The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-12
aoNrco,1nny,s soLID sANks.

MONIGON&1kIV SOLhD bANh9
 The city of Montgomery ana this section of the state. which Is tributa- TT to Montgomery in financial way. are to be congratulated on the splen- did condition of Moptgomery's banks.
 Recently the United States Comp troiier of the Currency called on all the National banks of the country for an itennized statement of their condi- tion. under oath. as the National law requires to be done periodically. These statements have been printed in the various papers all over the land. and hence 1t has been possible to compare the figures of the Montgomery banks with those of similar institutions in all other cities. The Advertiser will not take up the mass of figures in de- tail, nor will any invidious compari. sons be made with the banks in any city. Suffice 1t to say that Mont gomerys banks make easily the best showing in essential respects. No other city's financial institutions equal those of Montgomery in the relative strength of their showinss. This is a most gratifying fact and something that the people of this city and sec tion can look upon with pride.
 The statements of these Montgomery banks in the aggregate show deposits of s4,oo0,0o in round numbers. The cash resources with which to meet that liability is practically $2.775.ooo. That is over 65 per cent. In other words, for every dollar of deposits entrusted to them. these banks have little over 65 per cent. In actual money they have about s1,55o,00o. which is nearly forty per cent of the deposits. The law requires only fifteen per cent of deposits available as a cash re- serve. The Montgomery banks have over four times that requirement., and nearly three times that in actual cur rency.
 This situation is, in the first place, the result of the wisdom of the banks. and, in the second place. of the sound ness of this city and section. Our business is bottomed on agriculture, and our farmers have had very fair crop, which has brought a pretty fair price. Our people have had the i'm come, and our cool, levei-headed bank CTS have taken good care of that portion of it which has reached their hands.
 This situation emphasizes and justi- fes the wisdom of the Montgomery banks in forming a clearing house some weeks ago, and in issuing clear ing house certificates. In unity there has been strength. and in protecting their cash reserves from inroads from the Eastern banks they have held them selves in shape to protect the interests of their depositors and of thef entire business of this city and section. If any one ever doubted the wisdom oi | the clearing house plan in all its de- tails, he must now see his mistake.
 There may be some criticism of the banks for their conservatism in mak- ing loans. It is true that they have not been lately very free or easy in tha' respect. But they have protected every interest that urgently needed and clearly deserved assistance, as is shown by the fact that there have been nt failures here and but few hereabout And have they not been right in the apparent attitude of not freely loan- ing depositors' money when they were not freely paying 1t out to the de- positors themselves? Their consistency in this matter must be approved
 Montgomery and It's surrounding ter. ritory will begin the New Year witf all its banks in fine shape, able, ready and willing to start off next years business in healthy, safe way, and business in this section will suffer much less, because of this strength thar 1t will in many other richer plaosi and sections of this country.