Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-10-18
ANITA FE, NEW MEXICO. MONDAY OCTOBER lS 1903
DEFEAT FOR POSTAL
BANK MEASURE.
Conclusions of Canvass of Congress
Announced BY Chicago
Magazine.

magazine.
Chicago, Oct. Enactment or a
postal savings bank bill at the next
session of Congress will fail unless
its friends combine their efforts, unite
in an organized campaign and present
as compact a front as the opposing
banking interests. declares Every
day Life" editOrially as a conclusion
reached by a canvass Of votes in Con
gress The urgent advocacy by Presi-
dent Roosevelt and by President Taft
will 90 for snaught unless the friends
of the measure rally in force under
enc banner. Continuing the address
to the public it declares;
For time it looked as if it
might be possible to win the fight with
your silent, moral support. But the
American Bankers Association is
bending every energy to defeat the
peoples demands for a postal savings
system, and unless you get busy and
come into the game in a personal
way it seems likely that this powerful
organization will be able to strangle
the bill in Congress,
Here is the situation: There is
small reason to doubt that a majority
of members of Congress. in both
Houses, are in favor of the bill. as
matter of personal belief and SEN
timent but the hostile influence of
the bankers is so strong that if vote
were taken today the vote would show
against the bill, not for it,
One able representative put the
situation in this light: There are a
great many bankers in this country;
they are respectable; they are digni-
fled; they are plausible; they are pow
erful, and they are organized, When
they speak with one voice they make
very convincing sound, that pene-
trates even to the dullest ears in
Washington. On the other hand. the
people who want postal savings sys-
tenn are right-but they are unorgan-
lied. If they would make their voices
heard in Congress, if they would get
together and make a noise at the
same time they would get the support
of good majority in Congress and
get the legislation they want In 9th,
er words, there is enough friendly
sentiment in Congress to pass the
postal savings measure provided the
people will give them the tangible
evidences of their strong moral back
ing
If half a million letters from in
dividual citizens asking for votes for
this bill We're to be sent to members
of Congress before the close of the
next session the measure would be-
come law, hands down.
In other words, the members of
Congress are in the position in this
matter of demure maidens who have
been asked by one suitor, but are
waiting for a formal proposal by the
one they really favor; they cannot
consent before they are asked, with
out loss of influence and self-respect.
This puts the matter up to YOU.
There is just one way to get a half
million letters into the hands of the
congressman. We must extend the
membership of the Postal Savings
Bank LEAGUE into every city and town
! and community of this country, Will
! you do yourself the distinction of be.
coming the first member of the league
| in your community.
! In his recent speeches President
| Taft has made it plain that he is for
a postal savings system-for it good
and hard. And we believe that Con.
gress is with him-only we must give
the members such body of letters
such a tidal wave of public opinion
in black-and-White that the most tim.
id will not hesitate to vote for the
/ measure
| One applicant for membership in
the Postal Savings Bank League, the
manager of a big coal company in
Montana, wrote: Il believe that that
class of people now having the say
d ings bank idea (private savings
bank will not be induced to change
their deposits from a private to {
government postal bank, paying {
lesser rate of interest
Il know of numbers of people thai
will not deposit in banks of any kind
Some of these very people pay to de
post their savings with the govern
ment at this time, doing this in the
way of buying money orders, whicl
they carry with them until such time
as they have actual need of money.
have no doubt that this class of peo
pie would become postal savings banl
depositors, and when duly educated
to receiving interest money, would il
= due time, many of them become de
, positors in private savings banks.
, Thrift makes a nation. Thrift i
! induced by economy. Economy is in
: duced by saving. Get them all say
ing"
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