The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-02-15

There is no more conclusive evidence
of the prosperity of people than the de-
posits in the savings banks and other f.
nancial institutions, and in this respect
Maine makes an excellent showing. The
annual report of State Bank Commits
sioner Robert F. Dunton shows a big
gain for all banks in the past ten years.
There are 12S institutions under the sup
ervision of his department and they have
combined assets of 1854, 720, S13.17, a
gain of SIS, 82S, 847.3 over last year. The
40 savings banks have total assets of
S97, 705, 409.G4; the AZ trust companies,
$50, 370, 267.02 and the 81 building and
loan associations, S4,645, 1871. The
savings banks have total savings depos-
its of S89, 500, 61305, as against total of
SOC, 265, 739. IS, an apparent loss. This is
explained, however, by the following
paragraph:
''Since October 20, 1910, three savings
banks with combined deposits of So, 515.-
SOFAS have been placed in liquidation,
and are not included in the statement for
1911. Deducting this amount from the
total deposits October go, 1910, leaves
S87, $50, 1877. IS as the deposits on that
date of the 49 banks now reported, as
against SS9, SOB, 613.05 deposits in the
same banks Oct %, 1911, showing,
an increase of 81, 1853, ATS. 81 for the year"
The number of depositers in savings
banks has decreased from 23O, 934 in 1910
to 225,8O in 1911, but the average de-
post has increased from $780, SO to $780,
81.
The increase in resources of all the
banking institutions in the State during
the past ten years is $79, All, 1858.
Mr.. Dunton recommends that building
and loan associations require borrowers
''to pay only such interest and premium
as will enable the association to pay, fair
dividends to its shareholders" calls at
tention to the practice of permitting
few favored customers to overdraw their
accounts and suggests that it be discon-
tinued by trust companies; and ex-
presses doubt as to the Interpretation
of the law requiring separate audit of
the assets and liabilities of savings banks
and the savings departments Of trust
companies.
The estimated cost of the keep and
care of the mayors pair of horses is
$1,000 year; the salary of the street
commissioner is 5000 and of his horse
5000, making total of So, 900, as against
$500 for street commissioner Levi l..
Robbins, and his morse, for one year. Mr..
Robbins did not superintend the work
on the streets from a store or office, but
was on the spot himself, and worked
as well as experimenting, thus saving
the city mans wages. When the
stones had been raked into piles on the
side of the street Mr.. Robbins hauled
them off with his horse and jigger, with
no other help. Last summer the work
was done with the mayors pair of horses,
a driver and two men; and if pick, a
crowbar or some other tool was wan ted
by the men working On the streets a pair
of horses would be used to take it to
them. The appropriation for highways,
etc., under Mayor Shales, the last Re-
publican administration, was So, 500; the
appropriation for 19O9-1910 was SIP, 592,
and for 194O-1911 $14, ITO. 10, and what is
there to show for these appropriate ms
besides two short pieces of State road,
for which the State paid in part? AS
there has been no detailed report of the
expenditures on the highways since May
or ]. R. Dunton's administration. when