Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-06-11
HOW TO PREVENT DISHONESTY

The san Francisco Gail refers to the
statement of the manager of the Neg
York clearinghouse that whoever inyents
m efieetuaI plan to prevent dishonesty
&" can get millions of dollars for it." SAYS
there is but one plan Ii does not claim
ii as It's own, but we are willing to concede
its originality to the Gail 1t may be
summed up in the words watch en-
ployes This is enthusiastically an
original idea; it belongs to our esteemed
contempory and no one else; nobody ever
thought Of it before, and now that the
Cal has made the discovery and given it
freely TO the public, thus generously waiv
ing the millions it could get for its inyen-
ton, we hasten to congratulate it. The
Cal dose not lose sight Of the fact that it
Is necessary to supplement its plan with
some suggestion for securing the necessary
watchfulness 1t first discloses its plan for
Watching saving: Why grant the
opportunity that makes the thief? We
ito not argue that every man holding
position Of trust should lie looked upon bv
his sugeriors a. an actual or potential
thief, hut common prudence teaches that
he should be delivered from temptation by
a system of supervision rigid enough to
nip in the bud any tendency to perversion
of funds. What are bank presidents and
directors for, if not to watch jealousy over
the interests of the concern confded to
their care?' Il supplements this by the
following; There is too much delegation
of trust and power. The best way to
BRING about a reform would he to hold the
managers of swindled banks to strict legal
accountability for criminal negligence"
Now if our contemporary will
proceed to point out who is to watch the
Directors and the President, who are not
infrequently themselves the delinquents.
and then inform us who is to watch tile
watcher, and where the process of watch
ing is to end, We shall have complete
new system. 1t will then devolve upon it
TO point out how, under any present or
possible future law, the manager of "a
swindled bank" Is to be criminally held
for the act of another in whom trust has
been reposed Also how any kind of
banking business can be carried on with
out clerks, cashiers and other officers. and
how il is possible for these to be supervised
so rigidly as to prevent any one of them
from stealing, without doubling and ire
bling or uadrupling the force of workers.
Th idea of a supervision so rigid as to
prevent dishonesty is simply impossible
Business of 4 large character cannot be
carried ON without reposiug trust in some
ono, and human nature can have bat one
sure guaranty against betrayal, and that is
adhesion to high moral standard that
will assure one impregnaby against tempt
alton To raise the moral standard of
bank officers to the level requisite to pre-
vent dishonesty, is, says our contemporary,
a long and difficult process, involving a
parallel elevation Of business principles
and methods. Precisely, and in such ele-
walton will be found the only absolute Sc
curity against dishonesty, The necessary
guaranty against defaulting clerks Presi-
dents and cashiers must be made; made
matter of growth, too, and of slow growth,
TOO. 1t must take root in society, and