The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-10-20
G. S. Whitson, of National
City Bank of New York,
Elected President.
''Woman's Qualifications as
a Bank Official"
SUBJECT OF AN INTERESTING
ADDRESS BY MRS. v. /. cHU RICH,
CASHIER OF THE BANK OF JoP.
LfN-NEWLY ELECTED Off.
GERS INSTALLED AND MEET
ING ADJOURNED.
Bv Associated Press.

st. Louis, Mo-, Oct. 19.-Logan
C. Murray, president of the Ameri-
can National Bank of Louisville, call
ed the convention of the American
Bankers Association to order and the
delegates were addressed by Mrs. v.
F. Church. cashier of the Bank of
Joplin. Mrs. Church said, in part:
The qualifications Of a woman in
occupying official positions in a bank
are many, and while l do not feel
that | possess all or them, by any
means, yet / will endeavor in the
brief time allotted me, to state some
of the qualifications as l see them.
The first prerequisite for any bank
official is that of absolute honesty,
and l believe l am justified in saying
that women. as a rule, possess this
qualification in very marked degree.
Perhaps theVe are reasons for IT,
such as their environments. etc, but
whatever the cause may be feel war
ranted in saying that fewer women
are. dishonest than men,
Sterling integrity is most certainly
another qualification for the bank OF
fetal; and right here again I claim
for woman that she possesses this
qualification in its highest form. AS
a rule women are reared and trained
to bear themselves above reproach,
and few of them would condescend
to do anything that would lower them
in the estimation of their friends OF
acuuaintances or in the business
world; therefore it would indeed be
rare to find a woman holding an offic
ial position in a bank who would
stoop- to do anything that would tar
nish her name or reflect upon hel
reputation. Not even a fiattery OF
division of the spoils would tempt hel
to be otherwise than sincere and hon
cradle in handling the funds instrIst
ed to safekeeping of her bank.
All Can be Faithful.
We all cannot be bright, we al
cannot be wise and sagacious, but We
all can. if we will, be faithful; and
to be faithful in the performance o
the duties imposed upon a bank offic
ial is one of the qualifications abso
! lutelv essential, and surely no oEt
will deny it that of all the qualifica
| lions that a woman possesses tina
Of faithfulness is her highest anC
| best.
To be affable, polite, civil, c"ur
teous is most essential for ha1t
official. especially one who comes IL
contact with the customers of the
bank. and all of you will bear me on
in the statement that many a goot
bank account has been lost because
of some discourtesy or inattention
and while it is true that our bes
bankers have this characteristic. ant
some of them in very marked de
gree. yet it is also true that some
of them are quite uncivil, impoiitt
and discourteous-es when 1
is the morning after the night before
and thew may not be feeling In I'M
hest of humor ! hold it to be true
that woman by nature embodies this
characteristic, and that il is exceed
inglv hard and unusual for her to b'
otherwise than affable, polite and ex
tremely courteous to all with whom
she comes in contact. This charac
teristic is not only desirable with tn
male customers of the bank but i
especiallv advantageous in dealin
with ladies who are by nature diff
dent, timid and retiring. Such a one
who might 90 before a man with fea
and trembling. would approach VIC
man officer of the bank with as nue.
grace and ease as she would NEE
friend in her own drawing room.
Question of Habits.
A banking institution being dc
pository for the funds of the people
must of necessity be careful. Wha
the public thinks of it is what tn
people think of its officials. There
fore II is extremely important an
absolutely necessary that the habits
that is the general conduct, of tn
.. officials of a bank be such as to CON
Imend the institution to the conn
dence of the people who leave wit
II their savings IT Is not my pul
nose TO condemn the lives or habit
of nv fellow bankers-that may no
be best for the good OF their lnstltu
tions-but I think you gentlemen Wi
agrae with me that the average III
and conduct of a woman is as goo
If not better. than that of a man
without disparaging man | want Z
saw that I believe woman possesse
tbis Characteristic OF good conduc
in such a pronounced degree as Q
nre-eminently qualify her for an ono
ial position with any banking inst
tuition.
Woman's Intuition.
If time permitted l could give on
or qualification that woman possesse
20 make her a good and safe oficer o
. hank. but 1 will mention in conclu
sion lust one other. and that Is,
> believe. peculiar to herself. spea