Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-03-15

ial stock paid in, it's surplus anl profits and amount of deposits at the close of business Dec. 30, 1911, .o- ge'her with statement as to the gen eral crop conditions in their respen- tive communities for the year 1911 and in response to this request, have received statement from 47 banks that are members of Group No. z, showing:
 Capital paid in ........$ 3,3SS,000.09 Surplus and profits ... 1,26S,3S1.02 Deposits ........... =. lO,SS4,3 ,393.34
 And statements from none of the mon members.
 These facts bear out the assertion that ou. various inssitutions are ill a healthy growing condition. not withstanding the fact that 95 per cent of all the banks in giving crop con- ditions, declare the crop to have been '.he poorest they had known for many years, some, reporting as low as 40 per cent of a crop, while others var jed, some reaching 90 per cent of cop.
 q have written to eacn of the non- members, urging them to join cur association, and advising them of the importance, the need and the many benefits they would receive from this organization, but so far have not heard from them. However l crust that my successor will con- tinue to make appeals to them and eventually be able to enroll every bank in the group as member of the' Arkansas Bankers Association.
 sI would also call your attention to the fact tha,s heretofore the var ious groups of our Bankers Assocfa- ton have never taken any acticn or discussed a banking law for our sta'e, except in their annual meet ings while the legislature ways' in session, and then at ,eime when the legislative body had served for more than sixty days, and we did not then have sufficient time to take the matter up with them, and inasmuch as ,he legislature of 1913 might ad- iourn (which is possible, bu.. hard ly Irobable) before the Arkansas Bankers Association conWanes in it's next annual meeting, and that the bankers themselves have never been able to agree among themselves upon banking law, I would like to sug- gest that this group name a com nittee of three, and that this com mittee take the matter up with Ehe chairmen of the other groups and have each of them to name a com mittee of three and then have these various committees convene ill the city of Little Rock and prepare a banking law to be presented to our next legislature for enactment; how ever, before presenting this bill so prepared, copy of same should be mailed to each bank in the state, and tshirtv days thereafter the chair man of each group shall call a spec ial meeting of his group, and if majority tham in attendance should approve the bill, then let every bank in the state urge their senators and representatives to pass the measure as soon as the session eonvenes. According to- my view on this matter, I believe that this is' the sur est solution of our ever obtaining banking law ths,. will in any way suit a majority of the bankers of the state.
 "Now gentlemen, I wish to discuss a few things, from my point of view, as a banker, as seen by me in the few years I have been in this bus mess, and in my attendance of the various associations, and that is: have noticed that much attention has been given to large accounts of mer- chants and seek eagerly for cne ac- counts of the manufacturers. to the neglect of the accounts and loans to the small farmerh, mechanics and laborers, which I believe to be great mistake of ours, because as see it, we are strictly an agricultural people, however much We may hope ultimately to become a manufactur- ing and industrial element, we must recognize the fact that we are con- pelled to depend upon our agricul- tural resources for the Gupport or our people and the maintenance of our institutions.
 eff we expect Arkansas to continue on her onward march of progress, we as bankers must wield our influ- ence as best we can, to urge upon our farmers practical diversificasion. showing them the great need of growing less cotton and more corn, peas, hay, hogs, cattle, mules and horses, and if the banks of our group expecs. to lend their money or have money to lend; if the merchants, wno make advances to the farmers, expect to have their bills paid at maturity; if the lland owners expect their ten l ants to be able, to meet their obliga- tions: if the holder of mortgages or vendors lien nctec expect the inter