Evening star., 1940-10-15
Customer Relations
Expert Addresses
Riggs Bank Staff
Powers, From A. B. A.
Office, ToIks to 200
At Fall Meeting
By EDWARD c. STONE.

ming. by William Powers of New
York. director of customer relations
of the American Bankers AsSocia-
ton.
The subject is one to which the
A. B. A. has devoted much attention,
Mr.. Powers being in charge of what
might be called campaign to bring
about closer, more practical and
more profitable relations with all
bank patrons Mr. Powers entered
the banking business in Detroit In
1914 and is now one of the instruc-
tors in the graduate school of
banking at Rutgers University. His
address was filled with sound advice
for all bank employees.
Robert " Fleming, president of
the bank, made brief remarks, and
the presiding officer was James F.
Bridges. who is chairman of the
banks Public Relations Committee.
Mr.. Powers declared that the way
to increase the earning power of the
banks and improve their standing in
public opinion is Ito sell more bank
1lk 1llbcI CSlS W IiOlC pCOplC III SUI
a way as to convince the public
that we in the banking system are
best fitted to run it,
Mr.. Fleming. in his remarks on
the aims of public relations meet
ings, said it'is the duty of the banks
to give the public an understanding
of what banking service means to
the community.
The program concluded with an
educational picture, followed by a
buffet supper. The meeting was one
of a series which Riggs Bank has
been conducting for the last three
years.
Fisher to Address Bankers.
A. M. McLachlen, president of the
District Bankers Association. an
nounced today that the association S
regular fall meeting will be held
next Monday at pm. on the 10th
floor of the American Security
Building
Ernest M. Fisher director of re-
search in mortgage and real estate
finance. American Bankers Associ-
alton. will be the principal speaker,
his subject being Banks and the
Mortgage Situation in Washington. y
last year and at the recent Atlantic
City convention won popularity as
leader of the Information, Please, p"
program concerning real estate.
DR.. Fisher received his Phi. D.
degree from Northwestern and
taught in the Universities of Wis
consin and Michigan before becom-
ing director of the division of eco
nomics and statistics and economic
adviser of the Federal Housing Ad-
ministration, the position he held
when he went to the A. B. A.
Another feature of the meeting
will be a tribute by the association
to the American Institute of Bank
ing, which is now 40 years old.
About Is past presidents of Wash
ington Chapter will be introduced
by Edward M. Blaiklock, this years
president. Washington Chapter was
founded in 1901.
SIeulL SpcdhtIS 1IilIUuICcu.
DR.. James w. Young. director of
the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce, will be the headline
speaker for the second biennial In
stitute of Credit at Ohio State Uni
versity November l and 2, it was
announced today.
Another Washingtonian on the
program is Dr. Nathaniel H. Engle,
marketing problems adviser of the
National Defense Commission.
Henry H. Hermann, executive man
ager of the National Association of
Credit Men. which is sponsoring the
institute. is on the speakers list,
as is Edwin B. George of Dun &
BradStreet. New York.
Several Washington banks already
have turned their attention to OBJ
tanning loans in connection with the
Government national defense pro-
gram. Now that manufacturers can
assign Government contracts to the
banks as collateral, such loans are
considered very desirable. Money
loaned by Washington banks is ex-
pected to find its way into large in
dustrial cities and be placed through
banking connections in those cities.
Experts on Loans to Meet.
More than 200 building and loan
executives are planning to attend
the annual convention of the United
States Savings and Loan League in
Chicago November Ills. Reports
will cover research work done by 900
officials during the last year. Wash
ington will send large delegation.
United States mints are operat-
Ing on a 24-hour basis. seven days a
week, and are behind in meeting the
demand for cents, nickels dimes and
quarters. New appropriations are
expected to raise the output this
year to a billion pieces, or 25 per
cent over the earlier record.
Silver dollars are making a modest
bid for popularity. About 5000 900
more of them, says the United
States Chamber of Commerce, have
gone into circulation during the last
year. Silver certificates have done
better, rising by s100.000,0O0. But
Federal Reserve Bank notes have
scared by more than S600,000000.
Such increases suggest that Christ
mas this year will break all records
in the amount of money in circula-
ton.
Heard in Financial District.
Mrs. NJ H. Buckingham, cashier
Of the City Bank, left Washington
yesterday on vacation trip to New
Orleans. She will be away for the
rest of October.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reports that retail food costs in SIS
large cities increased l per cent
from the middle of August to the
middle of September.
Two $500 Capital Traction SIS sold
at 104 on the Washington Stock
Exchange today, up y a point from
last weeks close
Peoples Drug Stores common also
appeared on the board today, selling
at 1917, up y a point from the last