Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-06-01
me .Anxee, Of iowa.

The bankers Of Iowa will hold . con-
ventton At Clinton on Thursday ana
Friday OF this week. VIII 1t DO worth
the time and expense Of q thousand
men to attend? Or will it come and
70 merely as one more gathering OK
representative Americans and disap-
pear among other commonplace things
The bankers of Iowa are the trusted
trustees of other peoples money. They
are tho financial advisors Of their de-
positors, tho god-fathers of every
large enterprise. As class the bank
err holda position OF leadership and
Of influence In his community. Money
talks and 1t is the banker who tells It
what TO say. Is the banker in his
convention going to display the quail
ties OF leadership and wise counsel
which he assumes At home?
The bankers of Iowa assembled at
Clinton can. II they will carry the Tag
Of prosress in many . much needed re-
form. For instance If tho bankers of
Iowa have courage equal TO their
integrity they can define to the state
the provisions which are necessary to
give the public its rightful supervision
over the private banker. Coming from
bankers' convention the state would
listen with hats uplifted.
The bankers Of Iowa are the men.
If they will. to grasp that which is good
in the European system of cooperative
farm credits and transplant II to Iowa.
There is no reason why students and
economists should promuigate theories
of reform and educate the banker to
them. Let the bankers themselves see
need and And the substance with
which to fill it. Men who can owe
every man in their community payable
on demand and yet get away with
reputation for owning the money ,hem-
selves surely ought not 10 be afraid to
tackle things that are new.
The bankers OF Iowa can solve the
road problem OF this state il they will.
I
drafted and put thru the legislature a
law for enlightened road construction.
The banker can see the tremendous
economic possibilities In hard surfaced
roads and II he would show his state
how 20 finance them a. other states
and other contr!es have always An
anced them we can have them in Iowa
without burdensome taxation. We have
the engineers and we have the mater
ial and we have the taxes now equal
almost to any other state In the vn-
ion. The road problem in Iowa il one
OF finance. 1t Is up to the banker.
And then there is the problem Of in
Identifying depositors from loss which
is the bankers private business but
Is he there for. Why leave the poll
tician or volunteer statesman to work
out technical problem? few years
ago bankers generally SHE'D at asset
currency or a reserve association, Now
the biggest men among them are go
ing TO put both on their feet for the
benefit of the country. Granted that
state guaranty OF deposits and en-
forced assessment has its dangers,
there is no reason why a system OF
state indemnity insurance Of deposits
can not be devised into which banks
will Vbe glad to seek protection and
comply with rigid rules for good bank
Ing. The bankers themselves should
devise the plan.
The bankers Of Iowa should make
their conventions notable milestones of
progress in their country's develop
nent II is to be assumed that the
banker who is sufficiently alive to at
tend a convention is banker in fact;
something more than a money ioaner.
SO let him make his convention worth
while The state has a right TO ex-
pect something large from the bank
ers of Iowa.