The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-12
DON'T HIDE YoUR MONEY.

1
bank depositors-chiefiy those whose
deposits are not large-to withdraV
their money from the banks as soor
as they are permitted to do so. and
hide it.
1t is to be hoped that few people will
pursue such foolish policy as this
for several reasons. First and fore
most, it would tend to create real
currency shortage in place of the part
ly artificial one we are now enjoying, -
as the Japanese would say. Secondly
it is dangerous for the depositor, mas
much as his money is liable to be
stolen.
No business man is contemplating
such a move as this, for the average
business man understands the necessity
of keeping money in circulation and
the benefit of banking privileges. Nor
are many men with large accounts con-
templating hiding their money. Most of
them are only too glad to have the
banks keep their money for them, and
they would not know what to do with
it in case they should draw 1t out.
But there are people with accounts of
from 800 to $500 who contemplate with
drawing them after awhile. They are
their money out when the banks re-
move the present restrictions. Suppose
thousand depositors were to draw out
an average of 5000 each in Topeka and
hide it away. That would be a total of
100000 in currency withdrawn from
circulation right here. And If the same
thing should be done all over the coun-
try it would mean the retirement Of
. 80 r. aI,
should be helping along the needs of
commerce.
Besides that, the hiding away of such
sums of money would prove powerful
incentive to the burglar business, and
many a man would find his savings
thus taken from him. On the other
hand, nearly every bank in the country
is absolutely safe.
But there is a reverse side to this
proposition. If it is wrong for an in
dividual to hoard his money, it is dou-
bly, wrong for a bank to do so. 1t
would be a good idea for the bankers
to remember this in the present situa-
ton. Those banks that have sufficient
currency to meet the needs of their
patrons certainly have no more COM
mercial right to keep that money out
OF circulation than mas the 1nQ1N1Oudl
WHY BIRMINGHAM WENT DRY.
1t has been a matter of considerable
surprise that the county in which Bir-
mingham, Ala, is situated recently
voted for prohibition. because it has a
that is usually not favor
able to that sort of thing-coal miners,
iron workers, and that class of citizens.
Edward Heating, managing editor of
the Rocky Mountain News, has just re-
turned from a trip through the south.
including Birmingham, and he gives
some interesting observations concern
ing the anti-liquor fight down there.
Birmingham is the county seat of a
containing 100000 Inhabitants,
nearly half of whom live in what will
soon be Greater Birmingham. The
place is a second Pittsburg, without
peculiar social characters
tics, and with more than Pittsburg's
advantages in the manufacture Of iron.
Within a radius of five miles may be
found everything needed for the manu-
facture of steel rails-iron ore, coal and
limestone f1ux. Naturally there is a
yerv large dinner bucket brigade in |
Naturally, also, it is just
the kind of place that you would think !
was totally immune to any attack of
prohibition.
But the women didn't think so, says |
Mr. Heating. One of them stated the |
case to the northern newspaper men |
about like this: I'VE feel that the |
southern man is temperamentally unfit |
% drink strong liquor, and he has |
shown that he won't drink beer Light |
vines might do, but they have never
got a hold. The result is that 1T is dis
illed liquor or nothing, and distilled
iquor is rank poison to our kind of
men, living in our climate. There is
lot a house in this block said one, "in
which I cannot show you the scar of
1t may be son, IL may be
father, but know it exists in every
house in this block" So the women
urned out and worked with all their
night and main for prohibition. 1t is
he very first time in the history of
he south that women have gone into
,olitics, but they went in this time, and
hey made good.
One Birmingham man, a newspaper
nan and cultured student of social
problems, gave his reasons for support
ng prohibition. First among these was
he presence of the negro. Here is a
ace VIGOROUSLY susceptible to the in
iuence of liquor, and in whom drunk
,nness often leads to the most fiendish
,rimes. For this, indeed, there is no
mall measure of white responsibility.
t was charged in the Birmingham
never denied-that the
in the lower quarters of
he city made a business of selling to
negroes whisky in bottles on whose
wrappers was the picture of nude
White woman. The only way the decent
Whites felt sure of keeping the negro