Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-11-09
SAVINGS or THE SOLDIERS
Large SIMS Of Money Deposited b Mem
Serving Ia the Philippines.

Serving In the Philippines.
The United States are paying high
er rate OF interest to soldiers than On
the last bond issue. Last year this k
tsyest account amounted almost e
$4,000. This interest, per cent, Is
paid on deposits, and only to enlisted
men. Officers are excluded. Any sol
der, not retired, may deposit his saw
ings with any paymaster in sums not
less than So. Money once deposited
may remain until expiration Of his en-
.istment. This privilege Of depositing
money has been of great value to the
soldiers, for it provides security Tor
their surplus money, and is profitable
During the past year the record OF
deposits has been remarkable, but 1t iS
plain that the highwater mark has not
been reached. For the fiscal year end
ing June 80 more than half million
dollars was deposited by the troops az
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 $1,50O.OOO. One
reason for this increase is that there
are more soldiers of the depositing
class than last year; that is, there are
more regulars. And even the new VOL
unteers may almost be included i'm 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 haif
the members are depositing, and 1t is
believed the fever will spread, at least
in the Philippines and other distant
possessions. Until in the NJ future
almost every soldier Will be depositor-
The benefit of this to the soldier eaia
aadily be seen
The records of deposits are kept liz
the office Of the paymaster general
Said clerk engaged on this work.
asYou have no idea to what extent this
feature of soldiers deposits has grown
Before the late war they were almost
insignificant, but they have grown with
such tremendous strides that we are
away behind, Notwithstanding increas-
ed force and extra hours. We have
lust received a paymaster's abstract
from Manila containing the names OF
almost 1,400 depositors, amounting liz
all to over $4,000. 1t may seem like
fiction but some soldiers are deposit
inc more than their whole monthly
pay"
This last statement is substantiateG
by showing the deposit record OF SC
company cook ir the Ninth infantry
in the Philippines, whose pay is S2l.6V
a month, and who has been deposifing
not less than $24 every month curing
his Philippine service. lie also show
ed the entry of a single deposit of S15,
600, made by private ut West Point
few months ago, and said that nof
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, anG
naturally considerable conjecture Is
occasioned. Some attribute them to-,
lnheritances or earnings on tie out
side, while others are so bold as to in
snuate that occasionally the soldiers
engage in games Of chance, such AZ
poker and craps. Deposits and inter
est are forfeited by desertion. Nrw
York Sun.