The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-09-26
HELP FIND
PEOPLE FIND
THEMSELVES
A. LERSNER SAYS THAT
BANKERS SHOULD AcQUAlNT
PEOPLE WITtI PURCHASING
POWER OF MONEY.

Kansas City Mo, Sept 26.-Promo-
tion Of ideas of thrift and savings
throughout America is one of the
chief subjects being discussed at the
annual meeting of ,ne American
| Bankers association here and the sec
tion devoted to savings banks opened
conferences here today that will be
devoted largely to discussions of
methods and campaigns designed to
teach every person IN America the
necessity of ecopomy and savings.
Savings banks have been in opera
tion in this country one hundred years
and this session of the association is
the centennial reunion of that fact
Large signs announcing the necessity
of thrift have been placed at the con
vention headquarters and tomorrow
night convention hall will be given
over to a monster thrift meeting to
which tickets have been given to thou
sands of school children, Boy Scouts
and adults.
Speakers at the opening session OF
the savings bank section today de-
clared that approximately $S,5O0,O00
now was held in savings accounts in
the United States and that campaigns
being conducted by financial institu-
tions and organizations of all charac
ters were increasing this steadily. 1t
was proposed today that the associa-
tion enlarge its work to include more
than two thousand communities this
year in its promotion of the spirit of
conservation"
Victor A. Lersner of Brooklyn, one
OF the speakers, outlined the work
that already is being done by the
bankers association in conjunction
with the American Institute of Bank
| ing, the international committee of
the Young Mems Christian associa-
Women's Christian association, the
national Americanization Committee
of Immigrants in America, and the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States. Mr.. Lersner said that, during
the last year, more tlian 100000 pieces
of mail promoting the campaign had
been sent out and that particularly
gratifying results had been achieved
at Chattanooga, New York, Atlanta,
Dallas, Macon, Ga, Baltimore, Jack
sonville, New Orleans, Los Angeles,
Spokane, San Francisco, Albany, Min
neapolis and Denver At Chattanooga
the number of new savings accounts
had increased twenty-three per cent.
"The immigrant, so generally ignor-
ant of American ideals and customs,
is being taught the real value of our
savings institutions through the Am
ericanization committee" he said.
But possibly best of all, the youth
of our country are being brought into
the influence of thrift habits The
" bflh tlbN III VI N'Apbi saw mss
and their undoubted extension is GER
tain to make for lasting good for the
coming generation"
The purpose of the campaigns, as
Mr.. Lersner outlined, is as follows:
"They should seek 10 acquaint the
people with the real potential pur-
chasing power of money-to spend it
wisely by getting the most for it; to
make it earn more for them, but ever
lastingly avoid the lure of the swim
dler, and preaching the principle of
sound investment or what to do with
their precious funds after saving
them.
Summarized, 1t is 20 have our peo-
pie gain mastery of their wills and
give direction to their purposes. In
a word. it is to help find people find
themselves. And in spite of natural
difficulties our committee sees bright
prospects of thrift in this nation"