Evening star., 1916-07-23

Of France. was in all of the schools Of
Belgium before the war. and is in
force in many Of the schools Of Ger
Switzerland and Canada. In the United
States, school savings banks. inspired
by the Belgian work, were first adopt
ed by the schools OF Beloit, Wis, In
1875. 1t was not until 1885, however.
when the savings banks were installed
in Long Island City. that the real
growth began. Now, the bureau of
education finds as result of it's study.
savings collections are made in more
States from over 100000 pupils. More
than four and one quarter million dol
lars have been deposited in these
schools since the beginning of the
movement in this country, and more
than one and a quarter million dollars
Is now on deposit.
Recently another government agency
has become interested in school saw
ings banks as means of national
preparedness. The reclamation service.
through its publications. has advocated
the use Of the plan on the irrigation
projects of the west, and a number of
the fast growing communities have
needed the advice.
postal savings-is greatly affected by
the school savings movement. Educa-
tional experts point out that now the
postal savings banks are patronized
much more extensively by our resi-
dents Of foreign origin than by native
Americans. The continuation and de-
velopment of the school savings plan,
1t Is suggested, will probably bring the
postal savings banks into more gen.
eral use by our own people. Other
results which advocates of the school
savings banks expect to flow from
their general use are the creation of
more substantial and thrifty citizen
ship, an increase in national wealth,
t.
of paupers and even criminals in the
population.
AS book and magazine seller the
government has not always kept the
prices of it's wares
To Ponu1arize down to a point
where the pocket
and file of its citizens would not be
strained by acquiring them. AS a re-
suit some publications, the wide dis
semination of which would be for the
public good, such as the Congressional
Record and a number of departmental
reference books. have had a relatively
narrow circle of readers
One of the latter is the United States
Of1cial Postal Guide, which Is filled
with information of great Importance
to individual as well as commercial
users of the mails. 1t has sold for
$3.50 and SO a copy with monthly sup
plements, and a very small percentage
of postal patrons have felt justified in
buying it. Believing that greater use
of the volume will make for greater
efficiency In the utilization of the COM
plicated mail facilities. the Post Office
Department has just taken steps to
place the guide in the list of best
sellers among government volumes by
radically reducing the price. Instead
Of $3.50 the maximum price for the
best bound of the books with all sup
abridgments constituting postal
handbook sufficiently comprehensive
for most users can be obtained for as
little as Is cents.
The department is anxious to have it's
constructive step accomplish the de-
sired purpose. and hopes that copy
of the heretofore little known guide
will soon be found in the office of
every concern engaged in domestic or
stftution. and in fact in the hands
of every person who makes use of the
postal service. Persons who market
by parcel post or who use this newest
of the big branches of the postal
service for other purposes will find
the guide of special value. the depart
ment believes. The disbursing clerk
Washington is the subscription agent
for the governments new low-cost
guide book.
One Of the effects of the European