Seventeen Talks on the Banking Question: Between Uncle Sam and Mr. Farmer, Mr. Banker, Mr. Lawyer, Mr. Laboringman, Mr. Merchant, Mr. ManufacturerFowler, Charles N. (Charles Newell)
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Seventeen Talks on the Banking Question: Between Uncle Sam and Mr. Farmer, Mr. Banker, Mr. Lawyer, Mr. Laboringman, Mr. Merchant, Mr. Manufacturer
Fowler, Charles N. (Charles Newell)
Banks and banking -- United States; Currency question -- United States
Gentlemen, I have been a banker, as you know, for about forty years.
I have never been favorably impressed with any of the methods yet
proposed for the guarantee of bank deposits, however desirable the
end sought is, because they have none of them involved the matter
of such supervision as would insure sound banking, and compel every
bank to carry its part of the commercial burden in the way of equal
and adequate reserves. But I am absolutely convinced that there
never need be a bank failure again in this country, if we will only
organize ourselves throughout the length and breadth of the land,
precisely as the Clearing Houses have to protect themselves against the
unsound practices that are always creeping into the banking business
particularly.
MR. LABORINGMAN: Well, Mr. Banker, if that is true, if a bank cannot
fail under the supervision of your proposed organization it will not
cost anything to insure your depositors. Why not relieve the millions
of depositors from the anxiety they always feel about their money in
the banks? For my part, I cannot see the slightest difference between
a workman's compensation act, an employer's liability act and a
bank insurance act. To me they are on all fours with each other. The
business in each case should bear the burden. This is the settled
social policy of the country, and is in perfect harmony with that
social and economic philosophy that has been gaining ground so rapidly
throughout the world in recent years. I cannot see how you can escape
it. I appeal to you men; am I not right about this matter?
MR. MANUFACTURER: That point has never occurred to me in this
connection, but I must say I cannot see any difference whatever between
my carrying an insurance policy to protect my workmen and Mr. Banker
carrying insurance to protect his depositors. Can you, Mr. Banker?
Before you answer me, I want you to do two things: I want you to forget
for the moment that you are a banker and I want you to think twice
before you speak.
I have been so deeply impressed with the points that Mr. Laboringman
has just made, that to me his arguments are unanswerable.
MR. BANKER: I am ready to answer right now and ready to admit that his
arguments are unanswerable.
MR. FARMER: I am glad that you all practically agree upon this very
important, all important, point. I want to tell you something that
happened during the past week. I tackled Mr. Lawyer about a week ago
upon this point and he declared that the guarantee of bank deposits was
an absurdity and unthinkable because it would cost too much.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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