Evening star., 1943-08-12
Young Women Serve
As Messengers in
Clearing House
BY EDWARD c. STONE.


Washington Clearing House Associa-
ton. are young women Twelve
months ago, few if any girl mes
sengers carried checks to the Clear
ing House. AS scores of young men
have entered the war service, the
banks have been obliged to engage
young women to fill their places and
in many instances completely change
their messenger policies.
None of the Clearing House mes
sengers carry any money with them
They are loaded down with enve-
lopes filled with checks for other
banks in the city and return with
checks against their own banks.
Payment is made at the Clearing
House in the Metropolitan Bank
Building through a system of credits.
Each bank and all the branches are
represented at the daily sessions,
approximately 60 runners" being
present every day.
Girls Praised by Manager.
Each bank has compartment,
something like huge letter box,
into which the envelopes from the
other banks are placed. The ses-
sion opens at 10 o'clock and it takes
some time to make the check dis
tributions and complete the neces-
sary records.
The attractive young women visit
ing the Clearing House every day
are capable, reliable. serious in their
work and accurate in their figures,
George H. Bright. manager, said to-
day. They are rendering the banks
highly efficient service.
After check exchanges have been
completed, all messengers are ex-
cused except one from each bank,
about 20 remaining for settlement"
This is the most uense' part of the
session, usually attended only by
veteran runners, as the figures
turned in to Assistant Manager Will
liam N. Cradlin must balance to
penny.
If they don't the messengers have
to stay until it is learned who made
the error. A mistake of SO cents or
81 may keep the Clearing House
optll oil CAJl d 1idll
Clearings at New Peak.
The work of the Clearing House
is indispensable to bank operations.
Check totals vary every day but run
into high figures. In July, bank
clearings in the Capital amounted
to Sl68 ,896, 1903 and in the first seven
months of this year to S1,112&08,-
41o94, new peak for that period.
The Clearing House is in charge
of committee, the chairman being
H. H. Mckee, chairman of the
board of the National Capital Bank.
The other members. all national
bank presidents, are Floyd E. Davis,
Lincoln: Robert " Fleming. Riggs;
C. F. Jacobsen, National Metropoli-
tan; and Frank J. Stryker, Colum-
bia.
Mellefont Succeeds O'Brien.
Directors of the National Capital
Bank have elected Robert V. Mslle-
font, who has been with the Riggs
National for II years, vice president
and cashier, President George A.
Didden, jr., announced today. He
succeeds as cashier John M. O'Brien
who has resigned on account of ill
health.
Mr.. Mellefront, who has been as
sistant manager OF the Park Road
Branch of Riggs, Is a native of
Washington, resided in the South
east section for many years, at
tended Eastern High School and
Benjamin Franklin University. He
entered Riggs in 1926 as a messenger,
advanced rapidly and was made an
assistant branch manager in 1896.
He is graduate of the American
Institute of Banking and the Grad
uate School of Banking at Rutgers
University.
Mr.. O'Brien, who is taking a COM
plete rest on advice of his physician,
was born and educated in Wash
ington. started his banking career
in 1928 as messenger for the Liberty
National, being elected assistant
cashier in 1884. He went to the
National Capital Bank In August.
1912. He is a member of the Wash
ington Board of Trade and of many
other organizations.
Riggs Bank Changes Noted.
Robert V. Fleming, president.
Riggs National Bank, announced to-
day that due to the resignation of
Robert v. Mellefont, assistant man.
ager Of the Park road branch. to be-
come vice president and cashier of
the National Capital Bank, Peyton
B. Fletcher, jr., who has been as
slStant manager of the Seventh and
1 streets branch since December,
1899, has been transferred to the
Park road branch as assistant man
ager
To fill the vacancy created by Mr..
Fletcher's transfer. Richard w. Mil
Ter. who has been with the bank for
many years and has had long ex-
perience in bank operation, was ap-
pointed assistant manager of the
Seventh and I streets branch.
During World War I Mr.. Miller
served in the office of the paymas-
ter general of the United States
Navy, and now enjoys wide &C
quaintance among Army and Navy
circles.
Electricity Demand Mounts.
Ktlowatt hour sales of electricity
by the Potomac Electric Power Co.
in the District of Columbia in July
SCARED 20.72 per cent above the de-
mand In July year ago, company
officials reported today.
July sales totaled l24, ,76l PIT kilo-
watt hours, compared with 03,349.-
$50 In the like 1912 period, an in
crease of 81 ,3l8 hours, the report
showed
Railroads and railways used H.
533, 1862 XVIII, an increase of 1891
1876 or 1880 per cent over last year
Public street and highway lighting
sales were per cent better than
year ago.
The best gain was in general sales,
which reached lll,4l2,70l XVIII, up
2l.85 per cent.
Gas Stocks at New Peaks.
Fifty shares of Washington Gas