The San Francisco call., 1897-11-15
Countries Cited in Which the
System Is a Decided
Success.
FAITH IN UNCLE SAM is
UNBOUNDED.
Therefore If the Government
Opened Deposi orie, i Would
Encourage Public Thrift.
Special Dispatch TO THE CALL
CALL OFFICE RIGGS House, !
WASHINGTON, NV. IA


WASHINGTON. NV. IA (
The first annual epor oi Pos master
General James \. Gary 20 the President
was made public to- ig {. It's feature is
the strong advocacy of postal sayin1s de-
positories as a scheme over which Post
master General Gary has worked for sew
eral months in me formulation OF plans
10 present to the President and C0ngre s..
he says the time is ripe for the esta blish-
ment, and that the addition OF well or
ganized system woul confer a great boon
upon q large mum ber of peope and ulti-
mately be of inesiimable benefit to the
whole country. The estimates of reve-
nues and expenditures Tor the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1899. are:
Total postal revenue for 1897, $50 Cos,
462 70; add per cent, 81 1873 273 I3; esti-
mated revenue for 1898, $50 79S 1856 SO; add
per cent, $6,075, 91 50; o'ai estimated
revenue for 1899 $92, 874 647 81; estimated
expenditures ior 1898, $93 go $50; de-
fciency Tor 1899 estimated, $6,04S, 112 63.
Following al abstract of the II port ::
The increase OF he postal deficit for 1897
is largely a reflection of the depressed
conditions which prevailed all over the
United States the frs three quarters of
that period. There has been no extrava-
gsnce of expenditures, save that obligated
by law. RAIterating the injustice in
fIcted both upon the postal revenues and
the people by second-class mail matter,
carnage regulations, the enactment by
Congress of some mea >ure to remedy the
wrong is urged. AS 10 this the Post
maater-General says:
"If this were done there would be an
end to postaI deficits, and the service could
be enlarged ana 20 ular z ed by broad
extension of free delivery without in
fringement upon the general resources of
the Cove -nment AMI eventually result in
the much desired reduction Of letter post
age of cent per ounce.
mo method OF perfect organization of
the postal service has proved more effec-
tive than the consolidation OF postoffices
Legislative restrictions on its development
are to be regretted, and a report OF the
FIVE mile limit consolidation measure in
the 1896 postal appropriation bill is recon-
mended.
The eIrerimental rural free delivery
has been generously appre ciated; few ex-
In proportion, and il has unuuestionablv
proved potent factor in attaining what
should be chief aim of tie Government,
the granting Of the best possible postal
facilities to the farming class
The report reviews IN detail the opera
tions of the various branches of the de-
partment. The portion on the subject OF
postal savings, in brief. follows:
Many millions OF dollars are undoubt-
edly secreted by people who nave little or
no confidence in ordinary securities or
monetary institutions organized by pri-
Vate ciiIZens. i Is dead capital; but If
Its owners could be inspired WI bsolute
confidence IN the security OF an invest
ment 1t is altogether probable that the
bulk o: this fund would lind its way into
the channels OF trade and commerce. If
the Government undertook this task The
service would undoubtedly be gladly ac-
copied by the people. Their faith IN e
Government is unbounded. Their little
savings which separately could hardly be
put out at interest, would amount IN the
aggregate, to a sum that cCud be invested
to their advantage. II would tend 10 cul-
tIvate thrift In a large class realizing the
advantage OF depositing with the Govern
ment instead OF wastefu.y and useless V
expendng II. II would tend TO better re-
lationshlp, bringing into closer relat on
ship the Government with its citizens,
and develop practical and enduring
patriotism.
This growth OF patriotic sentiment and
good citizenship constitute powerful APP
peal to stetesmans to make wav for
these benehcient consequences. The
proposition is an ACCOMPLISHED fact in
nearly every country IN Europe, in British
dependencies of both hemispheres, and
even in Hawaii. In great Britain Z. o, 900
depositors have upward of $500, 100, coo IN
savings accumulated during thlrly-five
years and IN ten years no fewer than 10 =
900 Hawaiian depositors saved nearly
$1,000, 000 Deposits IN Canada in twenty
years exceeded 500 600, 900.
Those vast accumu aUiOns have been
made with the least possible loss to the
governments which guarantee heir repay
ment and with minimum of cost to the
millions OF deposItor-. More than a thou
SAND postal savings accounts IN European
offices are held by minors and over two
thirds by the most hum be callings 1t is
essentially the bank OF tbi class Postal
savings would not conflict with these
savings bank, but woulj encourage saw
tngs rather tina accumulat,ons.
The conversion Of monev-order Offices
INTO savings repositories would soon af-
lord Indefinitely more facility for receiv-
ing interest bearing deposits than the in
terest-paying banks do now. The most
aggressive opponents are among the pri-
vate institutions engaged in somewhat
similar enterprises, though associations of
Larger cities recognize In it valuable
FEEDER 10 the financial currents OF the
country. Security and not the rate of in
lerest is The primary and es ential condi-
ton of such a system, and bonds Of
ates, counties and municipa! !itIes and
zeal estate furnish an i'll mitable field
Compar NJ other countries, the Post
master General says nearly very country
permits is most popular coin as the min
imum amount OF deposit, varying from
cents in India to l cent in Canada.
Maximum deposits ~ from $285 in
Franc. t. $2435 in New Zealand. Depos-
Its over the amount are non-interest bear
Ipe. and in several countries the surplus