Readings in Money and Banking: Selected and AdaptedPhillips, Chester Arthur
General
Readings in Money and Banking: Selected and Adapted
Phillips, Chester Arthur
Banks and banking; Banks and banking -- United States; Money
In urging that a postal savings bank would draw money from hoards into
circulation, the advocates of the scheme claimed also that such a bank
would keep in the United States money that would otherwise be sent
abroad by foreigners.... Much was made of the fact that every year many
millions of dollars in money orders payable to self are bought for
savings purposes.... In such cases the purchaser not only failed to
receive any interest on his savings but was required to pay the money
order fee. Many immigrants, moreover, distrust American banks, and,
being familiar with postal savings banks in their home countries and
having great confidence in government institutions, remit their savings
to these home banks. How extensively this is done we have no figures to
show....
THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE SYSTEM
[95]The Postal Savings Bank System of the United States, which began
operations January 3, 1911, by the opening of a postal savings bank in
each state, is under the control of a board of trustees, consisting of
the Postmaster-General, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the
Attorney-General.
Depositories for the receipt of such moneys are designated by the Board.
An initial appropriation of $100,000 was made to cover the cost of
putting the law in operation, which was supplemented by another
appropriation of $500,000 in the session of 1911.
Any person over ten years of age may deposit, but no person shall have
more than one postal savings bank account in his or her own right. Upon
making the first deposit, a _certificate of deposit_ is issued, which is
to be surrendered when paid, and cancelled; or in the event of making a
subsequent deposit is to be surrendered for one calling for a higher
amount. The lowest deposit permitted is one dollar, the limit being $100
in a calendar month; but to provide for small deposits, a postal savings
card is issued for ten cents, to which may be attached postal savings
stamps, which when filled will be accepted in lieu of one dollar.
The interest rate allowed is 2 per cent., credited once a year, and the
highest balance permitted is $500 to one person. Withdrawals may be made
on demand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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