The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-05-24
Thrift

1
most important activities in bringing ma
ion to 2 condition of real preparedness,
and this is being recognized by Uncle Sam,
whose energies are by no means centered
solelv on military preparation. Through
the bureau of education he is advocating
the general adoption of school savings banks.
which are already in existence in more than
20u cities scattered all over the country, and
which have been the means of adding mil
lions of dollars to the national savings ac-
count. In placing the advantage of the
school savings bank before the educators
and parents of the country the bureau of
education points out that as nation Ameri-
cans are exceedingly wasteful, and that
while it is we'll nigh impossible to over
come this tendancy among adults. In
questionable school children can be taught
thrift end economy as easily as they can be
taught grammar ard arithmetic. The plan
as already in use in numerous school and
as advocated for general adoption, has more
than one aim. 1t is designed not only to
inculcate thrift, but also to teach business
methods, to conserve health by eliminating
constant small expenditures for such need
less and vnwholesome things as candy, soft
drinks, chewing gum and cigarettes and to
strengthen character and moral stamina by
encouraging the sacrifice involved in refus-
ing to satisfy these petty present desires for
the sake of future advantage, and oy
arousing and developing individuality and
responsibility. Though the detailed plans
followed in operating school savings banks
differ somewhat in different localities, the
general plan is the same, and involves CO.
operation between commercial banks or
banks and the educational authorities and
the teachers acting in most cases as agents
of the bank and collecting the deposits
which may be as little as one pennY-from
the children! Careful accounts are kept, and
children are provided with with pass card.
When their deposits reach a certain amount,
depending on the policy of the CO. operating
bank, pass books are issued and is segregat-
| ~ " N'0" AheSiSSe' AC oSSiCSotS VI tuC
school accounts not large enough for in
Naturalization is deposited in the name OF
the school principal and the interest which
it draws goes into a school fund which may
DE used for various community purposes.
The children are encouraged not to expect
their money for savings to be donated by
their parents, but to earn it. The details
Of the school savings provided for varying
responsibility on the teachers and children
and for different methods of accounting may
well be left, the experts of the bureau think,
to the local schools. The bureau of edu-
cation has traced the school savings bank to
an origin in France in 1884, but they were
not extensively used until placed in opera
ton in the schools of Belgium in 1873.
Now. it is found, the saving plan is in use
in all of the schools in France, was in all of
the schools in Belgium before the war, and
is in force in many of the schools of Ger
many, Italy, Denmark, Australia, Switzer-
land and Canada. In the United States,
school savings banks, inspired by the Bel
GUM work, were first adopted by the schools
of Beloit Wisconsin, in 1876. 1t was not un-
I'll 1885, however, when the banks were in
stalled in Long Island city, that the real
growth began. Now, the bureau of edu.
cation finds as result of its study, savings
collections are made in more than 1000
public schools of the United States from
over 200, 900 pupils. More than four and
one quarter million dollars have been de-
posted in these schools since the beginning
of the movement in this country, and mole
than one and a quarter million dollars is
now on deposit. Recently another govern
ment agency has become interested in school
savings banks as means of national pre-
paredness. The reclamation service, through
its publications, has advocated the use of
the plan on the irrigation products of the
West, and number of fast growing COM
munities have needed the advice. Still an
other government activity-postal savings
is greatly affected by the school saving
movement. Educational experts point out
that now the postal savings banks are pat
ronized much more extensively by our resi-
dents of foreign origin than by native
| Americans. The continuation and develop
ment of the school saving plan, it is sug-
gested, will probably bring the postal saw
ings bank into a more general use by our
own people. The results which advocates
of the school savings bank expect to flow
more substantial and thrifty citizenship, and
great decrease in the percentage of paup-
ers and even criminals in the population.
-Ee.
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