1884, they had received in all 3,311,233 deposits, amounting to 64,703,350 florins. They are well conducted, and likely to prove very successful. The Belgian system has been in successful operation for more than fifteen years; that of the Netherlands was established some three years ago; while Sweden has just followed her neighbors, Denmark and Norway, in establishing similar institutions.
In 1871 Postmaster-General Creswell recommended the establishment of postal savings depositories in connection with the United States post-offices, and two years later he discussed the subject very fully in his annual report. Several of his successors have renewed his recommendation with great earnestness. Hon. Thomas L. James, after referring to and highly approving of these recommendations, said: "It is my earnest conviction that a system of this description, if adopted, would inure, more than almost any other measure of public importance, to the benefit of the working people of the United States." In 1873 Hon. Horace Maynard brought before Congress a bill to establish a national savings depository, but no action was taken. Since then a number of efforts have been made to induce Congress to enact the necessary legislation. The latest of these efforts was made in 1882, under the leadership of Mr. Lacey, whose report from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads contains valuable information and suggestions on the subject. The bill which Mr. Lacey introduced, and which has recently been strongly indorsed by the State Charities Aid Association of New York, and other advocates of postal savings banks, provided that none but money-order offices should receive deposits; that no single deposit should be less than ten cents or more than one hundred dollars; that no one person should deposit more than one hundred dollars within thirty days, or have at any time more than five hundred dollars to his credit; and that interest at two per cent should be paid on all sums over three dollars and multiples of one dollar, beginning the first of the month following the deposit, and stopping the last of the month preceding the withdrawal.
Would such postal savings-banks be more convenient and accessible to the masses of the people than existing institutions and organizations which undertake to safely keep the surplus earnings of the people? Would they furnish better security for deposits and greater encouragement to thrift? Could the Government, without interfering with existing institutions and without loss to itself, carry on this savings-bank business? Would the benefits resulting from properly conducted postal savings-banks be sufficient to justify the necessary extension of the functions of our Government and the increase in the number of our civil servants? These are the chief questions to be considered in deciding whether or not it would be wise for the Government to undertake to keep securely the small savings of the people.
There are in this country a number of institutions and organizations which undertake to persuade poor people to form habits of thrift,
