Milford chronicle., 1950-08-04
These Women
St4 8m4t
9om
Gheeklook
BY CYNTHIA LOWRY
AP Newsfeatures writer

AF NeWsteatures Writer
/ see that women are being given
full credit for the innovation" of
piping constant, muted music into
banks.
The idea seems to be that women
like a friendly, informal atmOs-
Dhere everywhere, including banks.
The canned music people tell me
that one bank, which had studied
the figures concerning how much
money women control, started SER
wing afternoon tea to customers
(women) and also had a beauti-
ful-child photo contest for the of
spring of (women) depOsitors.
Tea parties for customers 1 don't
object to, but with our banks clos
ing around p. m. daily, III bet
they don't serve many steaming,
friendly cups. Personally, a beau
tiful-child contest run by my bank
would send my small business into
the arms of its deadliest rival.
But this music business In banks,
/ think, is the most dangerous and
least attractive innovation the fl
nRnciRl institutions have made
since someone invented the per.
sOnal loan with no cO-signers.
It so happens that my bank has
recently installed music. For all /
know it may make the employees
happier and more cOntented, but
I'll bet anything the accounts are
much more muddled up than they
used to be.
Just the other day / was down
there with my salary check, get
ting it cashed, and with deter
mination to resolve the mysterious
discrepancy Of $131.21 between
what the bank statement showed
/ had and what my checks stubs
showed. The bank, Of course, said
it was less.
So there l was, all business and
nerves, at the cashiers window,
my head full of figures.
Suddenly, from the concealed
lOudspeakers came the notes of
"I'll Follow My Secret Heart The
(female) teller stopped counting
the money, turned to the girl in
the next cage and told her to lis
ten, they were playing her favor
ite song. Then she sang it, two
full choruses, and wound up by
giving me the needless infOrma-
ton that she knew all the words.
Then she started counting my mon
ey again.
ThereupOn / retired to a glass
topped desk and started to jot down
figures in an effort to prove the
bank was short $131.21 in my ac-
counts. Even under the best cir
cumstances, 1 find it necessary to
concentrate completely where
mathematics are involved and use
both fingers and toes in tOting up
sums.
/ had no sooner started TO de-
cipher a cryptic note involving a
SS5.46 check to a IS. 4. CO."-my
handwriting but no recollection Of
drawing check or running up a debt
than the Wretched lOudspeakers
started TO play 9 sNightzand Day. 2
It is q recognized fact that any
woman over the, age of 25 - and
some under that age-have certain
memories bound up in the song
might and Day" Also "Star
Dust" but that has nothing to do
with me and my bank, Anyway,
there was with checks strewn
all over the desk, pen in hand, a
waiting line of anxious depositOrs,
and me lost in memories of a moon
lit lagoon and a half-forgotten
summer romance. It took me al
most an hour to get back into a
financial bood, find the missing
$131.21 (mortgage payment / for
got to write on stub and garage
bill, ditto) and get out Of there. 1t
also involved assistance from a
young man who must have been at
least a vice president.
Therefore, am against muted
music in banks. l am sure music
is wonderful for produotion-line
workers. Some people may like il
in restaurants, although person
ally / hate to shout over even mu-
ted music. But banks / think they
better let alone.
Banks are for money. If they
are going TO make you feel more
at home, let them give free sam.
pies Of their product.