The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-11-25
POSTAL SAVINGS INCREASED.
Decided Increase Noted Since Wal
Began in Europe.

4uS Ndk III IlG@SPS 40 ~ &SsAAS ~ S~S
boon to postal savings in this coun-
try. From the very day hostilities
opened across the seas postal savings
receipts began increasing by leans and
bounds an0 Withdrawals fell of, re-
suit quite contrary to the predictions
Of many well Informed persons who,
in their imagination, saw lines OF
feyerish depositors at post Office pay
windows anxious to again return
their savings to the bootleg 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, regardless Of the
flag that first met his eyes, in the
ability and purpose Of the govern
ment 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 follow
ed. Thousands OF people. largely OF
foreign birth. accustomed to send
their savings abroad, are now patrons
of our postal savings system; and
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
an important gap between the tin
can depository and the factory pay
master. On July l. when affairs were
| running smoothly here and abroad
and the transmission of money across
1.-The Atlantic was safe and expeditions,
there was approximately s43,O0O,00O
| of postal savings standing to the
credit Of about 33S,00o depositors.
Since then over $10.000,000 of de-
posits have been added and the num-
Der Of depositors has increased enor-
mously. This unprecedented gain is
the more striking when it is constG-
cred that the net gain in the last
three months larger than the main
for the entire fiscal year 1914. Scores
of Offices have done more postal say
ings business since the war has been
going on than was done by them dur
! ing the previous existence Of the SER
vice. 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
a gain in September Of more tl8.n a
million, while Brooklyn showed rel
atively big increase. Chicago report
ed larger gain in the last three
months than for the previous twelve
months. More than 1000 new ac-
counts were opened during the pc
riod. bringing the number Of deposi-
tors in that city up to over $1,000.
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
ful personal consideration Of Post
master General Bureson and Gov
ernor Dockery, Third Assistant Post
master General. But their task has
been lightened somewhat by the
promptness Of depository banks in
furnishing additional security to meet
the abnormal deposits. A number of
the very largest banks in the country,
which have heretofore declined to
qualify as repositories for postal saw
ings funds, are now among the eager
applicants for them.