Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-25
POSTAL BANKS BEST.
Mr.. GARY ADVOCATES THEIR
ESTABLISHMENT.
The Annual Report of the Postmaster
General Goes Into the Subject Ex-
haustively and Recommends the
System without Reserve.
strong Argument Made.

| Strong Argument Made.
The first annual report Of Postmaster
General james A. Gary to the President
has been made public. Its feature Is the
| strong advocacy Of postal savings deposi-
tories, scheme over which Postmaster
General Gary has worked for many
months in the formulation Of plans to pre-
sent to the President and Congress. He
| says the time is ripe for their establish
ment, and that the adoption of we'll
organized system would confer great
boon upon a large number of people, and
ultimately be OF inestimable benefit to the
| whole country.
The estimates Of the revenue and ex-
penditures for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1890, are: Total postal revenue for
1897, $S2, ,665, ,462. .73: add ) per cent, $4,-
| 133, ,273.13; estimated revenue for 1899,
$50, ,70S, 1886; add per cent, $6,075,-
911.51 total estimated revenue for 1899,
$92, ,S74 ,647.3 81; estimated expenditures for
| 1893, $9S,922, 760: deficiency for 1899 es-
timated $6,04S, ,112.G3.
The increase of the postal deficit for
| 1897, Mr.. Gary says, is largely refec-
ti0n Of the depressed business conditions
which prevailed all over the United States
during the first three quarters of that
period. There has been no extravaganza
| of expenditure save that obligated by law.
Reiterating the injustice inflicted both
upon the postal revenues and the people
by second-class mail matter carriage reg
| ulations, the enactment by Congress OF
| some measure to remedy the wrong, SIM
ilarly pointed out by past Postmasters
General, is urged. AS to this the Post
master General says:
| III this were done, there would be an
end to postal deficits, and the service
could be enlarged and popularized by
broad extension Of free delivery, without
infringement upon the general resources
OF the Government, and eventually result
| in the much-desired reduction of letter
| postage to j cent per ounce"
No method of perfecting the organiza-
ton Of the postal service has proved more
effective than the consolidation of post
| Offices. Legislative restrictions on its de-
velopment are to be regretted and re-
peal of the five-mile limit, consolida tion
measure in the 1896 postal appropriation
bill is recommended.
The experimental rural free delivery
has been generously Appreciated few ex-
penditures have conferred greater ben
efts in proportion, and it has unquestion-
ably. proved a potent factor in attaining
what should be chief aim OF government,
the granting of the best possible facilities
to the farming class.
The report reviews in detail the opera
| tons Of the various branches of the de-
partment. The portion on the subject OF
postal savings in brief follows:
MANY millions of dollars is undoubted-
ly secreted by people who have little or
no confidence in ordinary securities and
monetary institutions organized by pri-
vate citizens. 1t is dead capital. but il
its owners could be inspired with abso-
| Iute confidence in the security Of an in
vestment il is altogether probable that
the bulk of this fund would find its way
into the channels of trade and commerce.
IL the Government undertook this task
the service would undoubtedly be gladly
| accepted by the people. Their faith in
the Government is unbounded. Their
little savings, which separately could
hardly be put out at interest, would
amount, in the aggregate, to a sum that
could be invested to their advantage. 1t
| would tend to cultivate thrift in large
class, realizing the advantage of depos-
| iting with the Government instead OF
| wastefully and uselessy expending; it
| would tend to better relationship; bring
into closer relationship the Govern
ment and its citizens, and develop practi-
cal and enduring patriotism. This growth
of patriotic sentiment and good citizen
| ship constitutes a powerful appeal to
craftsmanship to make way for these
benefcent consequences.
1.-The proposition is an accomplished
fact in nearly every country in Europe, in
the British dependencies of both hemi-
spheres, and even in Hawaii. In Great
Britain 100000 depositors have upward
OF $55O,OOO,OO0 in savings accumulated
during thirty-fve years, and in ten years
fewer than 10000 Hawaiian depositors
saved nearly $1,0OO,000. Deposits in Can
ada in twenty years exceeded $50, ,0OO, 600.
These vast accumula tions have been made
with the least possible loss to the Gov
ernments, which guarantee their repay
ment, and with a minimum of cost to the
millions Of depositors. More than thou
sand postal savings accounts in European
Offices are held by minors and over two
thirds by the most humble callings. 1t Is
essentially the bank of this class. Postal
savings would not conflict with those saw
ings banks, but would encourage savings
rather than accumulations. The conver-
sion OF money order Offices into savings
repositories would soon afford indefinitely
more facility for receiving interest-b bear
ing deposits than the interest-paying
banks do now. The most aggressive op-
ponents are among the private institu-
tions engaged in somewhat similar enter
prises, though associations Of the larger
cities recognize in 1t a valuable feeder to
the financial currents of the country.
Security, and not the rate OF interest,
Ia the primary and essential condition of
such system, and bonds of States, conn
ties and municipalities, and real estate,
furnish an illimitable field"
At Ardmore, I. T., Charles Reinard cut