The Washington times., 1907-03-20
DISCUSS PLANS
FOR HELPING
POOR TO SAVE
Stamp Savings System IS
Found to Be Great
Success.
One Years Savings of
Small Sums Were
S12,f38.20.
Associated Charities Gets
Hearty Support From
Well-KnoWn Men.

Economy-provident finance-as ap-
piled to that great mass Of poor who
never save a cent for their day of need
and are thereby forced 10 accept charity
in some form. was the subject OF earn
est and interesting discussion last night
before the committee on provident plans
Of the Associated Charities
The meeting was held I'm the parlors
OF DR.. George NJ Kober 1900 T street
northwest. There was a large attend
ance of representative citizens, men
and women, who give their time, money
and influence TO the cause of charity
as conducted by the Associated Chari-
ties.
Stamp Savings System.
James w. Gift read an instructive
paper in the form Of a report of his
work in the stamp savings system and
provident savings put in operation by
the association several years ago, show
ing that Notwithstanding only few
men and women had been engaged
limited number Of hours each week, in
a restricted territory. yet the system
had proved a success, mad grown IN
volume from time TO time; had met
with the cordial cooperation Of the
class il sought to reach and aid, and
that II could be developed % become one
Of the greatest factors Of selt-help 70
large numbers Of poor people VINO seem seem
TO be without that Self-respect thaJ
makes a man independent by his saw
ings.
BY this system stamps to the value
Of ] cent, cents, 10 cents, . cents,
and 50 cents are sold TO the people by
volunteer canvassers, who give their
time TO the work few hours each
week These stamps are pasted in
book provided for the purpose When
the book is filled the savings are trans
ferred to a bank. Should the saver
want TO withdraw his savings, in whole
or in part, he can do so by presenting
his book at headquarters and have his
stamps Cancelled.
One Years Savings, SI2,I3s.2o.
From July 1. 1905, TO the same date in
1906 S12.13S.20 was saved In this way,
Samuel Middleton. a colOred man. being
the star collector, having 10 his credit
a.i2s.45. It required over 10000 personal
calls by agents and volunteers to col
Iect the Sl2,13S.2O.
w. a. Hyde presented a paper review
ing the subject of savings among the
poor from a general standpoint, show
ing the several systems In operation in
the big cities of this country and in
Europe. He described the stamp-saving
system, the punched card system. and
the deposit slip method, which Is some
thing similar to regular banking.
general discussion OF what would
be the best method for widening the
scope of the stamp-saving system, or
getting something better, as operated
by the Associated Charities, and the
possible introduction Of a saving sys-
TEN for the more prOvident classes. as
found in the public schools, followed, in
which Dr. KCber, George S Wilson. Z.
ID. Shaw, Prof. B. T Janney, Mrs
Ellen Spencer Mussey Mr. Hyde, Mr.
Gift, Miss Ida A. Green, and others
took part
Support of Well-Known Men.
AT the conclusion of the discussion il
was decided to ask the Associated
Charities 10 organize an auxiliary to
promote savings. and to reques; the
Board of Education to permit the intro
duction of a Proivdent savings system
in the schools.
Letters Of regret At being unable to
attend the meeting, expressing hearty
support of its purposes were read from
Justice David ]. Brewer. Milton Allies.
A NJ LathroD, +. Francis Riggs. AL
bert +. Fox. Charles J. Bell Corcoran
Thom. Thomas Noyes, +. Quincy Smith.
and others.