The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-20
KEEP PEOPLE AT
 WORK, IS ADVICE
 OF COMPTROLLER
Plenty of Consuming Capacity If It Can Be Made Possible for Public to Buy Things
 It Wants
By Associated Press

Ne" CrieanS, Aprll l9.-lf means can be found to keep the American people working, their purchasing power will be improved. and we will presently see the tides of prosperity running stronger" Comptroller of the Currency Crissinger declared in an address here tonight be- fore the Louisiana Bankers association. Our own country Mir Crissinger said, presents to us the market in which we must always do most of our business, and on which we shall chiefly depend for establishment of industrial prosper ity There is plenty of consuming ca pacity here, if we could only make it possible for the potential consumers to buy those things they would be glad to | consume.'
 Resumption of peace conditions will come soon, the comptroller asserted but European rehabilitation must be slow and it's reflection in more favorable business conditions very gradual He declared | that he was not one of those who feared an unfavorab1e balance of international ' trade, nor did he note with complete satisfaction the tendency of the world 8 gold to bank itself up on this side of the Atlantic.
 DOMESTIC PROBLEMS FIRST | w emust help our own people to be able to buy their own products" he said We must also help the outside world to maintain a money system in such rela- tion to gold that exchanges will be pos sible. Therefore, as to the domestic problem we must extend through out financial instrumentalities. every encour- agement to the producer. The farmer must be assured right now that In his effort to buy fertilizers and seed and implements and labor for the next crop, he will be given the fullest support, the lbroauest credit that can possibly he ex- tended through the banks and the fed- eral government and its banking struc- ture will stand squarey back of indi- vidual banks that wisely and in modera- tion extend necessary credits for these purposes.
 Credit as basis of production there must be; credit as an incentive and means to mere .Inproductive speculation there must not be. l will say to you bankers and to the great agriculturai community behind you that this is and will be the policy of those responsible for the supervision of national banks" 4 GROWERS NEED AID Il Turning to the cotton industry, MT. Cressinger declared no other American industry so thoroughly deserved assist ance at time of temporary stress. Au- thorities guiding the broader financial policies of the country. he said, are de- termned to exert whatever bowen and influence may be necessary to bring the industry back to basis of assured pros perity
 q do not want to be understood,' he continued 'as suggesting that the gov ernment can be relied upon to do the things that private enterprises, thrift and effort must do, but l am willing that you should very definitely understand me to mean that every possible support and encouragement consistent with sanity and soundness, based on the consolidated credit of American business and Amer ican government, will ge held out in this time of trial and stress.', Efforts set On foot to enable foreign buyers to continue taking American cot ton, Mir Crissinger said, would receive every feasible and safe encouragement Il Conditions abroad are improving, and the outlook for increasing trade with the United States is decidedly hopeful, he added
 rAt this point" he concluded, again l give assurance that the utmost sup port will be given by the governments s financial authorities to every effort at extension of credits by which foreign trade may be developed. The task must be handled hereafter through the pro- cesses of commercial transaction; of those transactions which represents the Iunceasing flow of supplies and the con stant if at times postponed, liquidations of accounts. Government credit and money we have given all that can safely be permitted.
 200 BANKERS PRESENT About 200 Louisiana bankers were present at the opening session of the annual convention. The sessions today were devoted to addresses of welcome and responses and a general discussion of the cotton. rice and sugar situations in addresses and round table discus sons Tonight5 session was taken up by the address of Com atrolier criss- finger.
 President Ben Johnson of the asso- eiation was the first speaker to be ' heard this afternoon. Among other things he urged against putting out , ..damaging unnecessary bearish re- ports" And particularly he continu- } ed, T believe the federal reserve board , should be asked to confine it's state l ments and reports to financial mat ters."
 Other speakers heard at the after noon session included George H. Ter
 reberry. president of the New Orleans
 Association of Commerce; L. l.. Judict i. sbf LaFayette; Edward Everette o1 Farmville; Paul H. Saunders and L. M
 Pool of New Orleans.
 The report of Secretary J. C. Berry showed that 42 new members had beer l received during the past year.
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