The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-04
LITTLE INTEREST
in POSTAL BANKS
COMPARATIVELY FEW BANKS
AND PosToFFTcEs MAKE RE-
p, QUEST TO BECOME DE-
POSITARIES.

washington, Aug. 4.-The prelimin-
aries of the Inauguration of the postal
savings bank system do not indicate
any large amount of enthusiasm over
the idea. These preliminaries consist
for the most part of applications Of
banks to be designated as repositories
and of postmasters to have their Of
fees appointed to receive the savings
More banks have asked for recognition
than postoffices. In some states hav-
ing large number Of postofices sur
prisingly little attention is given the
new enterprise, and but few postoffices
have essayed to venture to promote
the system. Two reasons are given
for this. One is that. the average
postmaster does not know or does not
care about the law. Not for publica-
tion' but as an evidence of shrewd dis
cernment, these at this end of the BUSH
ness having to do with these applica-
tions, intimate that ignorance is main
ly responsible for the dearth Of appli-
cations from the postmasters. Few
OF them. 1t Is assumed, have mastered
the details Of the law, and many who
have studied 1t have decided that as
the government has neglected to say
that they are to have help and addi-
tional pay for the service, they do not
care to bother with the work and the
responsibility. ".a
Postmaster General Hitchcock, be-
fore he left for Europe, did not appear
to have any definite ideas about the
organization, and 1t Is not believed
that it can get under way, even with
the first step, until the middle of au-
tumn.
The statistics to date touching the
interest in the new law, respectively,
of the postmasters and the bankers
are diverting at least.
In forty states out of the forty-six
only 271 postoff1ces are represented nv
their postmasters as making appltca-
lions to be authorized to receive saw
ings. In forty-one states bankers In
the number of 622 make applications to
have their institutions designated as
repositories.
The greatest number OF Hpostof1ces
applying Is from Pennsylvania. having
thirty, and also, the greatest number
or banks asking to be made deposi
tories-eighty-s Her neighbor. New
York, is comparatively Indifferent, hav-
Ing only twenty postofflces and six
banks applying. The middle western
states may be said to have come I'D
stronger than any other region, the
figures for applications being: Post
offices, Ohio, %; banks, 48; Illinois.
postoffices, 81: banks, "a; Indiana.
postof1ces 5; banks, II; Michigan.
postoff1ces, 8; banks Is; Missouri
postoff1cesMs2i- banks, %; Wisconsin,
postofice4 - banks, AZ; Minnesota,
postof1cea, 12S; banks, 81; Iowa, post
Offices IL; banks, 80; Nebraska, post
offices 3; banks, 20.
The far western states and the
southern states seem to be somewhat
negligent of their opportunities. Geor-
gta, the so-called Empire state of the
south, has only two banks and no
postofice applying. The New England
states amply supplied with postoflces
and having more banks and capital to
the population than any other part of
the country are, likewise refraining
from eagerness to adopt the new meas
ure's opportunities. From Massachu-
sets, for example, come applications
from but nine postoffices and sixteen
banks; Connecticut, four postohices
and one bank. California is a sample
OF the far west. with seven postoftices
and two banks applying.