Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-02-16

1t has been one OF the evils of the
Hawalian's condition in life that he
possessed no safe, easy, conpenient
means, of laying by surplus.'of his
earnings. Englishmen would rarely be
induced to make deposits in bank as
far away rs bank at Honolulu is from
many parts of this Kingdom. We can
never hope for any very general habit
of money-saving among poor people
unless the means of making deposits is
right at hand. The post-office savings
bank system has been successful where
ever tried very largely because it has
stopped at every mans door and said
"Here is chance for you to save your
money and make it earn something for
you" 1t is the old saying over again
about breaking open a mans head
with a sledge-hammer to get joke in.
Thousands of people would never save
a cent in the most favored land were it
not that the process of saving was
made so easy and convenient. "At the
end of the first yeai after the post-office
savings banks were started in England,
the amount of deposits reached $7,7os,-
IT'S, with an average of about fifty dol
lars for each depostor. 1t was cstima-
ted that one-fourth was drawn from the
old savings banks, and that three
fourths was from new depositors. 1t
is to be hoped that our postmaster
general is at work on some plan whereby
the people of this kingdom can reap
some of the advantages that the people
of other nations have been reaping
these many years and that he will
recommend in his report the adoption
of something like the English system.
Such system can be added to our
present post-otfice service and not call
for any additional expenditure except
possibly at the Honolulu office. In fact,
it is not improbable that the system can
be put on paying basis from the start
The yearly saving in interest to the
government would be an item, foi
though it would need to pay interest to
depositors, it might fix that rate so low
that 1t would ultimately derive benefit
from the saving in the matter Of outside
loans. This of course would not be
large but it might eventually prove
quite an aid in defraying the expense o.
the post-office department. Howevel
government is never in its best working
a money-making institution. 1t is moi
one OF its functions to amass. wealth
but rather to serve the highest weliar,
of its subjects by providing suct
machinery as will best develop indiyid
ual prosperity. The example of othe
nations shows at once the feasibility ant
the desirability OF providing post-offic,
savings banks for the people of lhi
kingdom. Government should aiior,
The largest facilities Tor the growth o
good habits among its subjects. Ono,
teach man the habit Of saving, and
you have taught him to become :
larger producer. The minor industrie,
on which the people of these island:
must in the future depend for theil
llyellhoodwill be multiplied and fostered
only by some wise provision whereof,
a larger number may become small
capitalists Under the present lack Of
aids in the saving OF money, much O
what might otherwise be converted
into productive capital, is frittered
away and lost TO the nation. 1t is an
actual loss ) for when native acquire.
a few hundred dollars, not having an,
safe place for deposit, he proceeds L
live ON the sum while il lasts without
laboring To acquire more, and this h,
does as the best method at his con,
mand Of deriving personal benefit from
his money ard OF preventing its passinI
into the hands Of Others through los