The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-15
THRIFT NIGHT AT THE
 CHAPTER MEETING
Local Bankers to Take Part in National Movement of
 American Institute

The Birmingham chapter American h. stitute of Banking, will hold Thrift Night" this evening in it's chapter room in the American Trust building, con- mencing at 8 o'clock. The occasion promises to be one of the most impor- tant and far-reaching in the history of the local chapter, and a large attendance of members is expected. Thrift Night is a national movement among the bank CTS of the United States and on January l. 1916, a thrift campaign will be started
 NJ w. Harrison, secretary of the saw ings bank section of the American Bank CTS association, will be present at the meeting tonight and will inaugurate the thrift campaign in Birmingham Among the other speakers will be Col T. o. Smith, vice president of the Bir- mingham Trust and Savings bank; A. E. Jackson, president of the Jefferson County bank; K. W. Dixon of the Se- curity Savings and Loan company; Fred M Jackson, of the Jefferson County Building and Loan association. Much in terest is being taken in the movement in the local banking circles and record breaking attendance tonight is expected.
 In speaking of the thrift campaign movement, C. P. Hilty of the First Ma tional bank and vice president of the local chapter, said:
 'The American Institute of Banking, be- ing an educational institution, is promul- gating this work. It hopes to further ad- vance the idea of saving in the large mass of American people, the illiterate for eigner and school children. It is deemed advisable at this time to start campaign of this sort, as never before in the his- tory of this country, has money been so plentiful. There is another reason also. as this marks the centennial celebration of the institution of the first savings bank in the United States. Exactly 1C0 years ago the first savings institution was established. These banks have so grown that they now have in their vaults 25 per cent of the deposits of the United States. A sum shown by the reports to be $4,7O0,- 100000.
 "The possibilities for the greater pro- motion of habits of thrift and saving among people are extraordinary. The re- markable opportunities in the United States for increasing foreign trade, the bumper crops in every section of the country. with gold pouring into the cof- fers of the banks, with every appearance of unprecedented future prosperity, the fact is apt to be dsregarded that the other great commercial nations of the world are involved in a war of frightful destruction and economical waste; that after the war these nations will need funds for reconstruction, and the United States will be called upon to supply them; that for some time to come this country will not be able to secure capi- tai, as in the past, from F'racne and Great Britain, for the purpose of carry
 ing on due enterprises. The United States must finance itself.
 How is this capital going to be se- cured? Through education by calling at- tention of the people to the lack of thrift in the country and the beneficial results of practicing thrift through a system atic nationwide campaign to promote thrift and savings. It surely is to be to the interest of all citizens, whether bank CT or business man or editor, to be rart of such a movement