The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05

and went to Long Island City where he made his home until his death three years ago. During these later years of his life he devoted himself to two favorite matters. One of these was his gardens and the other was the school savings bank system. As a school commissioner of Long Island City. he introduced the system into one of the public schools, fol- lowing the plan used in France. That was in 1885. Up to the time of his death in 1911 Long Island City school children had deposited s26O 62. The system was in 22 of the citys schools. There were 3132 pupil-depositors and their deposits totaled $43,107.54.
 MT. Thiry did not speak English fluent ly and so he extended this work through writing. He compiled a list of thrift maxims and reports on the progress of the savings bank system, and he had e large collection of correspondence and data from different countries on the ad- vance and practice of thrift teaching. He gave both time and money to further this movement.
 Cooperating with Mr. Thiry for 22 years was Mrs. Sara Louisa Oberholtzer. writer and lecturer of Philadelphia. Since the death of MT. Thiry in 1911 Mrs. Ober holtzer has been national director. She is also national and world w. c. T. U.
 
 Why Teach Thrift in School?
 The object of the school savings bank system as conducted by Mrs. Oberholtzer is to teach children the value and tho care of money. A childs experience with money begins early and will necessarily continue throughout his life. He begins by earning small sums of money or by receiving an allowance The possibilities are that later in life his earning capacity will be an important consideration. He will not be interested only In earning money. Tt will be equally important that he know how to save and how to spend his money Lack of this knowledge makes and keeps many persons poor. They know how to earn money, but they do not know how to save nor how to spend. They cheat themselves out of 30 per cent of the money they have, because they neither save systematically nor spend wisely. It is said that the poor are more extravagant than the rich. Since they have little. they can save only a small amount and they do not try to save that because they feel that it Is not worth while. It is so small compared with what others have that 1t is spent care Iessly instead of being saved.
 Had they learned as children how to divide their first pennies into tiny bit of savings fund and a small sum to spend for something of use or for some pleasure wisely chosen-nad they learned that lesson when they were too young to compare their position with that. of others and too young to feel any thing but pride in their little wealth and in their handling of it, they would doubtless have applied the same prin- ciples later in life when they became wage earners.
 It is during childhood that such les sons can be learned, and since the school 6ao ha o< le os< |. .Ie age, it is the logical center for this teach ing.
 The school savings bank system is an object lesson in thrift. One might lec- ture through all the grammar grades on the how and why of systematic sav- ing and wise spending. but it would not have the effect that actual practice has.