The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-23
GARY's POSTAL SAVINGS PLAN
Postmaster General Presents Argument
In Favor of tits Scheme.

Washington, Nov. 22.-PostmaS Ster Gen
garding the postal savings bank PROPOSE
ton, strongly urged by him in mis- an
nuai report. Many people throughout
the country have written him. comment
ing on this projected radical extension
of the postal service and have submitted
some suggestions calculated, in their
opinion, to make the scheme more feast
bic. AS a whole, the correspondence in
dicates rather general commenda ton
and some yell known economists and fl
nanciers numbered among the postmas-
ter generals friends and who have Eere-
tofore opposed measures of this charac-
ter nave, in letters just received, given
qualified endorsement. Postmaster
General Gary expects some legislation 10y
congress on this subject, possibly at the
next session and believe. that the ex-
tended discussion which has been given
it throughout the country will render
material assistance 10 this end.
In the course of an interview with the
Associted Press today Mr.. Gary made an
answer to some of the comments that
have been made on the subject. He
said:
81 am very much interested. and not
a little gratifed, at the public criticisms,
as reflected by the newspapers. o; my
recommendations, in respect to postal
savings repositories. / find, of course,
that the great majority of the papers
are favorable to the project, but am no
less pleased with those which have TAX
Ell IN adverse ground. No one disputes
that the project is beset by good many
difficulties, and it is only by discussion.
full and general, that they can be over
come and removed.
"As far as 1 have been able to dis
cover, only two objections have been ser
iously urged against a postal savings
system. The first, which never fails to
turn up, is the old contention that the
government ought not go into the busi-
ness OF collecting and taking care Of
the savings OF the people. l think this
is an objection which may properly be
left 70 congress TO answer. The other
objection is based upon the genera lad
mitted difficulty Of finding safe and prop
er methods Of putting the money eccum-
ulations to profitable use.
~ deliberately abstained from setting
forth definite plan for the disposition
CT tire savings, for the reason that X is
problem which deserves in its SOLUTION
tie benefit of the widest experience and
highest wisdom. 1 conterted myself for
the time with Quilting briefly a number
OF suggestions, repeatedly made by my
predecessors in office and by others and
thereby inviting, as | believed, that crit
ical and helpful discussion by the public
which mas begun already. Perhaps none
Of those suggestions, nor ali OF them put
together, will prove equal TO the task OF
absorbing profitably the collections of
postal savings system; fut 1 am con-
vinoed that the national debt, a. it ex-
lists today, offers temporary solution
OF this difficulty. In the meantime, I
have no doubt, a safe AMI satisfactory
plan will be developed.
1T is agreed on all sides that. IL prac-
tics5le, a postal savings system would
be most desirable. This means a great
deal towards. the success OF the project.
1t is being demonstrated, too, daily ttlat
the people want it; and it mas been my
experience that what the people want
very much is usually pretty nearly right
and is also very likely TO be realized
soone- or later / have received a goJd
many letters since the publication of my
report, from private individuals. from
bankers, merchants, manufacturers pre-
fe-ssional men and others. l value these
personal communications very highly
snd hope to get many more. The propO- /
sition needs discussion and l am conf |
dent that it will be discussed. I trust
that the newspapers, w+lich, by the way
treated NY postal savings recommenda-
tions handsomely, giving it full and ex-
tensive circulation. will keep up their
criticisms and that the people will take (
ii up. think about It, write about 1t AMI /
not forget to send me the results Of their !
thinking. II we all put our heads to- I
gether the right plan can be devised, and /