Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-01-30
The FINGER PRINT SYSTEM
New Method of Identification
Adopted by Rutland Bank.
In known ns Flax Method and Its Pur-
pose Is to Identify Dc~posttors-
RutIand institution FIRST in
the state to Install II.
(From the Rutland News.)

The insta llation OF the FLAX finger print
system of naturalization was completed
In the Rutland Savings bank Yesterday
afternoon and the system went into use
this morning, the Rutland Savings bank
being the first bank in Vermont to take
1t up. The system Is what the American
Bankers association terms the most COM
plete and perfect for absolute Identified
ton of illiterate and serni-illiterate de-
posters in existence and II is for this
class of patrons only that the Rutland
bank will use tho finger print identlfca-
ton. which is also said to be an infallible
safeguard against forgery.
The system was installed at the Rut-
lank bank by l.. A. FLAX of New York,
It's inventor, finger print expert for the
American Bankers association. who was
In this city yesterday afternoon to give
the Rutland Savings bank officials a few
lessons on reading imprints Of rleht
landed digits. Mr.. Flax was for a Ions
time at the head OF the bureau of identiii-
cation maintained by the British govern
ment in India and he has established the
finger print identification system In many
banks of Europe and America.
HOW PRINTS ARE TAKEN.
The apparatus for the taking of the
imprint consists of a pad of printers
ink, small bottle Of gasoline, an Ink
roller and a small slab Of glass. The first
three fingers of the right hand are pressed
on the slab, we'll covered with ink, and
then the imprint is made on a card which
is filed away.
Mr.. FLAX says of the method:
For many years the thumb print has
been used as a simple check on personal
Identity in the orient, and during the last
few years savings banks in this country
and elsewhere have been testing this
method. feeling that there was always a
certain risk involved in making payments,
particularly to illitera ties and others from
whom no proper signatures could be OBJ
tanned.
Not until quite recently. however. have
the banks embraced the finger print idea
for the protection Of their clients. partly
from mistaken hotions and partly be-
cause the thumb print was not Away
found to furnish an of-hand and positive
means Of Identification.
BY employing the first thre" fingers
Of the light hand a ready ana absolute
means Of Identification IS provided, which
lends itself admirably to the purpose
Of banks, where the prints are placed
on the regular signature card, ready for
comparison with new Impressions taken
on the receipt when payment is made.
1t is self-evident that the three finer
print system by far supersedcs the thumb
print method, and with the proper In
struCtion in the taking and reading OF
the prints, identification by finger prints
is as simple, If not simpler, than by sig
natures or test questions.
VALUE OF THE SYSTEM
The value of the new system Is demon
strated by experiences of banks with de
p~usiturs VINO are among the working elias:
and who's signatures are apt to change
Some of these dcpositors omen a savin-!
account, add to IT from time to time
and then in a year or so want to draw on
some Of it. The depositor, when h
opens the account, gives his signature
which was filed away. When he writes hii
name on any deposit after that little atten
,t,n is paid to 1t by the clerks. as a bank =
not nearly SO careful about the money
paid into it as It is about the money
drawn out.
This depositor. perhaps a foreign labor
In man, may not nave WNdSIbI ~ N''N
his name a half dozen times durIn- TN
tim, between the time he opened the ao
count and tn, daN h. wishes to dlaV
some of it, Ian OF practice impairs hi
ability to write and the next time nj
official signature is seen by the BAN
clerks it docs not Compare at all Wit
the original. Then, there is no end o
trouble In idontifyinG him.
In such instances as this, hanks nav
used various methods. Pass words hay
been a failure, as they are soon forgotten
A description of the depositor has faile
after the mans twin brother has enter
ed the bank and drawn out the money
. but II IS generally conceded that tn
finger print system has solved the prot
lem as the hances of duplicate print
are said to be one in 64,Go,G0,Go. no ma
, ter how the hand may be SCARED @
mutilated. the lines on the fingers Away
rar,,lip tho G1n1p