INDEX OF PROSPERITY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2360, 16 January 1915, Page 8

INDEX OF PROSPERITY

SAVINGS BANK RETURNS A RECORD YEAR The Post Office Savings Bank returns, which are usually regarded as a fairly reliable index of tho prosperity of the community, show results that in view of all the circumstances are astonishingly good. Tho excess of deposits over withdrawals for the December quarter amounted to £433,346 as compared with £73,248 for the December quarter of 1913. For the whole year the excess of deposits is even more remarkable. In 1914 the excess amounted to £1,301,304, a record in the history of the institution, a record which was most nearly approached in 1907, when the excess of deposits was £1,226,54.1. Following ore some detail figures:— December Quarters.

1913. 1914. £ £ Deposits 2,745,732 2,696,354 Withdrawals 2,672,484 2,263,008 Excess of deposits 73,248 433,346 Years-Compared. £ £ Deposits 11,286,702 11,904,322 Withdrawals .... 11,041,454 10,603,018 Excess of deposits 245,348 1,301,30-1 STATEMENT BY HON. R. H. RHODES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Chrlstchuroh, January 15. The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Post-master-General,stated to-night that notwithstanding the war, the revenue for the December quarter of 1914 show,ed an increase of £14,000 over that of the December quarter of 1913. The Savings Bank resulte were, Mr. Rhodes said, also most satisfactory. The excess of deposits over withdrawals amounted last quarter to £433,347, as against an excess of only £72,248 in the December quartor of 1913, while the excess of deposits for the calendar year 1914 amounted to a sum of no less than £l,301 ; 30o, which wa6 a record for the Dominion, tlio previous record, having been established in 1907, when the excess of deposits amounted to £1,226,541.