Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-28
Great Gathering This
Week at Denver, Col
gath Annual Meeting Of Amer
lean Bankers Assn.
Program Arranged Of Great Inter-
est In Banking Circles.

Denver Colo, Sept. 2l.-MOre than
| 5000 bankers representing all classes of
| financial institutions and every state
| in the Union will assemble here this
week at the 24th annual convention of
| the American Bankers Association.
| Hundreds of delegates are already on
| the scene and it is evident from their
| conversation in the hotel corridors that
| the livelicst session since the memoir
able one of 1886 is expected. This
year the guaranty of bank deposits
| probably will be the principal topic of
discussion Another subject of vital
| interest that will be discussed at length
is that of currency. The association
| was not satisfied with the Aldrich
currency bill. The Currency Com
| mission of the American Bankers AS
| ISOLATION, which drafted a measure of
| it., own only to see it rejected by the
! leaders of Congress will make its for
NAL report at next Thursdays session
| and delegates then will be given an op-
portunity to express their views on the
subject.
The reports of the Legislative COM
mittecs and the committees on express
| companies and bills of lading which
VIII be made at the opening session on
Wednesday will present other topics OF
general interest. The association has
been irving for several years to pre-
vent the express companies selling
morey orders while the alleged failure
of the railroads to safeguard bills of
lading also has been the subject OF
much contention both in the courts
and before Congress and the Interstate
Commerce Commission. 1t IS practl-
callv certain that the convention will
empower these committees to continue
their respective contests.
A number of speakers of natlona
prominence will participate not only In
the sessions of the convention proper
viii n will be held on Wednesday and
Thursday hut also of the Savings Bank
and Trust Company sections on Mon
day and Tuesday Pierre Jay, bank
commissioner of Massachusetts. Will
deliver an address at the meeting OF
the Savings Eank section and the pro-
nosed postal savings bank law Will he
analvZed in the report of special
committee appointed for that purpose
..,rhc effect of the recent panic on the
Eastern savings banks" will be the
subject of paper by John g. GrisWold
of New York Governor Henry a.
Ruchtcl of Colorado and President Will
liam f. Hughes of the Continental
Trust Company of Denver. will deliver
the addresses of welcome to the trust
c,mpanv delegates Among the
sneakers will be Breckenbridge Jones
of st. Louis who has chosen for ms
subject '"The Trust Company; A Ne
cessity." F.. Fl. Fries of Winston
Salem, n. c., who will discuss Rad
calism VS.. Conservatism" and Law
renee T.. Gillespie of New York, who
will sneak on "New York City Trust
COMPANIES Under Present Legislation
A general discussion of 4Wlrat Lessons
for the Trust Companies Were Re-
vaaled in the 1907 Panic will also take
| place.
| Gov. Buchtel and Mayor Robert W.
Spcnr of Denver. will speak at the
orening session of the convention prop
| or Wednesday morning and the rest OF
| the time up to the noon recess VIII pc
d, voted t. the reports of the officers
and the various committees. In the at
ternoon Woodrow Wilson, President OIL
I rinceton University will speak on
."rhe Banker and the Nation" ant r.
T.. Walker. president of the Canadian
Pank of Commerce will discuss "Abnor-
| nal Features of American Barking
on Thursday the principal addresses
| will be "Vital Issues" by Alexander
Gilbert president of the New Work
| Clearing House and conservation of
| Natural Resources by Congressman
Joseph f. Randall of Louisiana
There also will be meetings of the
Executive Council and the Clearing
House section on Monday at which
matters of importance to the associa-
ton itself will be settled.
The local committee of bankers has
| made elaborate preparations Tor me
comfort, convenience and entertain
,nent of the delegates and guests. a
banquet a reception, sightseeing au-
i tomobilc ride and an all day trip to
The crest of the Continental divide are
among the entertainments that have
l.t.cn arranged for the visitors. All the
railroads have allowed reduced fares to
and from the convention from various
sections OF the country.
The membership of the American
bankers Association embraces p"acu-
cally the entire financial fraternity 81
the United States. 1t was formed al
Saratoga. y. V. in 1875 at conven.
ton at which go states were represent
ed by "a? delegates. It's growth has
been steady and at times very rapid
the total membership today being $50
national, state and savings banks ano
;, trust companies and private banking
houses The last fiscal year DESPITE
, the panic which proved disastrous t
so many banking concerns, has beer
one of the most successful in the his
tory Of the Association. While So
,, members were lost through Withdrawal
consolidation, liquidation and failure
IA. were added to the roll making ;
net gain of j52 for the year.
t The principal officers of the Assoc.a
. ton are President Col. J. D. Powers o
Louisville; vice-presdent, George NJ
' Reynolds of Chicago; chairman eXeou
l tive council Lewis E. Pierson, New
I York; secretary, Col. Fred E. Farms
v worth, New York; treasurer, A. A
Crane, Minneapolis. The President o