Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-06-24
l(a9hin9ton S t1nl1rS
Women n Banl.er> in Kansas.

Ia.rr are hundreds of women il
hu~.s who are connected with
h.rt~ as stock-hrokers. and d dozen
or a.ar~ Who are either presidents or
,.-l..t> Of those institutions. and
sr.:-S '.D occupy spOnsIblc psi
Ueas. a> clerks and tellcrs, present
At q meeting e ] .0Np bankers of the
Stale, which assembled al Topeka last
mutl y hen they arrived. 1t was
fuand that the women had no place
on the programme, but it had been
a'rlugcd 20 give them automobile
rides about the city and d public re-
orpliun. while the men were to have
n generous monopoly Of all business.
Bot they counted without their
lostcsscs," If they expected that
tx quiet disposal OF their time
would meet with approval for on the
yery day, when the bankers were
busiest with their addresses, discus
sions and election OF officers, in vir-
tualiv executive session, from which
many OF the women, who were pre-
sumably Just as much interested,
were quietly ignored if not debarred;
the women held a meeting for the
express purpose of talking shop"
And they did it. They talked in
diligently Of the great duties Incl
dent to the banking business; OF
some Of the heartaches that are
caused by bad management and OF
the sorrows that come to homes and
families by reason OF the reckless
speculation and gambling by careless
depositors. There was not man on
the programme, and none were per-
mitted to hang around and listen.
The meeting was presided over by
Mrs. H. G.. West of Junction City,
whose husband is an officer of a
Junction City bank. One OF the best
addresses made by the women was
that of Miss Anna Speck, of the
State Bank Commissioners office.
Miss Speck knows all about the work
of women in Kansas banks. Not one
of them, she declared, has ever been
even suspected of dishonesty, and
wherever a woman is employed in a
bank, a man who is inclined, finds it
difficult to cover up a shortage or
crooked transaction. While there
are not many women who are rank
ing officers of banks in Kansas, she
said, there are dozens of young
women who hold responsible posi-
lions in banks. Many Of them are
assistant cashiers. and it can be not
ed that wherever women are con-
nected with bank it is strong in
stitution. The few banks having
women as managing officers are
among the solid and substantial in
situations of this State"
Mrs. C. f. Henson of Paola, whose
husband is an officer of bank. is OF
great assistance to him. for she told
how she would run a bank if placed
in charge of such an institution.
She understands the business and
frequently helps out her husband
when there is rush of work. u
Mrs. J. B. Floursch of Manhattan
read a paper on What l Don't
Know About Banking" but it plain
ly showed that she could 60 into o
bank and run it as we'll as the aver
age man. Mrs. Scott Hopkins. wife
of o Topeka banker, extended greet
ings to the visitors, and later re-
freshments and music followed.
Editor E. W.. Howe of Atchison.
who happened in Topeka, and heard
of the women's meeting, wanted
to attend it simply, as he said. to
hear what a lot of bankers wives
would talk about. But he. was
barred purely on account of sex, and
got even with them by the following
senseless drivel:
81 regret that the affair ia not the
usual reception which women enjoy,
instead of foolish affair in which
women will read uninteresting papers,
Why are women always trying to be-
come public speakers and essayists?
Why don't they stick to the punch bowl,
the bank of palms, the gable and COB
BILE? asked he. "Men don't have after
noon receptions and strut around before
each other to show Off their spring
suits. Why do women persist in read
ing foolish papers? Is there anything,
except hard work, that the women are
willing to let the men monopolize? II this
sort of thing keeps up the women will
finally be trying TO become fathers"
There, now; he doubtless thinks he
has said the worst he can, Of woman's
efforts to live pure and independ-
ent life, but it will be noted that his
comment is wholly of assertion that
has been worn thread-bare by per.
sistent use without the least admis-
sion of established truth from re.
suits. Nobody claims that all wo-
men are fitted for allcallings. neither
are all men; nor are all people en-
dowed with the mental power or
physical strength to engage in voca-
tions or trades that are peculiarly
exacting in either brain or muscle;
but we do affirm and claim, that the
Territory of Washington did main
tain absolute equality before the law
long enough to demonstrate that the
CO inf L.