[Volume XXV
THE CHICAGO BANKER
20
TOM RANDOLPH, President ALBERT N. EDWARDS, Vice-Prest. EDWARD HIDDEN, Vice-President W. L. MCDONALD, Vice-President L. B. TEBBETTS, Vice-President TPIOS. W. CROUCH, Vice-President HENRY KOEHLER, Jr., Vice-Prest. W C. FORDYCE, Vice-President J. M. WOODS, Secretary L. S. MITCHELL, Treasurer A. G. DOUGLASS, Asst. Secretary R. L. GURNEY, Mgr. Savings Dept W. V. DELAHUNT, Trust Officer ROBT. H. CORNELL, Rl. Est. Officer BRYAN & CHRISTIE, Counsel
COMMONWEALTH
TRUST COMPANY, ST. LOUIS
<1 Accounts of Banks and Bankers receive special attention. Collections promptly made and remitted. Corporation and individual accounts solicited. Special departments for handling Estates, Trusts, Real Estate, Bonds, Farm Loans and Mortgages.
Capital and Surplus $5,500,000	Resources over Fifteen Millions
MECHANICS-AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK
OF ST. LOUIS
CAPITAL $2,000,000	SURPLUS $2,500,000
Superior Facilities Offered to Correspondents
WALKER HILL, President	H. P. HILLIARD, Vice President	EPHRON CATLIN. Vice President	L. А. ВАТТAILE, Cashier
.1. S. CALFEE, Ass’t Cashier	J. A. BERNINGHAUS, Ass’t Cashier G. M. TRUMBO, Ass’t Cashier	C.L. ALLEN. Ass’t Cashier
profits, $400, and deposits of $30,000. J. L. Daniel is president ; W. F. Bradley, vice-president; J. H. Anderson, cashier and James K. Naylor, assistant cashier.
The Mercantile National
President Wade, of the Mercantile Trust Company, of St. Louis, is quoted to the following effect:
"Business improvement, which we began to feel about the first of May, has been steady to the end of July. The progress is now showing such acceleration that we are making our comparisons with 1906. We are confident that the banking trade and manufacturing industries of St. Louis will make new records during the last six months of 1908. That is to say, we have recovered from the panic of 1907, and are doing business as we were before September of last year.
“Speaking of my own institution—the Mercantile Trust Company—I can say that our foreign exchange department, bond department, real estate department, are doing business upon the same lines and in the same volume as a year ago, before the first signs of the panic. Business with us is a little better than it was at this time in 1907. From general observation, as well as from inquiry, I find evidences of regained confidence, strong and active. Here and there is an industry or a line of trade which has not recovered fully its position of a year ago, but these are rather the exception.”
New Directors Elected
R. FI. Baker, president of the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad; W. O. Neuhaus, president of the Texas Rice Mills, and J. J. Sweeney, the Houston jeweler, were elected directors in the Union Bank and Trust Company of Houston, Tex., on Tuesday, to fill vacancies on the board caused by resignations received during the last few months.
To be Home for Financiers
The new seven-story Finance building, at 1009-11 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City, will
unanimous choice of the board, and on his successful career with the bank.
Immediately after the meeting adjourned the officers of the bank presented Mr. Edwards with a big bouquet of American beauty roses, and the clerks followed by presenting another bouquet of roses, with the inscription: “From the Boys in the Bank.” Mr. Edwards held a reception in his office most of the afternoon and was showered with congratulations on his election as president of the largest banking institution west of the Mississippi River.
Stepping into the office of president does not mean any increase in salary for Mr. Edwards. As vice-president he has received $25,000 a year, or as large a salary as the president. Kansas City Sixth in Clearings
Kansas City is now sixth in the list of the volume of bank clearings of the largest cities of the country. The official report for the week just closed shows that Kansas City passed Pittsburgh and San Francisco. The amount cleared by the Kansas City banks was more than thirty-four millions, while Pittsburgh cleared a little more than thirty-two million dollars and San Francisco only a little more than twenty-five million.
The Farmers State Bank of Weatherford
The Farmers State Bank of Weatherford, Okla., reports capital of $15,000; undivided
Bank Commissioner Royce, of Kansas, is suggesting to the Kansas bankers that they devise some plan by which they can handle all commercial paper in the state, and thus make for themselves the profit on rediscounted paper which now goes to the banks in the big money centers.
He believes the thing can be done through an information bureau established by the banks themselves or maintained as a bureau in the state bank commissioner’s office. It is immaterial, he says, just what particular plan is adopted, just so the banks get results.
St. Louis Short $1 and $2 Bills
A great scarcity of $1 and $2 bills prevails among the St. Louis banks and is general in banking centers over the country. In the last week, with increasing demands from country banks all over the Southwest for the small bills, the shortage has become acute in St. Louis. It is a repetition of the situation that existed a year ago, and two years ago this time.
St. Louis banks have called on New York to help them out, but New York is also short on the small bills.
Personal Mention
С. B. Bowling, president of the Exchange National of Columbia, Mo., was a visitor in St. Louis.banking circles last week.
F. W. Croll of Chicago, assistant treasurer of Armour and Company, was a caller at the Mercantile Trust Company of St. Louis recently.
Edwards New President of National Bank of Commerce
Ben F. Edwards was elected president of the National Bank of Commerce, of St. Louis, to succeed the late J. C. Van Blarcom, at a recent meeting of the board of directors. Twelve of the nineteen members of the board, including Mr. Edwards, attended the meeting. Several of the directors made informal talks complimenting Mr. Edwards on his being the