The Value of MoneyAnderson, Benjamin M. (Benjamin McAlester)
General
The Value of Money
Anderson, Benjamin M. (Benjamin McAlester)
Money
There is enormous overcounting as a consequence of the combinations of
corporations, each of which retains its own numerous bank accounts. The
Interstate Commerce Commission calls attention to great duplications
from this cause in connection with railway income accounts.[426] Even
within single corporations the duplications[427] are very great. Thus,
the local agent of a railroad deposits his receipts in a local bank. His
check, or, more usually, the draft of the bank, is subsequently
deposited in a bank at headquarters. Subsequent disbursements, in places
away from headquarters, particularly of wages, will frequently be
preceded by deposits in other local banks. This duplication will be true
of telegraph, telephone, insurance and other companies which have
scattered agencies, including the wholesale trade. Advertising agencies
will illustrate it. _All_ checks between agent and principal, customer
and broker, etc., will illustrate it. There is a great deal of double
counting in stock transactions from this source. Thus, a Boston broker
takes orders, with a check for margin, for execution in New York. The
order is executed by a New York broker, who deals with another New York
broker, who represents a Louisville broker, who represents a Louisville
client. Now to the extent that any checks at all pass between the Boston
broker and his client, the Boston broker and the New York broker, the
other New York broker and the Louisville broker, or the Louisville
broker and his client, we have overcounting. Only the check between the
two New York brokers is properly counted. It is, of course, well known
that a small percentage of the dealings of a customer of a brokerage
house is represented by checks between broker and customer. Professor
Fisher states this to be about 5%.[428] It is, however, 5% of
overcounting! Moreover, through keeping "open accounts," with irregular
settlements of "margins" only, the Boston broker and the New York broker
reduce markedly the checks passing between them. There is a back and
forth flow of items which in large degree cancel one another, since the
Boston broker sells in New York as well as buys there, and the New York
broker, to a less degree, both buys and sells Boston securities, through
his Boston correspondent. But not all by any means is canceled, and
_all_ the checks that pass in this way represent double counting. The
total is large.
_Public funds_ are included in the deposits reported to Kinley. Taxes
are not _trade_. Double, triple and multiple counting comes as revenues
are received by local authorities, transferred to State accounts,
subsequently redistributed to local accounts, or to the treasurers of
State institutions, transferred from one bank to another, etc. The State
of Massachusetts scatters its deposits in banks all over the State, and
makes transfers from one account to another. The City of Boston has many
bank accounts. The Federal Treasury deals largely with banks over the
country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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