The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-18

hanks, and North Carolina and South
Carolina. with only and { respectively,
afford few opportunities to save.
Massachusetts is full OF cities and large
towns, and in each Of the cities and
larger towns can be found one or more
savings banks. In North Carolina there
are only six savings banks for, all her
vast territory In Massachusetts every
factory is near a bank. In North Caro-
lima nearly all the factories are far re-
moved from banks. In Massachusetts.
when the factory people are paid off on
Saturday, they find at their very doors
a place where they can lay by a small
amount OF their earnings, and they sys-
tematically set apart a portion for that
purpose. In North Carolina, when tn,
factory people receive their pay, there IS
no place in which they can place dollar
to save, and they spend it all. | venture
the assertion that if there was Il savings
bank convenient to the cotton mills OF
Randolph county that its books would
show thousands Of dollars to the credit
Of the operatives. The same thing would
be true Of Alamance, CASTOR and others.
If some Of our business men, with the
spirit of Dr. Worth, wish to engage in
a paying enterprise, and at the same time
confer blessings upon the community, let
them open savings banks for the con-
venience of the people. Or it there are
not men of some means who are willing
to do this, let the working people them
selves (which, in my opinion, is BETTER,
organize mutual savings BANKS in which
to husband their earnings. There are
~. 10 he ,xrsy, of
North Carolina working people. They
do not, as n rule, possess the spirit or
thrift that is found at the North. We
say that our Yankee cousins are sinfully
mercenary May be they are, but we are
apt to complain because we do not have
more of the fruits of such sin. This thrift
is begotten largely, as heretofore suggest
ed. by opportunity. The savings bank
stimulates the man of small means with
a desire to save This desire to save
leads him to study economical living.
He learns the art of spending money to
the best advantage. A fixed amount is
set aside for living expenses. sand this IL
made to meet them: and the balance, not
thus set apart, goes in the bank. Our
people have not learned this, and they will
not learn it until they are situated diff
ferently. 1t is not their fault, but the
fact remains.
The causes then for the small savings
in the South may be said to be as fol-
lows:
Lack of employment In good paying oc-
equations for both men and women, es-
pecially women: lack of savings banks,
an opportunity to save: lack Of DISPOSE
ton to save (which will change by furn-
ishing opportunity
l have no figures that indicate how
much Of the $44O,OOO000 in the Massa-
chusetts savings banks is to the credit
Of women, but 1 know it is very con-
siderable. In that State women have
forced themselves into all the avenues
of gain, and enter direct competition with
men in many calings. In the South we
have frowned down the idea Of wo-
mans helping herself, because we said it
made her unfit for wOmanly duties. l
confess to holding strongly to the notion
STILL But no matter what my notions
are or what to us seems proper, the
truth is, woman is fast becoming great
factor in business land in politics tool, in
spite of our notions. / suppose she knows
her business, and if she upsets some OF
my darling notions, shall not think less
Of her, if she betters her own condition
thereby.
T. NJ ROBERTSON.
Washington, d. c., May 6, 1897.