The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-12

L
| done within circumscribed limits, is
one which, through the customers of
the institution, has to do very largely
with the concerns of the community in
which it is located-in other words. the
bank officer, by virtue of his position,
| looks out into the business of the COM
munity which surrounds him. his ex-
perience shows him that, while there is
great difference in people about
everything in every kind of business,
| this variety of traits is nowhere more
curiously brought out than in their re-
| lations with banks The bank, to n
| business man, is such necessary insti-
tuition that it is impossible to transact
| business without its ready assistance,
either directly or indirectly. But it has
to be fed in order to render efficient
service. 1t will not honor checks with
out the wherewithal to make the same
good and to secure the bank against
loss. 1t is one of the potential illns-
trations of the universal law of give and
take, or take and give, rather-for it is
based upon the principle that it will
not give of its kind unless it has taken
in, in some available shape, promise
or other security that what is given will
be repaid in its kind. 1t therefore gives
its promises to pay in exchange for
other promises not so available to the
owners or holders, and its promises are
good as gold because the community
knows that they are protected at the
fountain head of all culrency-the Ma
Iional Treasury. Well, the banking
frafprOJfU n HAiner thiC hue ,f
change, see human nature in a manner
as II 1t were brought up from the
depths, Some idea of what is seen
from behind the desk NAV be given in
n way. When a man goes into bank
to draw on check payable to himself,
he should understand that his identity
must be known to the teller before he
can get the money. Now, some tellers
can Judge by the appearance of the
man if he is all right, and, if the
amount of the check is insignificant,
will pay it and take the chances; while
others are very exact and will not pay
any check unless they know..thc party
who presents it, or he is identified by
some one known to them, the rule be-
ing not to pay a check. large or small,
properly identified.
Some of those who draw on check
attempt, by an oif-hand air. or one of
familiarity, to get their checks cashed
They approach the window quickly and
greet the teller Familiarity: Pheasant
day. Busy, as usual, Ell? Yes I sup
pose so. Tens and fves, if you please"
Some of these men succeed in getting
checks cashed, even though there may
be doubt in the mind of the teller as
to whether he knows them or not, but
the most of them are disappointed,
and made to open their eyes by: Il do
not know you, sir. You will have to
be identified before | can pay this
check" and then he will have to answer
if he knows Smith, Brown, Jones or
Robinson, until some mutual acquaint-
ance is named. Some who 90 to the
bank unprepared for identification for
get all about this necessary preliminary
to drawing money until they are
just entering it, They may try to
get along without it by explain
ing the fact to the teller; but it won't
do. He has his orders and lives up to
them, and they are veXed and disap-
pointed because of the trouble they
must take in consequence. They for
get that if check of theirs had been
lost, and the finder could get it cashed
at the bank without proper Identified
ton, they would be inclined to saddle
the bank, and that, therefore, the bank
must protect itself, and in SO doing pro-
tect their interests as well-the inter-
ests of the community, in fact. Be
sides, the teller is responsible if he
takes a check from stranger and pays
it without first having him properly
identifed-responsble to the bank, if
the bank loses by his neglect-just as
he is also responsible if at the end of
the day he cannot balance his cash with
the paid checks and remaining cash on
hand. If teller pays out too much,
he must make the difference to the
bank good. Cases of this kind have
occurred, but they are by no means of
such frequent occurrence as might be
supposed in the vast number of pay
ments made on checks Boston Herald.