The bank's only means of payment are its assets, consisting of claims upon the owners of such wealth as houses, factories, railroads, electric light plants, good roads, and school buildings.

Thus virtually the depositors have by their savings made possible the building and equipping of these actual forms of wealth, and have an equitable claim upon the usance of them, which claim is met by the payment of interest and dividends to the savings banks.
Viewed in this way the great social importance of the savings function appears, and the importance of developing the savings institutions.
Sec.7.

#Postal savings plan.# In many countries of the world the governments have not only authorized private, corporate, and trustee savings banks, but have provided public agencies where it is possible for the citizens to deposit small amounts.

Thus municipal, and what are called communal, savings banks are operated by many European cities; but the most effective and widely used agencies for the purpose are the national post-offices.

Postal savings banks, or postal savings systems as divisions of the postal service, are now found in all the larger countries of the world, and in many smaller ones.