Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-01
D. C.. STATE" CONVENTION
SHOULD BE GREAT SUCCESS
Opportunity for Local Financiers to
Unite In Effort to Boost
Washington.
BY I. A. FLEMING.

BYI. A. FLEMING.
Washington bankers should get
back of the Deer Park convention with
enthusiasm and make 1t rousing sue
cess; they should for once be united
body, determined to act unitedly. and.
without the slightest holding back,
make It one of the great banking
gatherings of the year-one that shall
become more or less famous through
the work accomplished. one that will
insure that the second annual con-
vention, and those that will follow.
will be very largely attended.
There is nothing like making a
good start.
Varied objections have heretofore
checked many useful propositions that
have been advanced in meeting of the
District Bankers Association.
We are today without bad check
law on the statute books. beca use
bankers would not agree: they feared
the loss of some good accounts If a
thrown out; they preferred to have
no fund checks coming back to
them, frequently ten or more day,
to eliminating "kiting'' accounts.
They refused to impose modest
bookkeeping charge on non profitable
accounts. although few banks are
now making the charge with good
results. The O'Clock closing hour
was favored by practically all the
national banks and the trust COM
panies as well as the larger savings
banks. and these should have been
strong enough to have stood square
and fiat for the measure-then need
ed, as it is even today-for the relief
of overwOrked bank help-not only
help. but junior officers.
Cashiers of some of the larger
local banks have been forced to stand
by their guns until all hours of the
night. while the bookkeepers and
others of the employees have kept them
company at their labors.
Washington a Big City.
Washington is a much bigger city
than it ever was before: it's business
Importance has increased $50 per cent.
it has developed in all lines. great
warehouses have been constructed to
handle the increased volume of ship
ments, big improvements have been
made in various sections of the city
and the bank clearings have nearly
doubled.
Labor unions permit eight hours
employment, but the bank clerks and
the Junior officers know nothing about
daylight saving. for they are in their
offices from s o'clock in the morning
until the same hour of the evening or
longer, three days out of every five.
Two o'clock closing should perhaps
be just as live an issue now as during
the war period.
National Bank Section Represented
Washington. the home of the fed
eral reserve board. the Treasury De-
partment. the Secretary Of the Treas
ury, the controller of the cur
issue of national bank currency. of
Treasury certificates, in a word. the
very heart of the nation, financially.
as we'll as otherwise. should be the
home city of the headquarters of the
American Bankers Association.
Every bank of any size or impor-
lance has business with Washington
directly or indirectly.
The American Bankers Association
IL the great national organization of
fnanciers. The main Office should be
here, but the executive council, which
might have settled the matter once
and for all; put it up to the St. Louis
convention in September and gave US
part of a loaf in the establishment of
here. for which we are grateful.
Our state" convention should give
thanks for this but urge the removal
of the main headquarters from New
York to the National Capital.
n. n. Mckee Makes Comment.
III H Mckee president of the Ma
9onal Capital Bank of this city and
q member of the executive committee
Of the A. B. A. has this to say:
1.-The spring meeting OF the execu-
i've council of the American Bankers
Association, which is usually a ses-
4on devoted to the consideration of
matters of business of the association,
and not to the consideration Of poll
@es. was held at Greenbrier White
Sulphpr Springs, w. Va, May 10. 20
and Fl.
TT was expected that the council
would decide at that meeting the
question of the removal of the gen.
sTal Offices Of the association from
as this question seemed to the coun-
ell members to be one Of policy rather
than routine business matter, it
was decided to submit the question
without recommendation to the gen.
eral convention. which will meet in
st: Louis In September.
The administrative committee, how
ever, granted the national bank sec
ton Of the association authority to
open an office in Washington in
charge of a competent and efficient
representative, who will represent
the national banks before the govern
ment departments. keep them advised
or regulations and decisions promul-
gated in Washington concerning their
business. and endeavor to bring about
n closer cooperation between the
national banks of tho country and
governmental activities.
Inc executive committee Of the ma
tional bank section authorized the presi-
dent OF the section. Oliver Sands, presi-
dent OF the American National Bank of
Richmond, Va; the chairman of the ex-
ecutive committee. Henry H Mckee,
president OF the National Capital Bank
OF Washington, d. c., and the secretary
OF the section, Maj. Fred w. Hyde OF
New York city, to carry out at once all
necessary details in connection with the
establishment Of the Washington office
Maj. Hyde expects to be In Washington
about June 1, and he will take active
steps then to locate the Office and start
the work.
idea Originated Two Years Ago.
THE idea Of having the bankers rem.
resented in Washington originated with
the national bank section OF the Ameri-
can Bankers Association two years ago
at the spring meeting of the executive
council OF the association, at Briarcliff
Lodge. ". Y.
THE national banks have persisteptly