The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
TALKS ON THRIFT
You and Your Bank Account

Ou dllI lOuI OdlIh 1ANNO0ht
 When the banker accepts your ac- count, and gives you pass book and a check book, he has the right to ex- pect certain things from you, as you have the right, legally and morally, to expect certain things from him.
 In the first place. he has the right to expect profit from your account Banking is an expensive business. It costs a certain amount to handle every check that passes through the bank and every account should contribute a portion to the expenses of the bank, however small When your banker asks you to keep a certain balance, he is merely asking his right to profit from your account. It is easily to be seen that if you keep small balance, say $10, and the banker furnishes book keeping on the account for your bene- fit as well as his), the earning power of that $10, even if it were all in vested at 6 per cent, woud be insuf- ficient to compensate him for the cost attending that account. Therefore be generous and give him a chance to make a profit; for as every sale of merchandise should show profit, so every bank account should at least pay
 it's way. Give him as large balance as you can possibly keep--it will help you very much in his estimation, help your credit, and add to your self-re- spect.
 2. Never overdraw. In national banks overdrafts are now forbidden, but whether they were or not, you have no right to ask it. It hurts your credit with the banker. It is a forced loan without security, and is a poor busi ness practice.
 Sometimes an overdraft is allowed as matter of accommodation, and some times in order that the credit of the drawer with the holder of the check may not be impaired; but it is bad practice, gets you in wrong all over and should neither be asked nor ex- pected.
 8. Do not draw against "uncollected funds By uncollected funds is meant checks that have not been collected. For instance, if you have a balance of $100, and deposit hundred dollar check and draw your own check for $150, you have taken all the original deposit and half of the amount repre- scented by the check just deposited. The banker must send that check, let us say to New York, and wait for advice that it is paid before knowing that it has been paid, which may take three or four days. You are asking him to pay out his money three days in advance of it's receipt, practice which good banks frown upon and will not allow. Lastly draw your checks properly, as outlined in the next talk, and have your pass book balanced once a month. Do- ing these things consistently, your banker will be good friend and you will be a good customer, in favor with one who can do you many favors.
 Don't Be L0afer
 One of the most important lessons that a child can learn is that money is the representative of labor; a reward for services rendered; compensation for doing something, and not gift to be had for the asking. The penny that is earned has a vastly different aspect from the one that is solicited. When the child grows up he will find that the world will not hand out money for the asking, but only in return for value The growing boy or girl can have no better lesson than to be com pelled to return something for their spending money. Even though the ser- vice rendered be trival, such as carry ing wood, washing dishes, dusting, etc., the value of the lesson remains.
 After earning money by labor, it becomes necessary that it should be we'll spent in order that the benefit, both morally and financially. be last ing. If the child is merely taught to earn in order to spend, he is acquiring spendthrift habits which will enlarge as the years go by, and be disastrous. Every parent owes a duty to the child in training it first to earn largely and then to spend wisely.
 The Curtis Publishing company of Philadelphia employs over 50,000 boys in selling their publications in odd moments. Such training inspires them with the instinct of salesmanship to a very creditable degree. The company offers to secure good positions for all those who show marked ability. A boy in Passaic, N. J., is earning $5 8 week out of school hours, and has $10O in the bank. Such opportunities are on every hand for the boy, particularly. to prof. aitbly use his spare time, which might otherwise be fritted away to damage abe degree.
 The selling of papers, running of er- rands for a store, and work of this order does not reflect on the standing of the parents--it is simply good train ing and those whose regard is worth having will recognize this fact.
 A certain mother in Staten Island whose boy used his out of school time in delivering packages for a dyeing establishment and earned $1 week, had the right idea. She insisted that he put a part of his earnings in the bank. As his earnings increased he increased his savings. He thought it hard at first to bank rather than spend his money, until he got the habit, but now he is glad his mother was strict. He has recently bought an automobile out of his savings which might appear ex- but with such training he is sure to turn it into an earning power
 A boy reared in such surroundings must be thrifty. This mother did not raise her boy to be a loafer, spending his time in the pool rooms. or on the streets wasting time, and learning bad habits; she helped him capitalize his spare moments for substantial results later on in life.
 On the home training depends largely whether or not the boy is to be thrifty or spendthrifty; a saver or waster; a soldier. in the great army of those who work, or a loafer struggling in the rear.
 Extracts From a Butcher Shop From the Harvard Lampoon.