New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-21
POSTAL SAYINGS BANKS.
Discussion at Meeting of american
academy of Science.

Philadelphia, April 2O.-The educational and So
cial problems OF the Philippine Islands and Porto
Rico occupied the attention Of the members of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science
AT the second days session here of that body
Professor Carl kelsey. OF the University OF Penn
sylvania presided.
David ]. Barrowss Superintendent Of Public In
struction in the Philippines. spoke on education in
the islands giving a complete review OF the pres
ent system of education.
The position and work of the Roman Catholic
Church in the Philippines discussed by Thomas
Bonaventure LaWler. OF New York. Mr.. LAWYER
traced the civiizing and missionary work OF the
Church in the Philippines from the time OF Ma
gellan to the present day. He showed how Chris
tianity was spread among the tribes until the
Philippines. alone Of Oriental lands Is Christian
nation.
Professor F. ". Kemmerer. OF Cornell Univer-
sity. in speaking of the Philippine savings bank.
said, in part
The Philippine postal savings bank is organized
on the same general plan as the postal savings
hank OF England and thOse Of most Of her colonies.
and is a highly centralized institution The min
imum deposit permitted is peso but postal
denominations of 5. 10 and 20 centavos centavo IS
o1e-half an American cent? and these stamps
peso go cents are received on deposit as the
the size Of postal savings bank account but sums
In excess Of 1000 pesos $500 do not bear interest.
The rate Of interest payable at present is 2Ia per
The investment OF postal savings hank funds is
in the hands of a postal savings hank investment
board. consisting OF four government officials and
business The field Of investment is lin
tied 10 certain government and municipal bonds
and to certain bank stocks and bank deposits
The first postal savings bank opened for
business at Manila October ! Of last year. and
by January 81 OF this year there sixty-two
banks operation In various parts Of the islands
At the end OF December. the last date for which
figures available. there 621 depositOrs
having on deposit $4,000 pesos 1892 500 The prin-
cipal classes Of depositors in the order OF their
numerical importance Were clerks. artisans. pro-
fessional men, laborers soldiers and sailors and
policemen.
A striking fact in the figures IS that of the 62l
depositors up TO December 81. 800 were Americans
and ninety Fillpinos. The evidence IS suffi-
cent prove a strong witness 10 the truth Of the
Filipinos reputation for improvidence, and I'm so
doing 10 show the imperative need ~ an educa-
tiOnal institution like the postal savings bank ana
Of carrying vigorous educational campaign
through the schools and through the officers OF
the bank in the interest Of teaching the saving
habit the rising generation Of Filpnos. For
until Filipino has learned the lessons OF proVi-
dence thrift and self-cOntrol which the saving
habit eXemplifes and incucates. he cannot expect
any high degree of either economic political in
dependence.
f. w Lord. Assistant Commissioner of Educa-
ton Of Porto Rico. and Daniel W. Falkman. former
Lieutenant Governor of province I'm the Philip
pine Islands, also spoke. The latter declared that
the administration desired a government in the
Philippines 10y the F1lipinos for the FIlipinos.