, 1885-11-25

to the Antigua public. The one is the Liabili
ties and Assets of this Presidency, and the
other the Balance Sheet of the st. Johns
Savings Bank. The first account shows q
very material reduction OF the public debt
during a period of unwOnted and univer-
sal depression not only in our colony but
throughout the West Indies, the total liza
bill ties of the Island being now only EG,
176. II. 103, against ell, 500. ID. ~ at
the corresponding period of last year. In
fact it may be said that we have no public
debt at all, because there is enough and
to spare in the cash balances on the other
side Of the account to pay off ut once, If the
amounts were dine, the E5, Ill. 0. 0 under
the head of "Holdprs of Loan of 1882 and
the trihing balance Of Water Works Loan,
E2500, leaving only IL part of the Savings
Bank investment in the local Treasury
tES,000) to be provided for, if it were pos
sihle to conceive that that amount along
with amounts invested elsewhere, would
ever be suddenly demanded by the DEPOSIT
tors. Oar Savings Bank monies, to- cOm-
pare small things with great, may be re-
garled in the light Ofthe national debt of
England, payment of the whole of which
at any one time to the parties Interested
would be felt by at least the smaller depO-
sitorS as almost II calamity, and the Execu-
tive is only too glad to avail itself of invest.
mentS in England as we'll as in the island
Treasury. the Colonial Bank and elsewhere
Of its constantly accommodating funds.
The Savings Bank Balance Sheet pre-
SCENTS equally pleasing features, the total
deposits being Els 62. II. 2 against ,E27,
81. Is. . for the corresponding period of
last year. The number Of large depositors
OF GI00 and upwards remains exactly sta
%ti0nary, Il no doubt curious coincidence
bat what we are especially g~ratitied to see.
rs an evidence of increasing thrift under
difficulties among the humber classes, is
that the smaller depoSitOrS have increased
in number to an appreclable extent, III fact
the difference in favour Of the present years
aggregate deposits is made up altogether
by the lesser depoSitOrs. Thus, at this
time last year We had 236 depositors of Ell
and less than G5, while this year we have
267 of the same class of thrifty people; last
year we had 119 depoSitors of e. and less
than G10. this year we have 125 of the same
class last year we had 23 depoSitOrs OF
ESQ and less than G40, this year 20, and
so on, all the depOsitorS under rEI0O show
ing an increase more or less in their num-
herS. OF course there would i'll ordinary
times be nothing particular to notice Ill
what after all is not a very considerable III.
crease in the figures we have just enumer-
ated; but the year has been a very hard
one, during which the incOmlngs OF every
class of the community must have been con-
sidGrably less than tOrmany previous years.,
and the revelation certainly comes to sur
prise us that during that time even the
most selfdenying people should have been
able to lay by any thing at all. The pro
verbal rainy day, for which prudent peo-
pie provide, had come it might have been
thought with a vengeance, and instead OF
respectable acc Limitations at the Bank be-
ing recorded, one would have expected to
SOC very heavy Withdrawals to meet ext
gencies. We leave the remarkable fact to
be explained as best it can by other s. A"
tigaa Observer, NoU. 9TH.