The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-27
POSTAL SAVINGS
0FTHE.C0unTRY
Enjoy a Big Increase AS a Re.
suit of the War among
European Nations.

Ine warm europe is proving o dig
boon to postal savings in this coun-
try. From the very day hostilitiea
opened across the seas postal-sayings
receipts began to increase by leaps
and bounds and Withdrawals fell off
q result quite contrary to the predic-
lions of many well-informed persons
who. in their Imagination, saw lines
of feverish depositors at post-ofice
pay windows anxious to again return
their savings to the boot-leg and body
belt Repositories whence they came
before intrusted to Uncle Sam" But
the forecasters failed to reckon on the
absolute confidence OF the American
citizen. regardlessyof the flag tina,
first met his eyes. in, the ability and
purpose of the government to carry
out its obligations, not only among
the nations of the earth, but with the
humblest citizen of our land.
Two important results have fol
lowed; thousands Of people, largely
of foreign birth, accustomed to send
their savings abroad, are now patrons
Of our postal-sayings system: a1o
enormous sums of actual cash have
been released for commercial uses
among our own people at a time when
the need for every available dollar is
pressing.
The growth of postal savings In
the United States has been steady
and healthy and the system has filled
All important gap between the tin-car
depository and the factory paymaster
On July I; when affairs were running
smoothly here and abroad and the
transmission of money across the. At
lsntic was safe and expeditions, there
was approximately $43.000,000, OF
postal savings standing to the credit
OF about 3sS,000 depositors. Since
then over S10.000.000 OF deposits
have been added and the number oil
depositors has increased enormously
This unprecedented gain is the more
striking when 1t is considered that
the net gain in the last three months
is larger than the gain for the entire
fiscal year 1914 Scores OF Offices
have done more postal savings bust
ness since the war has been going on
than was done by them during the
previous existence of the service. The
increases are confined to no special
localities. but have been felt in every
nook and corner of the country. New
York City alone, made gain in Sep
amber OF more than a million, while
Brooklyn showed relatively big in
crease. Chicago reported a. larger
gain in the past three months than
for the previous twelve months. More
than 1000 new accounts were opened
during the period, bringing the num-
Der of depositors in that city up to
oyer 2i.000.
|, The unexpected increase in postal
savings business has not only added
greatly to the general administrative
duties of the system. but has brought
up many new and interesting prob.
lens which have called for the care
full consideration of postmaster Cen
ie1al Bufleson and Governor Dockery,
third assistant postmaster general.
But their task has been lighteneu
somewhat by the promptness Of depos
tory banks in furnishing additional
security to meet the abnormal de.
posts. Anumber of the very largest
banks in the country. which have
heretofore, declined to qualify as de,
positors for postal-savings funds, are
now among the eager applicants fol
them.
There has been large increase al
the Clarksburg postofI1ce, bith in the
number of new accounts opened and
the Clarksburg postoffice, both in the
ginning OF the European war.