V 
CONTENTS 
CHAPTER I 
The Movement for Establishment of a Postal Savings 
System in the United States 
Long duration of the movement, 1-2. — Movement 
encouraged by panic of 1907, 2-4. — Declarations of 
political party platforms in 1908, 4-6. — Debate over 
desirability of postal savings, 6-7. — Question of the 
adequacy of existing savings facilities, 7-8. — Statis 
tics relating to existing facilities, 8-10. — Comparison 
of postal facilities and banking facilities, 11-12. — 
Fear of competition with existing banks, 12-13. — 
Opposition of bankers, 13-15. — Argument against 
the fear of competition, 15-16. — Losses to depositors 
from bank failures, 17-19. — Postal savings as a 
means to attract money from hoarding, 19-20. 
CHAPTER II 
The Postal Savings Bank Act of 1910 . 
Classification of provisions, 21. — Administration 
by a Board of Trustees with discretionary powers, 
21-24. — Provisions for deposits, 24-25. — Provisions 
for withdrawal of deposits, 25-26. — Reserves against 
deposits, 26-28. — Centralization of administration, 
28-30. — The form of credit given to depositors, 
30-31. — Method of determining the rate of interest 
paid depositors, 31-32. — Selection of a two per cent 
rate, 32-34. — Question of investment of savings 
funds, 35-37. — Debate in Senate on constitutionality 
of the bill, 37-40. — Amendment of bill in Senate to 
insure constitutionality, 40-42. — Final provisions for 
investment, 42-45. — Privilege of bond investment 
granted to depositors, 45-46. — Merits of this pro 
vision, 46-48. — Investment provisions in relation to 
outstanding government bonds, 48-49. 
PAGES 
1-20 
21-49