The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-25
merger at this tirno could not be con-
sidcred other than inopportune.

merger at this tirno could not be con-
sldcred other than inopportuns.
II mere size Of banking institu-
ton excites hostility. New York in
SUI utl,ions' 1t was pointed out by the
ihhhclal Chronicle, large and strong
ar they are. have nothing to fear from
comparison with the banks In Great
Britain The Chronicle published
taole showing tho RESOURCES and de-
posts Of ten Of Ensland's banks. not
including the Bank of England.
These banks have deposits OF s2,s5e.-
oo"'p0o and resources OF $3.09l 10000
or average resources o, s3oe 000060
which compares with thcs2G5 900. 900 "a.
sources OF the National City Bank, the
largest In this city and country. Three
Oh tnSse banks. Lloyds. London County
ana Westminster. have each RESOURCES
Of si5o.000.o00 or more Saws tho
chronicle: The average Englishman
looks with pride upon the huge British
synonym or British strength and pow
or. and are the main element in the
MAJ mai htintenance and promotion OF Great
britains vast foreign trade. Why
banking institutions, one-half or ONE
quarter the size OF those on tho other
n iaf are menace TO our national
welfare and a detr!ment 70 tho coun-
trys morals? Must VIC not admit, at
least on behalf OF our radical politi-
clans, that ideas in this country re-
Garding banking institutions arc. after
all, somewhat provincial?
In Canada also It has been the poll
Icy " the government to encourage
growth OF banks and Capitalization of
money power until now the Bank OF
Montreal IL second only TO the National
City Bank among all the bhnks and
trust companies OF the continent AT
n aa, had IA
posi,s Of S173,o0o.00o and resources Of
S2@5,00o,o0o At tho same time tho
Canadian Bank OF Commerce had de-
posIts OF $3.50 100000 and resources OF
si7s,000,oo0,
The effect of an unusually hard win
ter Is again reflected In the fortnigh,ly
bulletin Of the American Railway AS
ISOLATION. The bulletin showed de-
crease of $4,000 in the net surplus OF
idle cars in the two weeks ended
extraordinary because In the month of
January the number OF idle cars de-
creased from $4,000 10 $4,000. In the
'irst TWO weeks OF this month the
Increased. Otherwise the increased
employment OF cars was. principally
due to congestion OF traffic following
the severe weathc. OF January. The
East, Southeast and Middle West were
the sections most affected by the
weather and the congestion in traffic.
Dividend and interest disbursements
for March will approximate 100000
600. Last year about Slo,0oO,o00 more
was paid. The difference Is due TO
the fact that in March, last year.
Standard OIL distributed si5,oco.ooo in
dividends. as compared with about
100000 to be paid next month by
those OF the separate oil companies
that last year the American Tobacco
Company paid IN March a dividend OF
100000 on It's common stock. That
is omitted from this years hsures.
Marshall Field & Co, in it's weekly
roview of the dry goods trade. has this
to say: Business has been moder-
atcly active during the week, with a
sections, especially from the West and
Southwest Purchases have heen
very general in all departments"
Railroad men, reviewing their trou-
bles at the end of the week. could re-
call few periods when traffc had been
so badly disturbed by snow. cold and
storms. and could recall no previous
time whatever In which the Interstate
Commerce Commission had been so
perniciously active. Though there We're
only five buFiness days In the week.
the commission naged TO dispose
of more than n score OF rate cases. All
but two of these were decided against
the railroads. To an already largo
day added the following: Reduction
OF rates on iron and steel on the Atchi-
son; reduction Of rates on paper on
the Oregon Railroad and Navigation
Company; suspension OF increased
rates on iron and steel proposed by
the Baltimore and Ohio, Bessemer and
Lake Erie and Lake shore; suspension
Of advances on class and commodity
rates proposed by tho Boston and
Maine; suspension of rates on furni-
ture on the Baltimore and Ohio; sus-
pension of proposed advances on bar
rels in Southern classification terri
tory.
All these decisions have increased
the interest of railroad men in the ar
gument in the intermountain rate
cases, which has been begun before
the United States Supreme Court. These
cases Involve the important question
Of the power OF the Court of Commerce
to set aside rates fixed by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission.
In the aggregate OF bank cleurings
last week there was little change from
the corresponding week last year Last
weeks total was $9,694,0o0,O0o; that
OF the corresponding week OF l9ll,
was, IS per cent. But while tho DIFF
ference in the totals was not great.
unusually broad changes were report
cd from individual localities. Boston
reported an increase of 15.7 per cent;
baltimore an increase of 16.5 per cent;
Chicago an increase of 65 per cent;
Philadelphia an increase of 2.3 per
cent, ana tho following cities report
cd dcCrcnSos. NcIU York 4 nor cn,,t