The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-02-14
FILIPINO SAYINGS BANKS

OF tnaukS W thS fhuS'~
ment which the Philippine assembly
lssed on the first day Of Its meet
inga The Filipino nationalist, the
oarty vigorously tavoring immediate
Independence for the islands, was
strongly in the majority, and yet the
first measure it took was vote ex-
pressing its thanks and appreciation
to the United States for our admin
istration to the islands during the
yast nine years. Perhaps this action
vas delicate suggestion that we
h d dore very l tile indeed by their
country and they were now quite
pleased to take it over into their
own hands in such good condition.
1t seems TO bear all the marks of a
polite little disposses notice instead
f being a genuine expression OF
gratitude.
But the Filipino has good reason
to express his gratitude to the
United States. He is walking well
in the high road to civilization now
nd it was this country which set
his feet on it. Since his fathers had
fallen under the iron hand of Spain
ccess to the high road of progress
was denied him. He was kept back
in the bush while his masters AFRO
gated to themselves all the paths
leading up ward. But America
made his development possible,
brought him up out of.the bush, and
showed him the way to seat among
he nations.
Perhaps nothing that our arms
have done nor any act of our laws
nor any expression of our sympathy
has accomplished more for the help
ing of the Filipino into civilization
than the establishment of the postal
swings bank system. Whatever
may be said against the adoption of
postal savings banks in our own
country, 1t is certain that it is the
very first step upward upon which
the Filipinos as whole people have
SIT their feet 1t has taught them to
save. That is the first rung in the
ladder which leads from barbarian
ISM into enlightenment. Until a
people are brought to realize the
need Of abstalning from present en-
Ijoyments in order to accumulate a
store of materials for future uses it
can never be a self-governing, CO.
nesive political body capable OF
maintaining Itself. Until he appre-
ciates the necessity of saving, man
never works more than is required
by the demands of the moment.
He makes no plans for the future
and develops none of the hidden
riches surround him. He is Writ
ually a barbarian whose chief labor
IS to gather what nature has spread
out at his feet.
But the moment he begins to save
man has taken a step high above
The barbarous animal he was. He
becomes a thinking being, an in
vestigator and worker. 1t is no
longer the present of his beng which
gives him concern, but the future,
and as he works toward it he as
cends the ladder higher toward
civilization. Prior the establishment
1
of the postal savings banks the Fill
plno had little thought OF saving,
little incentive, and little opport
unity-as he saw no way OF doing
it successfully. But the postal saw
lngs banks furnished him with
way to save and an incentive. He
saw his few boarded pesos grow ano
fatten with interest. He saw tina
II he left them little while in thu
care of the government he coulC
take out more than he put in, with
out anything more being done oil
Ibis part. The idea appealed II
him. So he began to save and t.
l grow by it, like his boarded 7 esei
It is the postal savings bank swAieI
|. may yet prove the real n issIsa iris
e of civilization to the n llppin
Islands -Washinpton Post.