Evening star., 1932-08-21
LEE WILL MANAGE
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
OF BANK INSTITUTE
Ten Per Cent Increase in
Roster Is Object of Fall
Campaign.
BANK CHECK COLLECTION
HEADS REVENUE RETURN
July, on Basis of Incomplete Re-
ports, Melted $1,O94,2S7 in
New U. S. Taxes.

Robert E. Lee. assistant cashier OF
Lincoln National Bank. has been ap-
pointed chairman and the other mem
bers have been named to the Mem
berShip Committee of Washington
Chapter, American Institute of Bank
National Bank, president of the chap
ter, it was announced last night.
Plans are under way for a 10 pei
cent increase in the membership. TC
accomplish this purpose the new COM
nlittee is mapping campaign to carry
the message of the American Institute
of Banking to every bank employe in
the city A definite effort will be made
Mr.. Norris said, to enroll 100 per cen;
of all officers and directors Of bank:
In the city.
The total membership of the chap
ter for the past year was 668.
The new Membership Committee
chairman has been with the Lincolr
National Bank for IA years. He is a
standard certificate holder, has beer
a member of the Education and Mem
bership Committees for the past three
years, having served as vice chairman
of the Membership Committee last
year He also has been business man.
ager of Dollars and Sense" the chap
ter publication for 1e29-30; treasurer
of the Annual Banquet Committee ir
1929 and is member OF the board ol
governors.
Other Committee Members.
Other members of the Membership
Committee are: William A. Cady, vice
chairman; Frank c. Cook, Rutherford
Dooley. George R. Femer, Fred n
Hamilton, william H. Laughlin, Q. L-ii-
mann, j. Earle McGeary, T. EoTir
Norris, Stuart S. Ogilvie, Robert NJ
Poole, William Russ. Paul j. Sel2er
Raymond Weber, Robert G.. Whitton.
Discussing plans for the forthcoming
season, President Norris last night ex-
planned that the first classes to be
held in the new class rooms OF the
chapter in the Bond Building, Four
tenth street and New York avenue, will
open September 49, Enrollments will
start the week of September IL, and
will be received at the chapter rooms
each day Of that week from to $50
O'Clock. --..---
Robert H. Lacey, cashier of Columbia
National Bank, chairman Of the Edu-
cationanl Committee, Is busy whipping
into shape the educational program for
the year. While the names of courses
to be offered have been made public,
further details as to these courses will
be explained at later date.
Conservative" Business Review.
Taking a conservative view of the
business situation, the Business Con-
ditions Weekly of Alexander Hamilton
heralded improvement IL general busi-
n ho ynoiy01u the
duct of the imagination. There is yet
no genuine evidence that an upturn
has occurred" continues the survey
"Otherwise the gain would be reflected
by the basic indicators.
Activities in the automobile fac
tories has been declining rapidly since
the end of June. The output dropped
from 54,577 cars during the last week
of June to 26.705 cars during the second
week of August. The latter figure was
474 per cent smaller than year ago
The Ford plants are now practically
closed and will not reopen until after
Labor Day. due to the lack of demand
Retail sales of automobiles manufac-
tured by the General Motors Corpora
ton dropped sharply in July to new
low for the depression"
The review points out that steel mill.
are operating at only IA per cent of ca.
pacity, and yet untitled orders of the
United States Steel Corporation at the
beginning of August were the smallest
on record. The railroads were said tt
offer similar testimony as to the STATE
of general business with car loading,
during the first week of August showing
q decrease of 325 per cent from the
Eame period year ago. Unemploy.
ment is reported at a new high leve
for the depression" the survey says.
There is reason to believe however,
declares the. analysis, that some bust
ness expansion is impending and it il
possible that moderate Improvement
will be in evidence this Fall The vol.
ume of business at the present time i,
apparently below the level which car
be supported by the purchasing power
Of the country, despite the current cur
tailment, and a correction of this con-
cition is now in order.
There is a possibility, however, tha
this prospective improvement will prove
TO be only temporary and that it vii
be followed by another setback 1t vii
prove to be the beginning of full re
covery only II business continues 1t!
efforts to complete the needed readjust'
ments. At the present time there seem'
to be some tendency to relinQuish such
the recent sharp rally in the stock mar
ket and the business improvement prop
aganda as indications of the beginning
of an automatic expansion of business
which will eliminate the necessity o
proceeding with the painful process O.
further adjustments If this temptation
is not resisted, the revival which il
now sighted will prove to be little mor'
than a mirage"
6ank Check Tax.
Washington bankers have been much
interested in reports showing the Fed
eral tax realized from the levy on bank
checks According to the first returns
ON this new form of taxation made
public last wsck by the Bureau of In.
ternal Re- venue this check tax led the
list of special new taxes recently i'm
posed ry Congress with a figure O
Sl.O94, ,2R734 for the month of July
AS a matter of fact, however, it was
carefully explained, this in reality doe:
not represent the full collection for
July, as under the new revenue act
the taxes for one month are not fully
reportable until the end of the mex
succeeding month. Therefore th'
above sum really represents in largt
part the tax paid during the last min,
days of June when the new levy wa
effective. Most interest now points T.
the next monthly report for August
which will show the complete return
for the first full month Of operation
Most bankers admit that the tax ha
been somewhat of a deterrent in tn
use of checks, many people preferrin
to pay cash rather than pay the 2-cen
check tax, and 3 cents postage require
There has been some effort already
show the public the advantage of tn