UNFRUITFUL MONEY-BOXES.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
Sia,—A recent experience of mine when speaking to the members of a Women's Institute makes me think that though an attempt has been made to bring Government securities within reach of
very small investors, not nearly enough has been done in that way even now. The women. I was speaking to all agreed that the savings of their children, generally remained unprofitably in money-boxes. It was felt that theSums saved were too small to invest, and the result was that the men* remained in the boxes till Christmas, when it was almost invariably taken out and spent on Christmas presents and festivities. I asked why even small sums of two or three shillings should not be invested in the Post Office Savings' Bank, but 0+4 answer was that the terms were not attractive enough. All the women said that if their children could invest small sums on the terms offered iu the case of War Savings Certificates, the savings in the money- boxes would be put to better use. It may be objected that money can easily he saved at the Post Office until there it enough to buy a War Savings Certificate, but the truth is that the women to whom I was speaking Wanted a short cut. They are not attracted by the Post Office Savings Bank, but they would be attracted by the opportunity of encouraging their children to invest their small sums on what I may call Certi- ficate terms. They want, say, 2s. to turn into 2s. 641. under the same conditions as 16s. (originally 15s. 6d.) turns into Cl. They said that there were many thousands of money-boxes lying idle which might be useful to the country as well as to the owners. Is there anything in their idea?—I am, Sir, &e.,
Y.
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