Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-11-01
BY I. A. FLEMING.

Washington bank officials who make
practice of attending the regular
weekly luncheons on Wednesdays at
the City Club freely admit that they
have been greatly enlightened and
benefited by the conversation between
men in the same line of business at
these functions.
While not directly an adjunct of
the District Bankers Association.
these weekly gatherings are really an
integral part of the organizatio and
the policies and proposed plans ad-
vanced by officialdom of that body are
freely discussed. as are hundreds of
I other problems and items of interest
over the coffee and cigars. while the
running fire of small talk during
/ luncheon has nothing to do with any
| thing that Is not of vital interest to
| the banking business.
| Last Wednesday there were present
| At this function Is representatives Of
| local financial institutions. including
! the Security Savings and Commercial
| the Bank of Commerce and Savings
Mc1.achlen Banking Co.. Northeast
| Savings and the Washington Savings
| Bank. Also of the Second National.
| Federal American. Farmers and Me-
chanics. Liberty National. Riggs Ma
! tional. National Metropolitan. Lincoln
! National and Commercial National
! banks, as well as of the American
Security and Trust Co.. the Munsey
! Trust Co., the Merchants Bank and
| Trust Co. Internationa Bank and
| w. r. Hibbs & Co.
Where such a large number of able
young bankers meet with intent and
desire 10 he mutually useful and also
| mutually benefited. as these officials
| do. the proceedings are sure to be
! vitality interesting TO every one pres
ent.
Association Head Presides.
Frank G. Addison. president of the
| District Bankers Association. presides.
| or in his absence one of the vice presi-
! dents Of the orga MIA ton.
| Immediately on gathering trade
topics are discussed. Always some one
| has problem to offer for discussion
and solution, and there IL legal talent
| sufficient around the big board to dis.
cuss until something turns up that
! is so knotty that II will have TO he
! submitted TO the attorney of the or
| ganiZation for solution. when Frank
! Hogan, the associate attorney, will
complete the scientific solution as the
! courts will, In all proba billy, finally
| rule.
There are always enough problems
! to make every one wish for a longer
| period than the intervening space be-
| tween 12:45 and o'clock.
Business Jealousy Absent.
There is none of the business
| jealousy that was such prominent
| feature of old-time gatherings of
| bankers. On the other hand, perfect
| harmony prevails. Cards are literally
| laid on the table. face up and actually,
wonder though 1t be. bankers tell each
other of pitfalls that they have avoid
| ed, some they have fallen into and
worked out of and what they believe
is the proper method of treating this
or that situation.
! In the olden days some of the men
| around the table would listen to all
! other plants and opinions. but would
be silent as to giving Information and
| showing of their own cards in various
! matters.
| Each week. the presiding official
| calls personally on each man at the
! table. Before this the conversation
has been directed to TON" John,
/; or some other given name. but the
| formal Mr." attends the round-table
call of the roll. and each man is re-
! quested, as briefly as possible, TO de
tail anything that has occurred of in
terest since the last meeting.
Believe 1t or Not.
You may believe it or not. as the
! cartoonist says. but nearly every one
! present at the luncheon has tale Of
an attempt to obtain money by
roundabout way. not recognized in
! good banking society. the favorite
method being by means of checks
| drawn on attenuated accounts that
are not sufficiently robust to stand the
/ NV f.hn kG n
| mythic. accounts, not a few forgeries
and plenty of overdrafts that are not
! in themselves considered sinful, If the
maker is rated Al.
At each meeting the story of an
! illegitimate effort to open equally
! Illegal business relations is recounted
A broad smile usually goes round
/ the circle as some bank cashier tells
| the story of how one Mr.. r. asked
| Omaha or some Western city. offering
! a $500 document. and asking the
| right to draw SIS or even less.
! Bankers are skeptical. They are as
! near hard boiled when they come to
I dealing with strangers as 1t Is pos
sible to be. and they guard safely
| that committed to their care.
| Each name as 1t is presented. If
! new. is generally copied by every one
! at the luncheon. and the list of ques-
| tiopable possible customers to he
| guarded against posted in suitable
! place in the various banks. so that
| Mr.. Fraud generally is stopped on
! the initial effort
In other words Strangers are not
| always crooks. but crooks are always
strangers" therefore be bit careful
with strangers.
Beneficial to Organization.
| Such meetings cannot but be help
| full to men attending them: to the IN
situations they represent and of the
! greatest benefit to the District Bank
! ers' Association, its objects, aims ana
| progress.
| If this statement is true. then 1t Is
! equally a fact that bank officials are
the greatest losers by not attending
these weekly meetings-if not regu-
| larly. then as often as possible.
1t is not obligatory that you bring
a story with you. but If you have one
| YOU are increasing a crooks chance
of doing business by staying away
and withholding information.
Frequently two or even three rep
! resentatives of one bank nave at
tended.
The regular Wednesday luncheons
| of bank officials have done more TO
promote efficiency among the younger
/ bankers: to bring about complete
harmony and unity of action among
the bankers of this city, with per-
haps a few exceptions: more to check
fraud. forgery and plain skulduEScry
| to stop check kiting and to advance
the cause Of honest banking of the
District Bankers Association than
any one other thing that can be
| named.
When men like those who attend
these meetings spend an hour in dis