The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-05-24
For Good of
the Community

woman directly. He hung on their necks
and "brothered" and "sistered" them
with an affectionate junction. He played
with the baby and admired the old red
mule. He praised the pie and went into
ecstacies at the Duroc Jersey pen.
This accomplished, he sold the worth
less stuff and went on his way to some
other scene of ''easy pickings." Banking
and brokerage firms wrote tones on this
evil, but their circulars went to the ini-
tiated only and run-of-mine folk got none
of this advice
Quite different now The govern
ment began the new way of bringing good
securities to the people by advertising
them in poster and in person, and, above
all, by use of the newspapers. Not soul
in this land but learned through the news
papers all about Liberty Bonds, War Saw
ings and Postal Savings
At several points in Birmingham there
is large sign which informs the people
of this city of the sale Of sound security,
based on one of their own utilities. The
sign descends so far to the human level
as to have touch of humor Why not?
Handsome young Birmingham men,
sons of pioneer and reputable citizens,
are selling this stock and that of another
home concern to their friends and bust
ness associates, to the small man and to
the large man. These home securities
are offered home people the same as a
merchant offers suits of clothes.
In this connection the Wall Street
Journal editorially observes:
Ten years ago the circulars of
brokerage houses and banks were
hardly worth reading. They were
mostly opinion and platitude. But
the improvement in this respect has
been enormous. They represent re-
search, analysis and courageous pre-
sentation of fact in a steadily in
creasing degree.
The publications of the Bankers
Trust Co., for instance, on the Brit
ish national debt and on the econonn-
ic and financial conditions of Can
ada are worth permanent place in
any mans library
We all meet the small investor,
frequently woman, in our daily
life. We can do good work, not by
dogmatizing, but by showing him or
her where he can protect himself
with trustworthy advice.
Furnishing of this information is
one of the most important functions
Of bank and trust companies. It is
real business getter and is given not
only to the customers of the bank,
but to others, even of the humblest
means.
The new system is the difference be-
tween concluding beforehand that the
public has no money sense and allowing
it to be the victim of the sharper and dis
covering that the public has money
sense and will purchase the worth while
securities if told about them and know
where they may be obtained.
The Steel Corporation began it's re-
markable career under Judge Gary by
letting the people into it's confidence, pub
fishing from time to time statements of it's
earnings, it's untitled tonnage, what it has
done for welfare and for making better
and more fit worker.
The biggest thing in the country sensed
the wisdom of descending from the lofty
perch of old fashioned aloofness and tell
ing the masses what it was, what it was
doing and how it felt toward the public
and it's employees. The Steel Corporation
won in this manner what it's tens of mil
lions could have done in no other wav