The Washington times., 1925-04-16
Alb. 4, 50YEARS
OLD, TO HOLD
CELEBRATION
National Association Has Done
Much for Banking Pro-
cedure in U. s.
By RICHARD HATTON.

By RICHARD HATTON.
Committees Of the American Bank
ers Association, which includes in
its membership practically every
bank in the District Of Columbia as
well as some twenty-five thousand
= other banking institutions in the
United States, are preparing for the
celebration of the fiftieth anniver.
Esary of the organization. winch WIN
take Mace during the present year.
The association. with headquarters
in New York, was organized by a
zvroI1n of bankers IN 1875 who fore
saw the necessity for national CO.
operation and Coordination between
the rapidly increasing number OF
banking institutions in the country,
and the practices which We're COM
mon 10 ali banking undertakings.
since ifs organization it has become
one of the strongest props OF the
-.fiation,s financial system and the
determinations and. improvement that
sftS members have brought about in
banking practice have been mani
fold. The coming anniversary will
serve to bring out in vivid manner
sfhe. great benefits the association
shas brousht TO the banking proce-
sdIlr.e of the country as well as the
sbeneficial effects it has had upon
individual members and the bank
ling public.
ABA. Has office Here,
While practically all banks in
Washington are members Of the ma
astional association. a separate office
OF the organization is maintained
here under direction Of =. =. Mount
joy, deputy manager ana secretary
of the national bank division. The
washington office is in close touch
with the Government departments
contracting with the banking sys-
TEN. such as Federal Reserve Board
and the Comptroller Of the Treasury.
The American Bankers Assoc1a-
ton is divided into three main Sec
tons and, In addition to these and
the pafent organization, 1t has four
divisions. viz: The trust company
division. the national bank division,
tha savings bank division and the
state bank division. The main sec
tons are the American Institute OF
Ranking. which is the great financial
university Of the country, wherein
men and women are trained under
expert masters in the intricacies OF
modern banking This section main
rains chapters in an large cities and,
through its work, there is growing
up in America an entlrely new
banking personnel which IL as Wen
trained in its line as are Ine
lawyers, doctors and engineers OF
the country in their professions.
Clearing House Success.
The Clearing House Section OF
the AMERICAN Bankers Association
"a rries on the work of co-ordina-ing
the methods and efforts OF the
clearing houses located in all large
cities and, in this, it has recorded
remarkable success and Instituted
Invaluable reforms ana procedures.
The state Bank Section Is con-
cerned with banking matters as
they effect the state banks Oh me
country.
For practically half a century the
American Bankers Association has
been spreading the gospel OF thrift
throughout the nation ana pronot'
ing in every legitimate manner IN
dividual economy and saving while
Fostering the steady growth Of the
banking business and teaching
better and more improved banking
methods.
There are few. If any. national
organizations which WELD suoh q
tremendous power for good in the
economic development Of the ooun'
try as does this association OF
banks. While it throws its protec'
ton about its members and Is con
cerned whit their success and prog
.ress, it, more particularly, benefits
the banking public by reason Of its
ability to systematiZe banking
practice and to formulate and pro
claim uniform methods of carrying
on bank functions.
Keeps In Touch With Affairs:
Through it's several committees.
the association keeps in close touch
with national and international fin
anciaI affairs and the conservative
and well-considered opinions pro-
fnulgated through these committees
from time to time may be taken
as authoritative statements upon
the matters which they cover and
as stabilizers Of banking sentiment
The association maintains a pro.
tective department which is con.
cerned with all matters of q pro-
-tectiVe nature, both for the bank
and the customers Of the bank An
example of the work of this de-
partment is found in a recent
pamphlet issued by the association
under the title Stepping Ahead
of the Crook" This pamphlet con
tains, among other valuable mater
ial. thirteen rules for preventing
criminals from defrauding banks
and their clients through bad
checks. This is merely an example
Of the thoroughness OF the work
of the association as to details
Observation-Disclosures