The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-15
T|LTON SEVERE ON NEW BANK SYSTEM Says It Benefits Only Big
 Institutions BANKERS MEET HERE Examiner Walker Declares Alabama's Banking Laws Are Now Models
 for the Entire
 Country
BANKERS MEET HERE

we have been double-crossed, whipped gagged and thrown to the dogs, and any state bank that joins the federal reserve system is either weak in the intellect or weak in the vault" The above sentiment, proved an open ing wedge for a vigorous attack on the federal reserve banking system made by McI4ane Hilton at the annual meet ing of Group No. of the Alabama Bankers association at the Tutwiler yesterday.
 Mr. Hilton declared that as long as the bankers adopt an attitude of in difference, the banking laws will be
 made so that they are beneficial to per haps goo bankers. and work hardship
 on 20O6.
 Mir. Tilton's address was one of the features of the business session of the group, which was in annual session here yesterday afternoon and last night Between 40 and 50 bankers from the counties represented in the group were present.
 R. H. Cockrane of the City National bank of Tuscaloosa was elected chair man to succeed Thomas Bowron. BANQUET LAST NIGHT Last night an informal banquet was given the visitors at the Country Club, as guests of the Birmingham Clearing House association. Col. T. O. Smith presided as toastmaster and Oscar Wells, president of the First National bank, was the principal speaker. ,ff trifJ h an address by Mrs. G. H. Mathis, field agent of the Alabama Bankers asso- citation. Mrs. Mathis spoke of the re- lation of the banker and the farmer, and urged closer cooperation among them She told of visits she had made to eastern cities. and outlined banking 3 conditions as related to the farmer of this section.
 l James Keith Jr., chairman of the agricultural committee, made a short talk. and Alex Walker, superintendent of the state banking department, also I spoke.
 l MT. Walker declared that Alabama I has the best state banks so far as cleanliness of operation is concerned, I of any state in the south. "The banking department of Ala 1 bama has been put on the map" he
 
 1 been plagarized and adopted by other states throughout the country" He de- l clared that the comptroller of currency l had said the banking system of Ala bama is the hest in the country. 1 Henry T. Bartlett of Montgomery
 also made a short talk.
 l Mir. Triton declared in his attack or the federal reserve system that only 4I | out of the 21.000 state banks in the
 United States had come into the sys- tenn, and expressed surprise that ever this number had joined If this had been the great benefcia l financial system that its sponsors claimed 1t to be, do you thfnK it would have been necessary to make the na- tional banks subscribe to it?' he sked | BENEFITS ONLY A FEW l MT. Triton referred to interviews of mem bers of the federal reserve system expressing surprise that more stale banks had not become affiliated with
 the system, declaring that it was ab- surd to expect the little banks to come l into the system, the laws of which I made is possible to benefit only about | 15 of the largest banks in the country | and other large interests And you gentlemen who are show | ing your wisdom by staying out are re- I ferred to as a very wilful band" he said.
 l of the Alabama Bankers association are:
 l Lamar, Fayette. Walker, Blount
 Etowah. Cherokee. Pckens. Tusca- loosa, Jefferson, St. Clair, Calhoun Cleburne Randolph, Clay, Talladega Shelby, Bibb. Hale. Greene, Sumter Coosa and Tallapoosa.