The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-11

literature than any country In the
world and II q man sought to keel
up with its full volume he could
spend his entire time on noshfn9
else and still be far behind. No
one can hope to be familiar, with
all the publications issued period
ically in this country but perhaps
the least known group, so lar -
the general magazine reading pub.
lie is concerned, II composed o.
publications oe the highest quality.
This group 10 composed OF the
monthly bulletins issued BY the
great banking institutions OF the
country. Business men and bank
ers who are close students Of cur
rent events and take every precau-
ton to be informed are famillaf
with these publications, but they
almost entirely escape the notice
of the general public: They are not
advertised and they are not display
ed on newsstands. Yet some OF
the best literary talent in the coun-
try is engaged in their preparation
and they are giXen away free.
A few Of the banks restrict their
lists to customers and depositors
but, rs a general rule, any person
may be placed on the mailing list
to receive these bulletins without
charge.
One of the longest established
and best of these publications is the
monthly bulletin of the National
/! City Bank of New York. Il usually
| is a publication Of about Is pages,
all of which il text as no advertise
ments are carried. This pVblica-
ton is edited by George N. Roberts
vice president Of the bshk, Mr.
Roberts formerly vas director Of
the mint and has for years occupied
an enviable positipn>as economist
and commentator on business
social and political affairs. Mr.
Roberts salary probably is greater
than that of any magazine editor
in the country, not excluding the
great nationally known monthlies
We're he not connected with the
bank and followed the vocation Of
writing for the general press, hi.
articles would be in great demand
and his name would be advertised
on many covers. As 1t is, his tai
ents are devoted to the modestly
conducted but immensely valuable
periodical which the public nevel
sees because it does not take The
trouble to ask the National City
Bank to be put on the mailing list
Take the current issue of this
publication as a typical example. Il
contains carefully written discus
sions under the following topics
general business conditions; indus
trial conditions, clothes and shoes
building operations, the agricul
tural situation, the foreign demand
for American products, corn ant
livestock, the cotton crop, trade
conditions, the shortage of unskill
ed labor, immigration and its eff
fects upon the farming population
Profits of industry, foreign com
petition, money and banking, con
dition of the bond market, imitation
of the currency, prices, wages and
the cost of living, scarcity of cur
cency in Germany, the Federal Re
serve System, labor banks, persona
incomes, the new tariff.
/ Farmer Works Night and Day.
/ The publication is by no mean'
devoid of human interest. On tn,
contrary it. is full of 1t. 1t tell
such stories as that Of the Russial
farmer in North Dakota who, sin
gle handed ,Schltivated 400 acres O
land, in the harvesting season work
ing all night on moonlight night
as well as all day. 1t tells of tn
western farmer who with his tw
boys, one II and the other IA or 1
years of age, raised 1900 sheep an
cultivated a 500 acre farm in addi
ton without assistance.
| At, the other end of the countr
the Mercantile Trust company G
San Francisco publishes a MONTH
review. Among the articles con
tanned in the current issue ar
those on Mexico's debt, past an