Other People's Money, and How the Bankers Use ItBrandeis, Louis Dembitz
History
Other People's Money, and How the Bankers Use It
Brandeis, Louis Dembitz
Banks and banking -- United States; Finance -- United States
Philadelphia, under Mayor Blankenburg’s inspiration, sold nearly
$4,175,000 in about two days on a 4 per cent. basis and another
“over-the-counter” sale has been made since. In Baltimore, with the
assistance of the _Sun_, $4,766,000 were sold “over the counter” on a
4 1/2 per cent. basis. Utica’s two “popular sales” of 4 1/2 per cent.
bonds were largely “over-subscribed.” And since then other cities large
and small have had their “over-the-counter” bond sales. The experience
of Utica, as stated by its Controller, Fred G. Reusswig, must prove of
general interest:
“In June of the present year I advertised for sale two issues, one of
$100,000, and the other of $19,000, bearing interest at 4 1/2 per cent.
The latter issue was purchased at par by a local bidder and of the
former we purchased $10,000 for our sinking funds. That left $90,000
unsold, for which there were no bidders, which was the first time that
I had been unable to sell our bonds. About this time the ‘popular
sales’ of Baltimore and Philadelphia attracted my attention. The laws
in effect in those cities did not restrict the officials as does our
law and I could not copy their methods. I realized that there was
plenty of money in this immediate vicinity and if I could devise a plan
conforming with our laws under which I could make the sale attractive
to small investors it would undoubtedly prove successful. I had found,
in previous efforts to interest people of small means, that they did
not understand the meaning of premium and would rather not buy than
bid above par. They also objected to making a deposit with their bids.
In arranging for the ‘popular sales’ I announced in the papers that,
while I must award to the highest bidder, it was my opinion that a par
bid would be _the highest bid_. I also announced that we would issue
bonds in denominations as low as $100 and that we would not require a
deposit except where the bid was $5,000 or over. Then I succeeded in
getting the local papers to print editorials and local notices upon
the subject of municipal bonds, with particular reference to those
of Utica and the forthcoming sale. All the prospective purchaser had
to do was to fill in the amount desired, sign his name, seal the bid
and await the day for the award. I did not have many bidders for very
small amounts. There was only one for $100 at the first sale and one
for $100 at the second sale and not more than ten who wanted less than
$500. Most of the bidders were looking for from $1,000 to $5,000, but
nearly all were people of comparatively small means, and with some
the investment represented all their savings. In awarding the bonds
I gave preference to residents of Utica and I had no difficulty in
apportioning the various maturities in a satisfactory way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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