The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-21

The pennsylvania bankers concluded
their convention with a business sas-
sion yesterday morning, and in the af-
ternoon the delegates departed for
their homes, expressing themselves
highly pleased with their stay in the
Electric City.
Addresses by Hon. Charles s. Fair
child, eX-secretary of the treasury, and
Hon. Thomas ]. Powers, state commits
sioner Of banking; reports from group
chairmen and the election of officers
We're the main features of the pro-
gramme. The reports of the group
chairmen proved especially interesting
this year, inasmuch as the subject
matter of the reports was the general
condition of business in the various
districts represented by the groups
They tended very strongly to corrobor-
ate Colonel Bryan's reluctant state-
ment that there is some prosperity"
The session was called to order at 10
O'Clock by President Kunkel, and the
proceedings opened with prayer by
Rev. c. NJ. Giftin, D. H., pastor of Elm
Park church, after which Hon. Chas
S. Fairchild was introduced to address
the convention on THE Business Of
Banking"
Mr.. Fairchild spoke in a conversa-
tional style without any attempt at
oratorical flights. He was listened to
with wrapt attention and vigorously
applauded when he had concluded. He
said in part:
MIR. FAIRCHILD'S ADDRESS.
Mr. President and Gentlemen-I sup
pose it is more of a formality than
anything else having addresses on the
subject of your business from other
men. You who have spent your lives
in the business of banking need very
little from an outsider. 1 myself have
had shorter experience than most of
you in that particular line, having been
the president of a financial institution
for ten years only. Before that my ex-
perience had been as a lawyer, and in
that capacity I was deputy attorney
general and afterwards attorney gen.
eral or the state of New York. / occu-
pied that position four years. Then l
became assistant secretary of the
treasury, and then the secretary of the
treasury and those offices occupied four
years OF my life. So that I have seen
this subject of business, of banking,
from various standards. Perhaps that
was an advantage, and perhaps it was
disadvantage. 1t has not all been
v
result of it all, although l have never
had to do with a national bank or a
state bank except as q director, as
have been in one or two and am now,
as a result Of my observation I think
am now able to speak in a quite un-
preJudiced manner and in view of the
prejudice that so largely exists in the
public minds in many parts of the
country, and on the part of many pee
pie, against the business in which you
are engaged and at a time when men
are seeking still to excite public feeling
and perhaps to base political issues
upon the mere name of banks and
bankers.
1 wish to say-and l say it
in all sincerity and as the result of
some years of experience and obser-
Vation-that were it not for the service
which you and your institutions render
to mankind we would lapse far toward
barbarism. Therefore it always seems
to me that bankers when alone or when
they gather together should never be
in state of apology towards their fell
low-citiZens or on the defensive as 10
their business in any way, but quite
the contrary, they should feel and as
sert that they are performing an in
estimable service to mankind; and be-
lieving that as l do, I always look upon
any gathering of bankers with the
most profound respect as being and
representing a body of men who have
served their fellow-men on the whole,
taking the average, with unparalleled
faithfulness and benefit.