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Show That there have been tncoiiinel nee ami dishonesty In banking Is admitted. That the ImHancPs that did occur were used grossly to Increase fear lu th public mind, we Affirm. We shall continue con-tinue to strive for higher attainments In our profession and strive for laws that require competence and ability in management. That we cannot leg-islate leg-islate honesty and unselfishness Into either a banker or a borrower must be conceded, but dishonesty, wherever found, should be punished. It Is as true In banking a elsewhere that no matter how good the law, dishonest nnd incompetent men can make it Ineffective. In-effective. Good laws are essential. We must strive for ever better ones, but their enforcement will come only as the public recognizes that it is a matter mat-ter not of laws or codes alone but of the men who administer them. The Public's Part Our people must be brought to realize real-ize that the welfare of our country depends de-pends upon its banking system, that the strength of the banking system depends de-pends upon the public's faith and understanding and the vast majority of banks, because of faithful service rendered, ren-dered, even through the whole ot this general breakdown, had the right to expect the trust and confidence of the people. In every great catastrophe, no matter mat-ter what its nature, no matter what its . cause, someone must be crucified. The banker was this time selected. In the late 90's, political agitation started a tirade against the railroads. Some rail- j roads may have done reprehensible things, but the agitation became so general and so violent as almost to destroy one of the fundamental factors in the progress of a country. Today the same thing has been done to the banker. In spite of all that has happened, hap-pened, the fact remains that even most of the banks which failed are paying out infinitely better than are investments invest-ments in almost anything else. |