Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-15
Dishonest Bank Omcinls.

/ The men who furnish the money which
/ is handled by the bank officials in those
cities in which thefts and defalcatIons
/ have been most numerous are again
| giving a good deal Of attention to 4 study
( Of the causes that lead the officials and
! trusted employees to dishonest practices,
and TO the methods OF identifying those
who need especial watching. 1t was
thought that these matters had been
worked down to fine point long ago, but
II seems that the number of unfaIthful
bank officials and employees is on
the increase. Most Of the banks
that have been victimized within
the past year or two appear TO
have been from the first very loosely man.
aged, and to havs neglected TO adopt some
of the simplest and easiest applied of all
safeguards. Ii ought to be impossible for
a bookkeeper or cashier to carry over and
conceal by false entries large adverse
balances from week to week and from
month to month, and yet this has been
frequently done in establishments which
were supposed 10 be conducted according
to the most approved business principles.
and ia which the officials and employees
had long been trusted and were thought
to be entirely above suspicion.
1t is said that some bank directors
maintain a system of espionage over
their officials and employees, and that de-
tectiyeS are employed to shadow them
outside OF business hours, and to report
Their habits, and even their minutest acts
n Il l.
this repugnant to the feelings of high
minded and honest men. No man who
has any seIf-respect and character will
remain in position where he is spotted
and watched as if he were common
thief. 1t is well enough to employ detec-
tiVes TO watch those who have given rea-
sonable, though perhaps slight, cause for
suspicion, but the man who exercises a
system of espionage over his employees
without cause is such a one as needs
watching himself.
1t Is the duty Of the directors and other
high bank officials to keep thoroughly
posted as to the smallest details of their
business. If they keep the "run of the
books" well in their minds by close study
and daily inspection, defalcations of any
considerable amounts will be all but i'm
possible. Often an official who has been
apparently honest for years sees a chance
TO steal "pile" or is tempted to "bor-
row" to cover speculations or losses,
knowing that the business of the bank is
so loosely conducted that there is little
danger of immediate detection, and
doubtless there are many cases in which
they are never discovered. AS the known
danger Of Immediate discovery increases
the temptation very naturally decreases.
Probably the most strictly honest men
in the world are those who daily handle
the millions Of dollars in the thousands of
banking and large commercial establish
ments throughout the country. When
one of them does prove recreant to his
trust, however, all the world is soon in
formed Of it, and the whole class is
usually forced to submit to an avalanche
Of alleged witticisms about suspicious
cashiers.
Probably one half of the banks in the
country are managed by officials who
know very little about the business, that
is, the minor details of bookkeeping and
counting of the cash, and the number Of
such establishments that owe their sol
vency and success to the honesty, faith
fulness and watchful care of minor Off
cials is probably q good deal larger than
most people suppose il is.