The morning call., 1891-09-09
Save THE PENNIES,
POUNDS Will COME.
The Nickel Stamp and Safe Idea for
Accommodations.
Practical Development of the German System
of Reaching the People Through Agen-
cies in City and Country.

an abstract OF a circular report from
United States Consul in Germany showing
a series of systems adopted by the o'd bank
lighthouses OF that country to encourage the
poorer classes of people to deposit their
small savings where they would be drawing
interest and where the depostors would
have sums of money laid up either to estab-
lIsh them in the business of their lives or
as a fund to fall back upon when old age,
infirmity or misfortune should oyertake
them. These deposits were for as small an
amount as a pfennig, or tie smallest coin
known to German currency. Many trades
men and labUrers. lived so far from the
banks of deposit that it would not pay
them to go to the bank, open an account
and every time
THEY HAD A FEW COINS
Deposit them, and in order to meet the
wants of this class agencies were estab-
lished at drug-stores, jewelers., grocers' and
other creditabe places of business, where
the prudent workngman could 90 and get a
deposit and purchase stamps to be
placed to his credit. and by this means a
thrifty spirit of saving developed itself to
such an extent that the accumulatons of
small coins, which before the adoption Of
the system had gone into the tils of the
Ubel-UUuSbS, 10 uuuuTGuS OIL lIlbu-
sands of dollars. The improvement in the
condition of the people was very marked.
Homes that in former days had been the
abode of poverty and squalOr-and In very
many instances bearing the concOmitant,
crime, as its fruit-became houses of thrift,
economy, soOrlety, neatness, responsibility
and the Christian virtues. The success OF
the scheme has been phenomenal. Mil lions
of dollars that had been previously worse
than wasted now formed basis of accumu-
lated wealth to those who had earned it.
Formerly it had enriched the wine-shops,
but at the same time 1t had degraded the
wase-earner. But now the tables were
TURNED WITH A VENGEANCE.
A CALL representative showed the Con-
sular report to DIR. Il. II. McDonald, Presi-
dent of the Pacific bank, and asked him
what he thought of it, He said he had not
read the report, but would do so. He fur
Their stated that from his own personal
knowledge the habit Of depositng small
sums was growing ulOn the people, and
that the bulk of deposits increased largely
from wear to year. The German method of
reaching the extremely poor classes, how
ever, was new and novel feature in bank
ing. and he would read the Consular report
at his leisure, and would then be able to ex-
press an opinion. The CALL has never
since had an opportunity to ascertain from
mis- own lips what he thought of 1t, but
from the fact that the Peoples Home Saw
ln8S bGDk has Dt6ll tSldUllSutAl III lulS tIly
upon precisely the same principles as those
which govern the banking institutions re-
ferred to in Germany, and that it has the
solid support and backing of the immense
wealth of the Mcdonald family, and also of
the Pacific Bank, it is evident that DR.. Nc
Donald read the report and gave 1t his
FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION.
By the stamp system depositors are en-
abled to deposit and thereby save the in
Vulnerable nickels that in the past have
slipped through their fingers and been lost
forever. Agents are established all over
the city and county and State, from whom
the stamps of the bank can be procured and
also the book of deposit. Each book con-
tains ten or fifteen deposit cards, and each
card has room for twenty stamps, So that
the card when filed represents 81. Each
book has a number stamped upon 1t In
figures, and each deposit card in the book
has the same number stamped upon it.
This number belongs to the depositOr so
long as his book lasts. He signs registry
card having on it the same number as on
the book, and the bank keeps this registry
card in order that it may know the sigma
ture Of the depositOr. When card Is full
the bank rrdeemS Ii by giving you credit In
your handbook to the amount of 81. As
soon as your deposit is made il commences
to draw interest. The scent stamp depart
nlent has grown to be immensely popular.
The women seized upon the idea first and
lltll IL uAu lOL tahC AOuk w bNNOihO POPu4oi
with men.
CHILDREN ALSO HAVE TAKEN TO THE
IDEA
Immensely. Another very popular idea for
saving money Is a beautiful nckel-pated
safe which the Peoples Home Saving Bank
furnishes. This safe is y inches long, 81
inches high and "a inches deep, having II
slot on top large enough to admit the pas
sage OF a silver dollar or a $50 gold piece.
The safe is very strong and there is patent
arrangement inside which will not permit
the shaking out of the coin. The bank re-
tains the key 10 the safe and 1t can only be
opened at the bank. When the holder of
the safe wishes to deposit his or her earn
ings they take the safe to the bank, where
1t is opened in their presence, the money
counted and placed to their credit, when
1t begius to draw interest II young men
who are lavish in their expenditures could
be brought TO see that by saving % cents a
day for fifty years they would have the nice
little accumulation OF $751; enough to
produce an income that would support
them luxuriouSly in their old age, they
would certainly do it and thereby lift from
their shoulders burden which it is hard
enough to sustain in the days Of youth and
strength but which is grieyOuS to bear when
the iBtrmtles Of aye come upon one IN
prepared to provide for the comforts neces-
sary at that time of life
There is another class Of people who, in
one sense of the word, are as unfortunate
as the very poor, and they are the very
rich II they desire to leave their homes
they are fearful that burglars OF fire may
rob them OF their property. To such the
Peoples Home Savings Bank offers an in
ducement to safety in lis deposit vaults.
These are fitted up on the plan of the
magnificent vaults connected with the
Equitable Building of New York. Boxes
may be rented at prices varying from 81 to
sos year in which to keep stocks, bonds,
jewelry. cash or valuAbles of any descrp-
ton. These vaults are burglar proof and
fire proof Luxurious private rooms are
connected with the vaults, in which renters
of boxes will find tables, desks, chairs,
pens, ink, paper or any other convenience
required, and where
THEY CAN COUNT THEIR TREASURE
Or clip coupons without danger of being
disturbed in any manner. The rooms are
we'll lighted by means of arc lights. Ad-
journng these rooms is the room of the
Directors. luXuriously fitted up apartment
with twelve very high-backed mahogany
chairs upholstered in leather. In fact. every
thing connected with the bank or its belong
ings gives an idea of great strength and
solidity.
In the basement there are strong cells for
the storage of bulky articles, and there are
also rooms for tile accommodation of ladies'
who wish to transact their business pri-
vately or have private conferences. In
fact, in every detail special reference has
been had to the convenience of customers,
AS going to show the popularity of the in
stitution and the great faith the public has
in its stability, 1t is only necessary to state
that during the month of August over 600
new accounts were opened and thousands
of dollars deposited through the medium of
the small deposit system.