Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-14
MONEY IS SAVED
BY BLUEJACKETS
UNCLE SAM ENCOURAGES MEN
TO BE THRIFTY
SAILORS BANK PAYS THROUGH
ALLoTMENTs
Government Employs Extra Men with
No Other Duties Than to Help
Mariners Put Away
Earnings

That thrift is a characteristic of a
large percentage of the enlisted men of
the navy is we'll known to those in a
position to judge. Investigation has
shown that, as a class, they compare
favorably in this respect with men out
side the service. The government has
made special provisions to encourage
thrift in the navy. While the public is
aware that many large corporations
have provided means to aid their en-
ployes to save, few know of the steps
taken by the government in the same
direction.
1t has been ascertained that from 10
to 20 per cent of the employees of va
rious corporations take advantage of
savings systems established for their
use. Twenty y-seven per cent of the en-
listed men of the navy save part of
their earnings. This large proportion
is no doubt due to the allotment sys-
tenn which the navy department. has
maintained since the early days of the
navy and the more recently estab-
lished deposit account kept by pay Of
ficers of ships,
Through the medium Of allotment di-
visions in the navy pay offices at New
York. Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
>
cisco. the enlisted men of the navy are
depositing money in the best savings
institutions in the country. A certain
geographical division of the United
States and territories is assigned to
each office, and the pay officers of
ships are instructed to make allot-
ments payable accordingly.
Allotment System Limited
Only men afloat and subject to being
ordered beyond the limits of the United
States are permitted to leave allot-
ments Therefore but $4,000 of the 49,
900 men in the navy have the privilege.
The average pay Of an enlisted man
is about $50 a month. Accordingly, the
men af1oat are receiving more than
$12, 900, 900 annually.
There are $4,000 men who leave al
lotments. The average amount al
lotted each month is $40. Consequent
ly, So, 100000, in round numbers, is being
allotted every year. Seven thousand
seven hundred men are saving and $500
are helping to support their families.
Almost $2,000,000 is assigned for the
former and 81, 100000 for the latter pur-
pose. In short, two out of every five
men allot tWo-thirds of their wages.
One in every five save in this, way, or,
to be exact, % per cent. The Bowery
Savings bank and the naval branch of
the Young Mems Christian association
have been popular repositories among
the men.
At least once each month word is
passed aboard ships that sailors may
name allottees to whom they wish to
assign a portion of their wages. The
necessary data is then forwarded to
the proper pay office, where it is en-
tered on specially devised cards. Pay
ments to allottees are made promptly
by check on assistant treasurers of the
United States at the end of each
month If sailors were compelled to
send money orders, weeks would fire.
uuently elapse before their receipt In
formation regarding the status of their
allotments is furnished when necessary.
Twelve Clerks Allotted
The navy department has assigned
twelve clerks to allotment work. At
New York a pay officer gives his whole
time to the supervision of the work,
while at the other pay offices the pur-
chasing pay officers have charge of all
lotments in addition to their other
duties.
Allotment divisions of the navy pay
offices are supplied with the most mod
ern mechanical devices to facilitate
work. No receipt for payments are re-
quired from allottees as paid checks
are used for this purpose This not
only facilitates the work of the navy
department, but is very convenient for
the allottees.
The deposit account aboard ships was
established to further encourage the
men to save. About per cent have
opened deposit accounts with their pay
officers. Four per cent interest is gra-
tuitously paid by the government on
these accounts.
There is no means of ascertaining
how much the men save in other ways,
but it is reasonable to suppose that
this amount is relatively as large as
that thus accumulated by employees of
large corporations throughout the
country. As an example-and there are
many similar instances-While serving
as pay officer of a ship one paymaster
exchanged navy checks for $1,000 in
cash with man who had been hon
orably discharged after a four, years
enlistment. Most of this amount he
has saved in a private way. His in