregate sums deposited altogether insignia
cant. In Bordeaux, where the system had beer
extended Last year 70 lfty-three schools, tn,
Young deposi,ors had standing to their credit
bout ten thousand dollars, after deductOg
sum u two tnpusind. donated to the victims o
the Garonne inundation. S9mSturI loo litie
h We done much better For instance. the de
partment 4 the Asnc has some SIX thous IN,
schul.r- inscribed ON the Docks ~ its bank. an'
representing thirty thousand dollars. rnis /
certainly no mean exhibit for an institution no
YET Nv, yeas old.
1t Is not, however the amount Of such depos
iss which renders the extension OF their bust
ness to schools an object Of capital impo.tanc
to savines banks. Insy might, in this way
train up for themselves vast body Of faithful
and profitable customers, aud acquire, as
were, indefeasible lien ON the economies o
the future. Moreover, we have pointed out
the uuptemedit,ted prop ,nda which IS carried
on N the family circle is found t. bear speed
fruit IN substantial increase OF adult depos
iturs.
1t is plain that this IA no fanc.fll scheme, in
ctulhla tf IruttfeaI nuultetfi1u. II has heel
sancti med by some Of the most hsrd-heAde,
and clr.r-si-hte of nations, and /, RAPIDLY win
ming adm rents throughout E4rope. Within IN
last few months the ltlnau Government la
directed It's adoption 10y the pubic schools q
tue pcniusul,