He who keeps his account in credit is told much that he ought to know; the depositor is shown how to check his interest; the borrower how to negotiate a loan or advance; and everybody is told the manner in which he may easily check the charges debited in his pass-book. Speaking for my own bank, I do not care who makes use of this clearly-put information. Let our clients obtain the book by all means. We shall then be spared the trouble of answering a host of stupid questions during the busiest parts of the year. Touching upon “unclaimed balances,” I am of the opinion that the public can be very well trusted to look after its own interests; and after glancing through my own ledgers I think that these unclaimed sums would not amount, in the aggregate, to a really large figure. Most of these dormant balances are insignificant. As to the pay of bank-men, I do not feel justified in expressing an opinion, beyond asserting that the wants of a bank-clerk are small. My advice to the customer is--“read the book.” “CITY MANAGER.” CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE PREFACE v I BANKING EVOLUTION 1 II ON THE CHOICE OF A BANKER 13 III THE CHEQUE AND ITS VARIOUS CROSSINGS 19 IV CREDIT-ACCOUNT CUSTOMERS 38 V DEPOSIT-RECEIPT CUSTOMERS 45 VI THE BANK RATE IN RELATION TO BANKERS’ CHARGES 61 VII LOANS AND ADVANCES IN LONDON 68 VIII OVERDRAFTS IN THE COUNTRY 75 IX HOW TO CHECK BANKERS’ CHARGES 89 X BILLS, COUPONS, FOREIGN DRAFTS, ETC. 102 XI UNCLAIMED BALANCES 110 XII BANK SHARES 117 XIII THE PAY OF BANK-CLERKS 128 BANKS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS CHAPTER I BANKING EVOLUTION We owe a great deal to the financial instinct of the Jew, who, having no country of his own, has developed an acquisitive mania for the goods of those people among whom he dwells, thanks to a progressive civilization of which he was the pioneer, in comparative safety; and, by an irony of fate, we are also indebted to him for a religion, which his more subtle mind rejects; yet, stranger still, it is a civilization based on commerce that keeps the whole world moderately sane, and tends to at least hold in check the latent savagery of the blind enthusiast who would still, but for her intervention, indulge in a bloody crusade against all who hold opposite opinions. A true civilization spells toleration; and though a creditor can scarcely hope to be popular with his debtors, he is at least entitled to the protection of the law of the land in which he lives.