Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-30
Many Persons Make Deposits
on First Day.
STEADY LINE AT WINDOW
Postmaster General Watches Pro-
ceedings and Is Pleased.
SUCCESS OF PLAN IS ASSURED
Widow of Ex-senator Carter, Who
Fathered Scheme, Gets First
Five Certificates.

The Washington postal savings deposit
ory is open for business. All who have
dimes or dollars which. heretofore. have
been wasted now may place them in a
depository with their repayment guaran
teed by the government of the United
States. Furthermore, the government will
pay interest for such savings as are left
with it a year or longer.
1t was $50 O'Clock this morning when
John Fl. Collier appeared at the wicket
in the cashiers office of the city pos
office prepared to receive the savings o.
the first depositor.
He was not greeted with noisy, shout
ing, showing crowd of children or grown
ups who ina gined they were about Il
get new plaything. 1t was a groul
of sober-faced, middle-aged Americans
who took their places In line and handed
over their mites or their much, as thu
case might be. And SO, throughout tn,
day, the depostors arrived in small
squads. They were white and colored
men and women but mostly men. Their,
were very few children.
AS the day wore on the smile on Post
master Merritt's face broadened and ID,
1 O'Clock he was thoroughly happy
Iudu. We WdnlcO tlflS dill dloiiS, l'
said, because l felt it was badly needed
1.-The results thus far surpass my eX
pectations. and / think Washington i
going eventually to make a great big
showing"
Mr.. Hitchcock Pleased.
The Postmaster General himself came
down to watch things. The postal say
ings depository is one of the creates
achievements Of his administration. H'
knows it and has said So He was wei
pleased with the opening day in Wash
| ington. What impressed him strongly wa
the character of the depositors.
They are men and women, he said
who are going into the savings bust
ness as one of the serious things o,
| life
|. An incident of the opening of the depos
| itory was the application of Mrs. Ellel
l.. Carter. widow of Senator Thomas II
| Carter whose untiring efforts in Congress
| made the postal banks possibility, fol
the first certificate. She wanted it fo
sentimental reasons. she said. Senate
Carter regarded the passage OF the bill
creating postal savings repositories a
one of the greatest of his achievement
in Congress.
Grants Mrs. Carter's Request.
Although Postmaster General Hitch
cock has steadily refused to use hi
authority in securing first certificate
for any one. he at once relented in Mrs
Carter's case, because of its peculiar
| merit. The first five certificates issuet
went to Mrs. Carter. her two sons. JOIN
Galen and Hugh Thomas. and to William
Henry Blakely and Jennie NJ. Young
members Of Mrs. Carter's household.
The first certificate after these five, No
s, went to William w. Richardson, jr.
a ten-year-Old boy, who was there no
only with his five-dollar bill. but witt
money to purchase a savings card an'
stamp as well. He answered the nee
essary questions and signed his name t.
both envelope and certificate with th'
air of a staid business man. He wa
quickly followed I'm turn by Walter l.
Barnunl, Charles w. Rider and Charlie
H. Fullaway, employees of the Post OF
flee Department. Patrick Haughey o
6O7 HI street northwest handed over So
for account No. 10.
Mr.. Collier Kept Busy.
There was not five minutes of his time
that Mr. Collier was not busy. just az
busy, in fact, as if there had been a scuf
fling crowd clamoring outside his window
AS fast as one little squad would mel
away another appeared.
Other depositors included Mary \. Du
guild. the first woman depositor, who re-
ceived account envelope No. Is; Miss
Helen A. Block, 1905 9TH street northwest
and Mrs. Elizabeth McGuirk. 100 North
Capitol street; \. w. Connor, 6iS 11tf
street northwest; john I. Schnopp, I704
4th street northwest, and G. Stewart Phil
lips, l05 r street northeast, who had not
enough to buy a certificate. but began his
first account with a savings card and two
10-cent deposit stamps, 30 cents i'm all
Young Phillips is only seven years of age
He Will have to wait three years before
lation. but his card savings can grow in
the meantime.
At o'clock sixty accounts had beer
opened and S1,916 deposited. This is re
garded as especially good when compa rec
with the first days business in other big
cities.
The bill providing for the postal saw
ings system was introduced in the Sen
ate January %. 1910. by Senator Thoma.
Fl. Carter of Montana. 1t was known
Senate bill No. 1876 Its object wa:
stated to establish postal savings de
positories for deposit OF savings at in
terest with the security of the govern
ment for repayment thereof and for othel
purposes.
After reference to the committee on
post Offices ard post roads ii was re-
ported back to the Senate, with amend
mentS, January ~, and, after considera-
ton by the committee of the whole OF
the Senate. was ordered reprinted. ii
was passed March ,, 1910 calendar day
March 81.
Signed June 25, 1910.