The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-12
LARGE INCREASE
 IN FIRST NATIONAL
Capital and Surplus Raised By
 S5OO,0OO Each
SHOWS FAITH IN FUTURE
pr..,a.r+ Harding Points Out Enor- mons Gains Made By Banking Institution During the
 Past Ten Years

The stockholders of the First Nationai
 bank met yesterday pursuant to call and
 voted to increase the capital and the
 surplus of the bank in the sum or soOo'-
 900 each. The new stock Is to be soio
 at s20o a share, the present stockhoio-
 CTS to have the option of purchasing the
 additional shares
 Mai. E. M. Tutwiler presided at the meeting and Cashier Thomas Hopkins acted as secretary. Nearly all the stock was represented by proxies. AS the pro- posed increase had been practically agreed to by the stockholders individ- ually in advance yesterdays meeting was merely matter of form, and lasted only about 20 minutes.
 After adjournment President W. P. G.
 Harding made the following statement; .The action of the stockholders of the
 First National bank of Birmingham in voting to increase the capital and sur plus each in the sum of $5oo,o0o, thereby adding s1 100000 to the banking capital of the city, Is an evidence of their ap- preciation of the metropolitan proportions
 of Birmingham. and of their faith in the future This increase, which will become effective January 8. 1911, will give the bank a combined capital, surplus and un- divided prof1t account of over $2900,ooo, | a sum nearly double the aggregate capi- tai and surplus of all the banks In Bir- mingham in the year 1900.
 | 'The wonderful growth of Birming- | ham during the last 10 years, as shown by the census report-245.4 per cent-has attracted the attention of the world, but | the First National bank shows percent | ages of increase In essential items which are equally impressive. For instance, In | 1900 the capital of the bank was $25oooo' surplus and undivided profits, $loO,oOO, | as compared with a capital in 1910 of $l, | O0o 900. and surplus and undivided profits | of $900 900, so that the capital has in creased 300 per cent, and the surplus and profit account 800 per cent. The average | deposits of the bank during the year lsoo
 were s25oo,ooo, while the average for the | year 1910 has been $9,oo0,oo0. an increase | of s650O,00o or 2e0 per cent. The increase | in deposits since July 1, 1896, has been | 120O per cent.
 "During the last 10 years Birmingham | has become the recognized commercial and financial center of Alabama. and the business of the First National bank has constantly expanded, so that 1t has clientele in nearly all the counties or | the state, and has also among it's deposit ors residents of 24 states and six for | eign countries. ssThis material addition to It's capital | and surplus will enable the bank to be- come a more powerful factor than ever l before in the development of our city and | state It will always be the policy of the | bank to respond to the legitimate wants of it's customers passing It's accommoda tions upon their business, balances and
 financial responsibility.
 'The acquisition by the bank of the
 building bearing It's name insures ample
 space for such further expansion Of the
 banking room as may be necessary fr
 the future"