Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
BY I. A. FLEMING.

When a suggestion is made to you
that you invest some of your savings
in chis or that security. or when you
feel that the time is opportune for the
investment of your surplus funds. saw
ings or otherwise, don't do it without
first taking it to your banker for his
advice. If he doesn't give you the in
formation you seek. then seek else
where. This is the advice of sound
financial experts.
The banker is naturally wise man
in the investment of money. else he
would not be in the banking business
and at the head of bank.
1t is his business to make invest
ments for his institution. to oversee
credits and to make collateral loans.
He could not make loans on collateral,
on its own security. unless he knew
something concerning it's value in the
market or its value as an investment.
Stories Of safety deposit boxes are
numerous and are filing the fiction of
the day. but there are enough in real
life without drawing on the EFFORTS OF
"wallingford" or other fiction schem-
ers.
And when your relatives suggest this
or that scheme as one sure to make
money. ask your banker. Better yet,
take his advice!
tive investor with millions of good Sc
curities in his strong box will have
reams of finely engraved certificates
that have only value per pound with
the junk dealer. Ask your banker
and do 1t every time.
Local Securities.
--.x.>.,.a ,,o-,v
general leveling of prices in local Sc
curities, and especially in bonds. and
that, too, on sales Of but $26,500 face
value.
While it is not a pleasant thing to
investors to watch values on their Sc
curities in their declining trend. it is
nevertheless a fact that Capital Trac-
ton IS at lot and Washington Gas SIS
at lot were selling on price levels out
of all proportion to the general bond
market, and without good reason. II
they hold around 1913, no fault should
be found with the price. in these times.
when one may buy Great Britain or
France 5h per cents of early maturity.
close to par; Rubber IS at 101; Southern
Railway IS at 9S; Liggett & Meyers 5s
at 100 and Lackawanna 5s at 100A.
On another occasion. some years ago;
contemporary declared that Pump Us
were good.
issues; present prices are lower. much,
than the figures before the war;. put
these are days when investors dread
taxes and when they will be taxed.
Stocks are decidedly low. making
many new low records during the
week on sales Of 1856 shares.
There is a reason for this. too-sev-
Arol In, a rf
For more than three years the men
of Washington who have means have
been keeping faithfully, II you Will,
out Of the market; they have allowed
banks and trust companies. satisfied
with and 3 per cent interest and no
interest at all, rather than to permit
their funds to be invested at AZ or
per cent. For this reason the bank
deposits have increased from around
ss5.o0o.o0 to probably $110,ooo,ooo
Unquestionably the La Toilette amend
from holding more than 20 per cent of
the stock OF another company, without
the consent Of the public utilities COM
mission. and the passing Of the public
pointment Of the commission. took the
life out of the stock market, checked
speculation and has been directly and
indirectly more responsible for present
dullness than anything else.
This is a mere statement Of facts,
without saying whether or not these
reforms were necessary, without MAX
ing comment In any way on the matter.
At the close Of yesterdays session
the market presented a little better
that tired, worn look was
but that Is about all the inn
provement. with fractional gains in the
typesetters.
The present week may bring forth
something-maybe much.
Country Bankers Fight Back.
While every effort is made to broaden
the federal reserve system and induce