Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-12-26
BANKS AS PUBLISHERS
BY Frederic j. Haskin.

Washingson. Dec. :s.-The ranks OF
book publishers in the United States
have been greatly augmented In the
laat few years by the banks. A bank
may not appear to tc q logical book
publisher. but the managers OF such
Institutions have come to tho con.
clusion that they can keep themselves
and their business facilities in the
minds OF the public by the publica-
ton Of books and 20 have not let the
seeming ipconGruity OF the practice
stand In the way.
To be sure. hanks do not publish
ncvcls and hooks Of that characte
but sometimes they do not fall much
short OF such popular publications. For
instance. tho Old Colony Trust Com
many Of Boston recently published an
interesting history OF the landing OF
the Pilgrims and the early settle
mcnts OF Massachusetts,. a hundred
thousand copies OF this book were dis
trlhutcd. The Mercantile Trust Com
many Of San Francisco In publishing
scrially In It's monthly magazine, "a
history OF trade and commerce and
DEVELOPMENT OF the Pacific coast from
the earliest times 10 the present.
Doubtless this will he issued In book
form when the serial publication is
completed, as In the case OF novels
published In instruments. To cite an
oven more unusual case the Contin-
entail and Commercial Bank OF Chi
,-so not lone ago published a book OF
nursery rhymes. profusely Illustrated
IN color.
As a rulo the books published by
hank. relate more especially to sub
iccts allied with banking 0 With
business activities having 10 do d.
rcctly or indirectly with banking.
Many hanks publish books in the
form Of manuals on Federal taxation.
such hooks interpret the income tax
laws IN a manner which Will make the
Ming % returns and the paying o!
taxes easier for persons not expert in
such work. These books. in the hands
~ the depositors and customers OF
tho hank. assist materially in tho diff
h.ut task OF making tax returns
and the intended result is that the
person receiving such assistance vii
have q sood word Ia say fr the bank
from which IA obtained his book.
Rocks Are Given Away.
Books published by hanks almost
invariably are given away. Many
hanks eive their books away broad
east. others are more particular anC
give them only 10 favored customers
IN practically no case does banl
make any charge for a book. despite
the fact that the volume would cos
tho customers from 81 20 IS II rur
chased az a bookstore.
Tho First National Bank o. Bostor
"a winter = distributing book oI
tho markets OF the world 70 its favoS
.d customers which would. in al
probability. bring a price OF 50 or 5
IN \ bookstore.
Books published ~ hanks Amos
Tho war was largely responsible 20
tho entrance ~ the American bank
into the book publishing business. Tn
war increased tho habit o, readin
among IN. American people. The FAC
that there was so much OF ;mportanc
90 read. n one was 20 keep UP with
rapidly changing world. had much {
do with this so far as the people lc!
~ home were concerned. As for IN
soldiers. the activities 81 such bcdie
IS tho Amoican Library Association
tho \. VI Z. \. and other soc,tie
vi N did welfare work. increases
their reading. Hundreds OF thousand
90 young men who previously had nc
had umc or inclination for reading
found themselves frequently immune
~ cantorment.. res; camps. CO bile;
whore time hung heavy. The wel!sr
scCities placed books at their dlspoS
and many turned 10 reading who ha
never resd much before. some eve
learned 20 read IN theee camps. Whe
these men returned. a liberal Tropol
ton - them retained their readln
habit with the result that the Amer
i,au people are readers now as nevs
before
The save the banks an opporTu-
sly 20 Tsesent their story whenev.
thsv had "a story 20 present whic
would be helpful 20 customers q. prt
spcctlve customers. They capitalize
ths Increased habit % reading 10 &,
people 60 read about business affair
The bcncf; 20 the banks from such
policy ~ ind rec;. but the banks Ia,
fcii that the effort and expense
worth making Certainty Vhe entran,
81 fhe banks into the book puh.ish.r
business hae added Substantially 20 Z,
ihraries o. the country and 20 {.
Information - the ci.izsrs
The educational factor in this pul
ilcat!on business IA not inconssderabl
For instance. a group OF America
esnke published book giving a
'urato dlg~ts % the German a,
Austrian peace treaties as soon
hose h.stor.c documents were ma.
nva liable. Thousands OF elite,
probably never would have come in
po~so-slon ~ full reviews OF the trea
provisions had this book not been pu
hshed Similarly. a group % ban
published a book embodying the mo
important statistics Of the Fourteen
Census % he United States or
months before the Government issl
IN. statistics IN book form Such e
srprisse we're expensive and brouS
no direct return 20 the pubGsni,
banks
Seeking Good Will
What ne banks expect 70 get Gro
'heir cntosprioe - the lntangt
thing called in buE.ness good vii
yrT,UN NENyyy1