Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-01-02
LEAD ALL IN WEALTH.
Americans Hold About one-nfth Of
the total Of Money Ahoat.

Herald)
WASHINGTON. Dec. 10.-T asked
William Barret Ridgway the other day
how much money there was in all the
world. He pulled open drawer in his
big desk, put on his eye glasses. look
ed over some papers and replied;
"on the 31st of December. 1903,
which is the latest we have, the ag-
gfregate stock OF money In the prin-
cipal countries of the world was $12.-
3i3. on. 600"
According to the most accurate
estimates l5.e2s 200 900 is gold coin
s3 POI 400 600 is silver and 81 3.483 500.
00o is uncovered paper currency"
How much of that money have we
her. In the United States2'
"About one-fifth of the total is held
in this country. or approximately
s.. 500. 200, 900. The stock of gold in the
any other country, being nearly one
fourth of the whole, or in the neigh
borhood of $50 400 900. and we have
about ss7s 900, 900 in silver"
How much is that per capitaY'
The per capita circulation of the
United States is OF and is great
er than that Of any other country ex-
each member Of the population. Our
money. IL distributed equally through
ont The land, according to the recent
estimates Of poulation would give
each man, woman and child S1626
gold, Ss.3S sivler and s. II in paper.
A statement issued by the Secretary
Of the Treasury not long ago showed
that the coin and other money in cir
culation in the United States amounts
to 81 ,s03 500 ,000 of which $2S4 300 900
Is in the treasury. 1882 800, 900 in he
banks and 1885 ,30O,O in general
circulation. There has been an in
cease in the money wealth
of the United States Of
nearly 81 1000, ,O0O. 900 during the last
ten years In 1894 the total circula.
ton was sl,S05 900 900. and the per
capita, exclusive of coin. in the treas.
ury was $242S There was slight
falling of in 1896 and 1897, when the
per capita fell as low as S21. 10 but
since that date It has been climbing up
rapidly The national wealth has in
cressed nearly one-third In money
and the per capita of circulation. with
out counting coin in the treasury, is
s9.67 greater than II was seven years
ago"
How much of this money is in
savings banks?'
"A compilation recently made by
NJ. ID. Jacobsen of the bureau OF sta
tistics, shows that the savings banks
OF the United States have deposits
amounting TO $1,000. 16s. 900 credited
1905 900 depostors. The total depos.
It's in all saving banks o, the world.
according TO the best information
amounts TO ten billion and a half of
dollars, contributed by nearly eighty
three million depositors As the fig
nres used in the calculation cover
about one-half Of the population of the
world, that is, over seven hundred and
seventy millions, 1t appears that the
United States has more than 80 per
cent Of the total savings of the human
family, with less than 9h per cent of
the population. We have less than 9
per cent of the total number of de-
positors, while our average deposits
is more than four times the average
savings per inhabitant OF this country
ana more than three and onehalf
times the corresponding averages for
the rest OF the world
Germany has by far the largest
number of depositors. having more
than twice as many as those in the
United States. and we are very far
ahead in the total amount of deposits.
The savings banks Of Denmark con.
tain the largest average deposit per
inhs bitant. which is 1854. while the
deposits in Australia, Germany New
Zealand. Norway and Switzerland are
larger per capita than the United
States
"fhe governemnts of Europe have
shown greater interest in promoting
the thrift Of the people than the
United States" said Mr.. Ridgley,
either by guaranteeing the safe de-
posits or by establishing savings
banks and other public institutions.
~ 7oihN 'ouh'iitSr PARTICULARLY 'fer-
many, Switzerland and France the
municipalities invite and foster thrift
by providing safe Investments for the
savings OF the working classes. The
general social condition OF country.
the spread OF general education, the
ease with which savings can be made
and the use made by the population of
other modes Of saving all have to he
taken into consideration when inter
national comparisons are made. For
example. the total savings deposits OF
France appear less than those OF
Austria. and those OF Prussia appear
to exceed those of France. while MS
matter Of fact the Investments of
the French people in the bonds OF the
Russian government and in their own
national bonds far exceed the amounts
deposited in the banks In the case OF
Austria the figures are somewhat mis-
leading. because the postal savings
banks do general banking business"
What Is the banking power Of the
world?"
According to Mulhall. the eminent
English statistician. the worlds bank.