Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-03-10
Your Responsibility to
Your Bank


tor, but seldom remember tn,
depositor' responsibilities to hi
bank.
We demand that our bank
be strong, carefully managed
guarding with the strictest carr
the money we deposit with thu
banks for safekeeping.
When in need of a loan, w
expect to get it, and yet fail tt
remember what would becom,
of that bank if every demand
for loan was granted.
1t is the ability of the bank t.
say NO that guarantees thu
strength and safety of the bank
The. following letter was sen
to one of the New York Trus
companies by one of its deposi
tors, and when published by tn,
trust company created grea
deal of favorable comment. TIL,
letter is interesting in that i
brings us a subject about which
little is heard, although it is o.
great Importance. Here is thu
letter:
The Equitable Trust Company,
New York.
Gentlemen: You have publish
ed many advertisements about
your obligations to me as a de-
position. / think it is time for one
of your customers to write an adj
vertisement about his obligations
to you, his bank.
AS | see it, owe you three
things-and money lat the mo-
ment, thank the Lord is not one
of them.
1. | owe it to you as we'll as
to myself, to maintain good
business reputation. To you be-
cause / expect you to demand this
of your other depositors. If I
have business dealings with
customer of the Equitable I as
sumo that because he is an
Equitable customer, he pays his
bills, has regard to the sanctity
of a contract, and is otherwise de-
pendable. | can20t expect you
to uphold this standard on the
part of others, unless l do my
personal share in unfolding it.
2. owe it to you 20 main
tain a balance on which you can
make a profit. l expect you to
maintain convenient offices,
which means high rents, high tax
es and other expenses. l call on
you for a variety of services,
many of which were never
thought of as a part of banking
ten years ago. You cannot meet
these expenses and render these
services unless you are making
money!. If you make no money
on me, then | am riding on the
back of your other depositors. 1
don't want others riding on my
back. l expect, therefore, not to
ride, but to walk and to carry
my share of your load.
3. | owe you an obligation to
accept your decision cheerfully,
if you sometime say "No." If
you haven't the courage to say
mo" many times a day, and
stick to it, l don't want my mon
ey in your bank. expect you
to say mo" when you are invit-
ed to make speculative invest
ments-because part of the mon
ey you invest is my money. ex-
pect you to say 'No" when you
are asked to make questionable
loans, or to pay too high a rate
of interest, or to lend at too low
a rate.
| want all the interest l can
get; and all the accommodation
| can get. But first of all want
to be dead sure that what money
l have with you is absolutely
safe. 1t can't be safe unless you
are conservative. Any man or
institution that is conservative.
are conservative. Any man
or institution that is con-
sentative must necessarily say
mo" every day. If ever you
say it to me, therefore, owe it
to you to believe that you are
saying it because it is in the best
interests of all your depositors
of whom | am one"
There are accounts on the
books of every bank that are
not profitable, In some cities
the banks charge the deposition
a certain fee, if during tbs
month, his balance has averag-
ed less than a certain sum.
If YOUR average balance
falls below a certain sum, youl
account is a LIABILITY to you,
bank, The bank must pay rent
taxes, clerk hire, printing fol
your checks, deposit slips anc
other things,
1t is the interest derived II
loaning your AVERAGE BAL
ANCE that makes it possible fot
the bank to meet these expenses
Therefore if your average bal
ance is too low, there cannot be
sufficient interest derived t.
Al