The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-26
Bankers Line up for
Thrift Stamp Campaign

Two features OF yesterday after
Moons session of the convention of
Group Five, Oklahoma Bankers
Association, overshadowed the 9th
er convention activities. One was
the result obtained following the
speech of George NJ. Barnes, spec
ial representative of the United
States treasury department and state
director of the war savings stamp
campaign. The other was what the
bankers are accomplishing by their
offer of scholarship at the A. &
NJ. College for the best showing
made by members of the boys
and girls agricultural clubs.
One of the visiting bankers said
during the afternoon that Mr.
Barnes had made them all mad and
he believed it was the best thing he
could have done for them, as they
would all go home determined that
they would not be termed either
"slackers' or "slickers,' but would
lend their best efforts 70 aiding the
government. Mr.. Barnes told the
bankers they were not doing their
full duty. He told them they were
indifferent, and cited the failure to
get the work started in Murray
County, as we'll as in other counties,
but he said the failure in Murray
County was directly chargeable to
the Indifference on the part of the
bankers OF those counties. He told
them it was up to them to help the
government, and that if Germany
ever came over here neither the
banking business, the oil business
nor any other business would be
worth a cent. He told them there
was no business so important as
war business and that if they did
not wake up to that fact, pretty soon
the government would cause them
an awakening that would not be
pleasant. He said the Federal Re
serve banks would have men to
make them handle the government
securities. He told them it was up
to the bankers to support Edward
Gait, district agent, in the great
work.
After there had been several short
speeches made along this inc and p
resolution adopted that full assist
ance on the part of the bankers
should be given the war stamp cant
paign, Edward Gait, chairman of the
Fifth district, was asked to address
the meeting He said no one can
singly carry on the work in this
state but that there must be con-
certed effort. He told the bankers
he was coming to see them, was
going to call on every banker in
this district, and that he expected
from them the hearticst co-opera-
ton. He said most Of the bankers
had been doing well, but that he
thought there was negligence on the
part OF some that arose through
misunderstanding. He said all have
to make some sacrifices. Many
bankers, he said, believed that this
was going to require additional la
Dor, the employment of more clerks
and considerable expense This, he
assured them, was not the case in
the sale of war stamps. He only
wants them to keep a goodly supply
on hand and be willing to aid those
who are willing to so out and sell
them. He showed how this was
going to help the bankers; that on
January l, 1928, when these thrift
certificates, or "baby bonds" are
paid off that the people will by that
time have learned the lesson OF
thrift and that the banks will have
for customers people who never be-
fore had bank account.
Ira c. Bryant, of Maysyille, told
of a peanut vender who deposited
$50 in his bank and asked why he
could not have 10 per cent interest
on it, and when informed that the
bank was paying no interest on de-