The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-11-10
SAVINGS OF me SOLDIERS.


Serving ia the III Hpp.nss.
The United States are paying a high
err rate Of interest TO soldiers than on
the last bond Issue. Last year this in-
,crest account amounted almost to
$4,000. This interest, 4 per cent,
paid on deposits, and only to enlisted
men. Officers are excluded. Any sol
/ der, not retired, may deposit his saw
lngs with any paymastcr in sums not
less than 50. Money once deposited
may remain until expiration of his EN-
listment This privilege Of depositlng
money has been of great value to the
soldiers, for 1t provides security for
their surplus money and Is profitable.
During the past year the record of
| deposits has been remarkable. but it is
plain that the highwater mark has not
been reached. For the fiscal year end
Ing June 30 more than half a million
dollars was deposited by the troops at
Manila alone. This record promises TO
be eclipsed during the current year
and the army officials would not be
| surprised if deposits Of soldiers in the
| Philippines reached $1,500000 One
reason for this Increase is that there
are more soldiers of the depositng
class than last year, that is, there are
more regulars. And even the new vol
unteers may almost be included in the
same category for they realize that
| they are in for at least two years,
while the volunteers last year knew
their term of service would be brief,
and consequently had little incentive
to deposit The deposits were almost
exclusively confined to regulars. In
/ some companies now more than half
the members are depositing, and it is.
/ believed the fever will spread at least
in the Philippines and other distant
possessions. Until in the near future
almost every soldier will he a deposition.
The benefit Of this to the soldier can
readily be seen.
The records of deposits are kept in
| the office of the paymaster general.
| Said Il CLERK engaged on this work:
you have no idea to what extent this
/ feature of soldiers deposits has grown.
Before the late war they were almost
I insignificant, but they have grown with
such tremendous strides that we are
! away behind, Notwithstanding increas-
ed force and extra hours. We have
4 just received paymaster's abstract
from Manila containing the names of
almost 1,400 depositors, amounting in
/ all to over $50, 1000. 1t may seem like
fiction, but some soldiers are deposit
ing more than their whole monthly
pay"
This last statement is substantiated
by showing the deposit record Of a
company cook in the Ninth infantry
in the Philippines, whose pay'is $21.G0
month. and who has been depositing
not less than $24 every month curing
his Philippine service. He also show
ed the entry of a single deposit of $13,
600, made by a private at West Point
few months ago and said that not
long ago a Single deposit of $4,000
was made Every now and then
heavy deposits are made, or deposits
in excess of the depositor's pay, and
naturally considerable conjecture is
occasioned Some attribute them to
inheritanees or earnings on tie out
side, while others are so bold as to in
sinuate that occasionally the soldiers
engage in games Of chance, such as
poker and craps. Deposits and inter-
est are forfeited by desertion.-New