The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-12-04

comb, who mailed it to Mr.. Ira 1
CASTOR, cashier of the First Stat
Bank. The article is well worth
careful reading:
Said one old codger;
will you give me lchew?"
Said t'other old codger;
'I'll be darned if | do.
If you'd only save your money
And be cunning as fox,
You would always have terbaccer
In yer old terbaccer box"
All over the country talks are be.
ing made to the children in the pub
lie schools on the value of money, the
difference between boarding ard saw
ing, the operation Of banks, the use
fulness of the budget system, and
other matters with which they will
become more intimately acquainted
when they leave school and go opt in
to the business world.
The American Bankers Association
is undertaking this fine course of lee
lures to educate and interest the
young people in finance and in the
value of banks to the citizen
Some months ago the comptroller
of the currency issued statement in
which it was shown that the total cir
culation outside of the banks of this
country is over $3,000,000,000; Much
of this money is in circulation, but by
far too large portion of it is hidden
under mattresses, under hearthstones,
under carpets, in books, broken cups
and coffee pots and carried upon the
person of those who have a dread and
fear of banks.
A great deal of it is kept idle
through sheer thoughtlessness. Per-
sons who keep money in their homes
or who carry undeposited checks or
rolls of money about with them do
not realiez this money deposited in
bank would not only work for them
but do it's share toward bringing about |
prosperity for the whole country.
The average man and woman have
not yet begun to realize the capacity
which every bank has for helping
them.
Out in the Middle West some
months ago group of bankers con-
Quoted an investigation to find out to |
what extent farmers and small bust
ness men were keeping money hidden
about their homes or places of BUSH
ness. 1t was found that a large num-
Der, amounting to IAN appreciable
percentage of the whole, kept sums
ranging from 500 to $4,000 hidden
about the premises" an invitation to
thieves, fuel for flames, incentives for
murder.
Farmers are particularly though
less in this respect. Forgetting that
Uncle Sam will deliver safely to the
bank any amount of money he wishes
to send through the mails, the far
mer secretes his crop money and his
cattle money, and the farmers wife
hides her chicken and butter and egg
money in some safe place" in the
house until it amounts to what the
farmer considers a sufficient amount
to warrant the expense of trip to the
city or to his county bank.
The small business man in the city
is quite as careless with his daily
Scarcely a week passes that !
the columns Of our newspapers do
not contain the sad tale of a till that [,
is robbed in one of the small stores
in the city. The thief is the clever
man of the two. He has learned that ;
while the larger business houses send !
their cash and currency to the bank
every day, the small business is con-
tent to use the cash drawer until its +,
manager finds time to, go to the
bank" The thief frequently saves
him that trouble. 7
Banks are fast living down their
former reputation of frowning upon
the small depositor. 1t is not so much
that the bank needs the small custom
er as that the small customer needs
he bank. O
The modern banker is a man of d
broader vision than his predecessors e
and he is far more altruistic. He is O
as easily accessible to the man with v
the small business problem to solve
as he is to the man Of means. He n
believes in progress, he believes in f
up the community in which a
ne lives, and he knows that this is e
,nly to be accomplished by helping t
he individuals who compose the COM h
nunity. g
Every banker knows that this h
COUNTRY needs all the prosperity that p
he individual man or woman can con- 0
tribute to it and each one is striving ],
n his own way to bring about such
to the individual customer r.
Is may reflect gratefully upon the
community or the country as a whole
The best way for the individual to
lelp is by the widespread adoption Of 4,
he slogan: a handbook for every j.
member Of the family :.