ß

38

POSTAL  SAVINGS

money  out  of  hoards  and  keep  it  in  circulation. 21
(2)  The  power  “to  regulate  commerce  .  .  .
among  the  several  States”  justified  the  establishment ­
  of  a  postal  savings  bank  system,  since  these
banks  would  assist  interstate  commerce  in  a  most
vital  way,  in  bringing  money  into  circulation  and
providing  for  the  people  an  adequate  supply  of
currency. 22  (3)  Senator  Sutherland  contended
that  the  power  “to  establish  post  offices  and  post
roads”  had  been  broadly  interpreted  and  acted
upon  as  though  it  read:  “Congress  shall  have
power  to  establish,  organize  and  define  the  functions ­
  of  a  postal  department.”  In  no  other  way,
he  said,  could  the  broad  powers  now  exercised  by
the  Post  Office  Department  be  justified—powers
such  as  that  of  the  Postmaster-General  to  negotiate ­
  and  conclude  postal  treaties  and  conventions ­
  with  foreign  countries,  and  that  of  providing ­
  for  the  issuing  of  money  orders,  both  foreign
and  domestic. 23
To  these  arguments  the  most  effective  reply
was  that  made  by  Senator  Bailey.  No  power,
he  maintained,  had  been  conferred  upon  Congress ­
  to  establish  institutions  for  the  encouragement ­
  of  economy  and  thrift,  which  was  the  real
21  Senator  Sutherland,  Cong.  Rec.,  March  2,  1910,  pp.
2652,  2658.
22  Ibid.,  pp.  2658,  2651.
23  Cong.  Rec.,  March  3,  1910,  p.  2655.