Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-05-28
POSTAL SAVINGS SYSTEM.

structive leafiet on the Postal Saw.
ings System just issued by Post.
master General Burleson. This i'm
portant extension of the service will
be made possible by permitting per-
sons living in communities 80 sparse
ly settled as not to justify the des-
ignation of their local post offices as
regular postal savings banks to open
accounts by mail.
Governor Dockery, Third Assist
ant Postmaster General, who has
direct supervision of postal savings,
was 30 impressed by appeals from
all over the country to open postal
savings, was so impressed by ap-
peals from all over the country To
open postal savings accounts by
mail that he took up the task some
weeks ago of working out a feasible
and safe method of meeting a de-
mand we'll illustrated in a letter
from a Saline County Missourian,
who resides many miles from a
postal savings bank.
Having few hundred dollars
saved from fifty years of hard and
assiduous labor and skimping econ
omy on the part of my wife and
myself, we concluded to deposit it
in the Postal Savings Bank of -.
We wrote to the postmaster at that
place and received reply to the ef-
feet that none but patrons of that
Office could deposit in that Office,
which is very disappointing news to
US. Our little farm is not large
enougIa to support us and land is so
high ( bat it is impossible for us to
buy m2re with what little we have
saved and we are 80 old that we
can't labor much now and would
be 80 glad to lay by at least enough
to put US away in decency."
Under the plan adopted by the
Postmaster General for opening ac-
counts by mail an intending de-
positor, residing where there is no
regularly designated postal savings
bank, will apply to his local post
master who will see that necessary
Identification data is prepared and
forwarded to a nearby post Office
authorized to accept deposits. The
intending deposition will then be
given permission to forward his first
and subsequent deposits by money
order or registered mail direct to the
postmaster at the banking point, for
which receipts or certificates will be
issued. He may withdraw all or any
part Of his postal savings by mail
and on demand together with any
interest that may be due him.
The new leafet points out that
any person ten years old or over
may open an account in his or her
own name; that an account may be
opened by a married woman free
from any control or interference by
her husband; that the post office
officials are forbidden to disclose to
any person, except the depositor,
the amount Of any deposits; that
Withdrawals may be made without
previous notice; and that the Gov
eminent guarantees to repay all de-
posts on demand with accrued in
terest.
The leaflet will soon be printed in
% foreign languages for distribution
through local post Offices. The for
eign-bOrn citizen has taken very
kindly to postal savings. and liter
AZURE in his own language will be
of great assistance to him. In a re-
cent article, Postmaster General
Burleson commented on the foreign
born depositor as follows:
Upwards Of 10000 depositors
now have accounts in the Postal
Savings System and they represent
every nationality on earth. They
also represent almost every known
occupation-professiona men, the
atrical people, mechanics, laborers,
fishermen, pack peddlers, etc But
The majority are wage-earners, and
Df this class the foreign. born largely
predominant. A census of depositors
laken by the Post Office Department
shows that approximately 40 per
cent Zoo. OOO) Of the depositors are
'oreign-born citizens, and they own
more than so per cent of the de-
posits-splendid evidence of the con-
idence of our newly acquired citi-
.ens in the ability and good faith
II their adopted country to fulfill
ts obligations.
There is another reason which
ed immigrants, unfamiliar with our
and business methods, to
urn to the Government to safeguard
heir humble savings and that rea-
on is the disastrous experiences
many of them have had by the fail
Tres of bogus private banks" of.
icered by swindlers of their own
ongue who have preyed mercilessly
lpon their loneliness and credulity."
Postal savings receipts have brok-
N all records the past year. Dur
nc the eight months prior to April
st there was net gain in deposits
1 $19, 600. 900, as against a gain of
8, 600, 900 for the same months the
ear before. Thousands of new ac-
cunts have been opened and the .