Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-26
WOMEN ARE ADEPT
IN BANKING FIELD
Miss Bruere Tells of Big
Success Achieved in
Financial Work.

That there are ever-increasing OPP
portunities for women In the banking
field and that the number Of women
entering the profession is growing at q
surprisingly rapid rate was the claim
made by Mis- Nina M. Bruere, presi.
dent of the National Association OF
Bank Women and assistant secretary OF
the Central Trust Co. of New York, be-
fore the local Bank Woinen's CLUB at
the City Club last night.
Speaking on What Is Ahead ior
Women In the Field Of Banking" Miss
Bruere said, in part;
Every woman active In the man
agement of her own home is in very
real sense in business" Miss Bruere
stated In opening her address. The
successful handling Of the family budget
implies intelligent spending and its
concomitant, successful saving. The
old maxim ascribed to Benjamin Frank
lin, save your pennies and the dollars
will take care Of themselves" was, 1t
Ia said, inspired by his observation Of
the shrewdness OF his mother in con-
Quoting her home.
During the war many women OF the
so-called leisure class drafted for serv-
Ice found themselves possessed OF abil-
titles heretofore latent and undiscovered,
and few were content to return to q
life Of devitalized leisure. Few perhaps
engaged in economic competition, but
many entered the field Of volunteer
social service or political activity.
Cites Survey.
"A survey Of the Department OF Labor
figures discloses that more than $500 900
women are gainfully employed In this
country. OF these about 10000 900 are
following professional careers. With
in every field Of economic endeavor, 1t
1t but logical that growing number Il
penetrating into one OF the last and
best fortified masculine strongholds the
banking profession, Approximately Al
per cent OF the individual wealth OF
the country Is controlled by women. A
return for the men In these two classes
respectively are i23, as against i3o, and
AZ, as against a..
Women comprise the actual majority
of stockholders Of the largest corpora
tons In America. OF the 4S4,5e6 stock
holders of the American Telegraph &
Telephone, so per cent are women: In
the United States Steel, there are more
than $4,000 woman stockholders. which
Is over 30 per cent. and they also COM
holders Of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
This statistical study concludes with
this rather significant observations:
Women In every walk OF life are
taking seriously the problem OF INTEL.
gently administering funds left to them
or earned BY them. They are no longer
content to rely upon the advice Of some
male friend or relative, nor do they
allow the family lawyer to handle their
investments for them. Women are
anxious to investigate opportunities OF
widening the scope Of their knowledge
and 70 take advantage Of education
offered by banking institutions"
"A further evidence that women are
handling financial affairs OF no fegli-
gible importance Is the fact that BS per
cent o. the spending Of this country is
Perhaps no development of modern
banking holds greater potentialties for
an educational service and the develop.
n1ent OF new business than such a de-
partment. The personal trust DEPART
ment IL another fertile field for the con.
tribution which the trained woman
banker can give.
1T is in the field OF the savings bank.
Is directors az personal service depart
mene that. women have found the
aAeCA opportunity LOT constructive WORK.
u is fact believe, that no savings
bank of any importance today Is With
out a woman at the head of such a
service department.
The field Of foreign banking holds
perhaps the greatest promise to the
women who have vision and q growing
international understanding.
Sees Bright Future.
To-day woman entering business
or finance offers her employer Just what
q man similarly placed offers--she has
mad the same opportunity for educa-
ton, she has been free to choose her
vocation and to prepare for it--tomor-
row she will offer also, from the back
ground Of her experience and the quint-
essence Of the experience of the many
women who have preceded her those
Intangible assets SO long considered the
attributes of men alone"
Miss Mary j. Winfree, president of
the local club, presided at the meeting,
and there was record attendance, in.
Guiding many guests of the members.