River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-03-06
THE BANK CASHIER.
An Interesting and Important Character
in Financial Circles.

IN flnanclak circles.
Next to the president. the cashier Is,
as rule, the most authoritative officer
in bank. He may have risen by de-
grees to his present eminece from the
foot of the ladder. If SO, he is the more
likely to be extremely efficient. His life
is circumscribed, sedantary, mechanical
Yet his faculties must be on the alert,
his temper under control, his fortitudo
invincible. his leading business aim the
safety and success OF the establishments.
The model cashier is reticent as tho
Sphinx about all bank secrets, is born
and disciplined detective, and recognizes
counterfeit customer as quickly as
spurious bill. In the absence of
president and vice-president the
cashier is the real head of the bank.
He signs certificates of stock, circulate
ing notes and checks drawn on other
banks, indorses drafts and notes for col
lection. conducts the correspondence, Is
usually stakeholder and often a di-
rector. He is appointed by the direct
ors, gives bond and sureties for fidelity,
and receives salary OF from two to
twelve or possibly fifteen thousand dol
lars
On arrival at his desk in the morning
the cashier examines the dozen or more
OF newspapers for which the bank sub
scribes, chances round to see il all the
clerks are present and preparing the ex-
changes for the clearing house, and, il
not, supplies the vacancies Morning
additions OF two or three mill
ions may be made 70 the assort-
ed exchanges of much larger amounts.
possibly twenty or thirty millions,
prepared on the previous afternoon.
Correspondence next claims attention.
This may include from two to twenty
five hundred letters or more Corre-
spending clerks have opened the whole.
Those containing cash items are re-
tanned b. the tellers. Special letters,
such as applications for discounts, pro
posals from new customers, orders for
the purchase or sale OF stocks or bonds,
concerning remittances, inquiries into
the standing OF persons, opinions re-
garding certain securities, complaints
touching the business conduct Of tho
bank, are answered by himself at once
or later in the day. The replies are
copied Tie is conspicuous at the di-
rectors' meetings, examines loans Sc
cured by coliaterals, calls them in IL the
latter be not satisfactory, examines the
balance-books. directs all details. keeps
informed about all that is done, and
turns with entire concentration to the
import of frequent calls and Interrupt
tions.
When the money market is easy"
the cashier sails on summer seas. Poll
tics, theology, history, education, pub
lie improvements. personal matters, are
conversational staples. When financial
storms arise, no captain on ocean grey
hounds" bridge has more cause for anx-
iety. Offerings double, discount shrink.
Merchants demand more money. Re-
jected offerers holly call for explana-
ton. Then the fine art of banking
comes into play
Part OF the cashiers duty is to in
crease the business OF the bank Profits
are made on deposits. New accounts arc
eagerly sought But applicants must be
properly introduced and identified.
Some banks will not take the accounts
of persons introduced only by their own
clerks, for fear they might DO con-
federates in some scheme of fraud or
plumber; other and respectable vouch-
ers are required. All accepted sign
their names in a book provided for
that purpose, and their business biogra-
phies, so far as known. are inscribed in
another volume. Critical supervision
of the entire concern by the cashier is
condition of healthfulness and growth.
In the larger banks, having over sixty
clerks and upward of 1900 accounts,
the cashiers functions are distributed
between himself and one or more assist
ant cashiers, sometimes including loan
clerk.-Richard Wheatley, in Harper's
Mapakine