Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-11-11
VOLUME XIV.
NEEDS POSTAL BANKS,
Would Be of Especial Benefit to the
People in the South.

People in the South.
Ernest G. De Long, OF IarPon
Springs, Fla, writes to the Chicago
record as follows:
"Should postal savings banks be es'
tablished l fully believe that 20 per
cent of the negro women of the south
would become depositors within year.
This would have better effect upon
the character of the African race than
any other reform thus far spoken OF.
1t would give them an aim IN lie IN
which all could take part. 1t would
protect them from unprincipled sharp
ers, both white and black. My expert
ence is that the colored people have
implicit confidence IN the government,
and none whatever in anyone else,
when 1t comes to money matters. One
with a savings bank account. no matter
how small. would be better citizen IN
every respect. 1t would start deposl'
tors on a road to usefulness In right
direction, encourage industry and dis
courage gambling. Above all else
would be the moral effect. 1t would
be more than the most stringent laws
to prevent crime, because 1t would be
a greater incentive for the preserving
of their identity. AS it is now, one
name and one locality is just the same
sas another, and it is very common tor
the negroes to change their names
every time they change their location
and that makes it very easy for them to
dodge the law; much more so than tor
a white man, for it takes years OF ex-
perience for northern man to tell one
negro from another and the south is
fast filling up with northern people, OF
whom I am one. 1t behooves US all in
our own interest, as we'll as that OF
humanity, to improve the condition OF
the blacks, and I know of nothing that
would do it so well as a moneyed in
terest in the government"
POSTAL BANKS NEEDED.
At a recent meeting of the Indiana
Bankers association at indianapolis,
Mortimer Levering. of Lafayette, rec
oguized as one of the best hnancIers
in Indiana, made an address on postal
savings banks in which he said: 'The
government is in position to manage
this thing through its present post
Office system, and will scarcely increase
the expense of that department, while
it will enhance the accumulated wealth
of the people throughout the whole
United States. 1t was thought that
the building and loan associations would
care for the savings of the masses, but
people have become suspicious OF them.
It is well known that lawyers in Indiana
are making as much as $40, 200 year
out of these institutions, and officers
are making much money out OF them.
We all know that trust companies are
not organized as eleemosynary instltu'
tions. We want a system of savings
banks that are for the poor people.
What greater pride could man have
than to think himself depositor of the
United States7
FOR WORKING PEOPLE.
The Rev. Jota Adams, New Milford,
ILL.,, says; "Postal savings banks, in
my opinion, would be particularly
good thing for the country places.
Take my own town, for instance-New
Milford. We are six miles from Rock
ford, where there are savings banks,
but our working people cannot take ths
time to go there. and consequently
have no other place than an old stock
ing or the chimney to put their little
savings. When these people are saving
any money 1t is particularly necessary
that they should have perfectly safe
depository and this would be afforded
by the government postal savings
banks"