Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-03


America. We want to make our
5hoasted commercial invasion of the
vsor1d" fact. .s5. ss
The arguments against it are many
and important. However, In my
Judgment, we need to abolish our
sib-treasury system, and create in
stead a great central bank
A pleasing recitation, "A Bankers
Troubles was delivered by G. r..
Very Of Lanki1l.
D The next paper was one Of the best
of the convention, by Cashier Wesley
Mcdowell OF Marion. He read his
paper, but accompanied the reading
with extemporaneous comments that
kept his audience in roar Of laugh
ter. He said he thought when he found
himself on the program in such dis
tinguished company he was like a
scrub among a bunch of thorough
breds. His audience classed him as a.
thoroughbred before he finished his
paper on "The Relation Of the Banker
to His Community" He said:
North Dakota Country Banker.
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentle;
men of the North Dakota Bankers
Association and Our Guests: When.
some time ago received notice from
Mr.. Macfadden, the secretary Of the.
association, regarding this meeting, +
took it that his letter was a sort Of a
circular sent to the members of this
association stating that the meeting
of this association would be held in
Bismarck at this time, and he said in
his letter that it was the purpose Of
the officers of this association to
have this meeting practically for
North Dakota bankers to talk over
their business in this state, and to
take up such matters as would be of
particular interest to them as bank
ers. also inferred that he had hopes
that the addresses and talks which
would be made at this time would be
given by men engaged in the business
in this state. We all know that the
average banker is good talker when
in his own place of business, that he
has a happy faculty of grasping a
customers hand in hearty fashion, of
putting his left on the shoulder, look
ing him squarely in the eye, and that
he has the ability to put up a most
convincing argument, and I thought
that the program of this convention
would have a number of these men to
give these talks. I had no idea but
that there would be at least fifteen or
twenty of the best in the state on the
list. Thinking this would be the pro.
gram, and as did not wish to shirk,
I wrote the secretary and told him
that If he found, in making up the pro.
gram, that there were few minutes
left of the time and no one to fill
them, ! would try and say a few words
on the relations of the banker to his
community, as especially applied to
the small towns of this state.
What shall say should not be dig
nified by the term address, but should
be more correctly called short talk
OF my own experience as cashier of
a small bank. The term country
banker seems to depend upon the 10
cation of the individual who uses the
term. The bankers in New York city
undoubtedly would call all the banks
in North Dakota country banks, and
all the men engaged in them country
bankers, while the bankers of Ghica-
go, Minneapolis and st. Paul and 9th.
Ser western cities, am inclined to
believe, would draw a sharp distinc-
ton between the bankers of the large
towns Of this state and those in the
small places. At one time all the
bankers in North Dakota could posi-
bly, be designated by this term, hui
the growth of the banks in the larger
towns has been so large during the
last ten years, that one views with
great pride their rapid and substan-
tial growth. Their statements speak
volumes for the ability Of their man
ayers, and their institutions reflect
great credit upon the whole state. My
experience has been wholly in small
town Of less than three hundred peo-
pie, and from that experience alone
comes what little information I have
about the business. The institution
] am connected with was built in a
stubble field six years ago, like many
another bank which has been started
in the small towns Of the state, either
in the middle of field or out on the
unbroken prairie, many times ahead
OF the railroad, and often before the
town has been plated and lots placed
on sale. They are in reality country
banks In every sense of the phrase,
because they have been virtually built
right on the farms, their OFFICERS are,
truly speaking. country bankers, and
we saan1 n, he ,.an,ai ,o7 ~, ~, n +1,5,,