The Tupelo journal., 1917-06-22
Prize Essay on Thrift
By Miss Annie l. Stark, Winner of the Prize Offered
by Peoples Bank & Trust Company, Tupelo, Miss.
schools in our country.

the School Banking System. This
system is run on the same basis as
that of a commercial bank, holding
the deposits until they reach a Ger.
tain amount, after which the deposi.
tor may place his sum in the towns
bank if he chooses. Each child usu.
ALLY makes one deposit a week, ever
though the sum be only a penny.
This saving system in the school in
stills in him the desire to save, and
one day to have a large bank account
of his own. 1t enables him further
to distinguish between luxuries and
necessities, showing him that he
does not need all that he thinks he
does, and certainly not all that he
could buy.
Statistics show that a year ago
the capital of the entire School
Savings System amounted to two
million two hundred and fifty-six
thousand three-hundred and thirty
dollars. In Massachusetts, school
savings are compulsory and since the
beginning of the system to October
1915. the deposit amounted to four
hundred forty-seven thousand dollars.
Since the school savings system is
handled by the members of the SEN
ior class in nearly all high schools,
it not only teaches these pupils to
save but gives them valuable bust
ness experience.
In some of our schools clubs have
been organized for the utilization of
waste material about our homes.
The members of the club gather all
of the old paper, magazines, bones,
rubber, sacks, iron ETC., lying around
their homes, and at certain periods,
! take it to the depot, where they are
given credit according to the amount
deposited.
Some schools have a plot of ground
reserved, which is used for a school
garden. During the vacation period,
the boys, and sometimes girls who
would otherwise be idle, spend their
time in the cultivation of these gar
dens. When school opens again they
have put by not only a neat little
sum of money to their credit in the
bank, but have been taught the val
ue of time together with the art Of
saving and the value of industry.
While the boys in the public
school are being taught thrift in the
form of agriculture and everything
pertaining to it, by such means as
the Baby Beef and Pig clubs, it is
being taught to the girls in the form
of home science, poultry and canning
clubs. All of the pupils are in
structed as to the Importance of
economy in every thing that pertains
to likelihood. Even at commencement,
which time holds out the temptation
of extravaganza through vanity and
social rivalry, they are instructed in
economy of dress, and in most cases
compelled to be economical. Every
girl graduating from an agricultural
school is compelled to make her own
graduating dress, which car not ex-
ceed a certain amount in cost, while
the caps and gowns are being adopt
ed as the costumes for high school
graduates. Besides teaching thrift,
this custom prevents many who could
not afford to dres extensively from
having the heart aches that naturally
follow the wounding of "a maiden's
pride.
Another important view of thrift
in the community is that of thrift in
business. A town is judged accord
ing to it's business enterprises, in
Guiding of course merchandise, in
%surance, electric and banking sys-
TENS. The principal cost in all
business is that of labor and mater
ial, the problem Of business being to
get full value out of labor and elimi-
nate all waste of material. Every
successful business house has been
SO by thrift. Every employer seeks
the mar who does not loiter on the
Job, and who does not waste. The
employer must realize that he is one
of a great number and if he allows
a little waste in material, even IN
wrapping parcels the loss soon be-
comes enormous Business concerns
are every where giving much thought
to the utilization of b~y-products. To
day we find no waste in iron, in or
around the railroad yards, no waste
in cotton, the lint EVEN being used
in packing. Even the pine stump
which has long been considered a
nuisance in our Southland, is now
| hpinp turned into resin. turpentine,