TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12365, 2 December 1905, Page 8

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Tho November "MunTho Teller's coy" publishes nn "inTroubles. structure article upon "Mistakes in Banking," as theso havo impressed themselves upon a member of tho American' Institute of Bank Clerks. His experience is that .wliile a paying teller of ft bank, like a Mississippi pilot, must keep hie eyes open for new clangers as ■well as old ones, it is not tho unique and novel swindle that is most fatal either to a bank or an individual. "It is the simple, ordinary mistake, or the time-worn triok, that makes continuous trouble. Apparently, every new generation contains a number of dishonest people, who lay tho oatne traps, and a number of careless people who fall into theso traps in tho same old way." Tho highest American Court, for instance, lias recently deoided that a bank cannot be held responsible when it pays a "raised" cheque—or one nltoro<l by writing another figure in front of tho proper amount—if the maker of the cheouo had left it flagrantly open to such felonious use. When tho Bath Electric Company of Maine had hnd their modest cheque for one hundred dollars presented and cashed as eightyono hundred, it was held that the company must lose tho difference, einco their treasurer had shown "gross carelessness" while filling up tho right amount, in leaving any left-hand space for a, forgery. Cheques altered by erasure and re-writing nro more the bank's responsibility, and a cashier lost twenty-eight hundred dollars for tho First National of San Francisco, through failing to observe merely a changed date. Another curious loss was caused by the frequent practice of using tho word' "wife" instead of name and surname- on a. certificate of deposit. A man deposited twenty-one hundred dollars to tho order of "himself or wife." The latter duly presented and endorsed tho order, but the bank having cashed it, was forced to pay a second time toMnquiring executors. The man had died a few days before, and at tho tune of presenting site was a "widovC," not a "wife." In soino account of eccentric customers, this bank official ungallantly only refers to ladies. An odd rule with one depositor was never to write n cheque for more than one hundred dollars. "If she owed threo thousand she would send a little bundlo of thirty cheques* in payment." And liaving this strict law unto herself, she cared little for breaches of any other banking rule of safety. "All" you havo to do," she would point out, "is to remember that I never draw a cheque for more than one hundred dollars." But a much more troublesome client was the lady who required a weekly demonstration that her fortune was secure. "It was her habit to come to the bank every Monday morning, as soon as the doom were opened, draw out tho entire amount, count it, and then doposat it again at the receiving teller's window. Wβ christened her 'the bank examiner.' " An interesting and picTho Village turesquo figure in the Clerk. life of t3io Church of England has almost dis-1 appeared; This is the vilkgo clerk, of < whose order but a poor remnant xel-j mains in forgotten corners, left stranded by the tide of innovation. A writer in tllio " Spectator," who has had the privilege of. knowing some representatives of this curious old type of Church eorvonfc tells some very am using" tales of village clerks. The duties of his office made a modicum of knowledge necessary, but what a modicum it was the parish records show. His courage was generally greater than his knowledge. Ono old fellow whom tho writer knew was often sorely tried by Biblical passages, but allowed no difficulties tocheck Ills fluency. Hβ was ill-mated to a shrewish wife, and it was in one eensesingularly appropriate that on,ono occasion, without a thought of irreverence and in all simplicity, he rolled out,- instead of "Woe is mc, that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech 1" " Woe is mc, that I am constrained to dwell with Missis!" Another old-fashioned clerk changed tho word " leviathan/'. which to tho bucolic mind conveyed mere empty sound to "that girt livin , thing;" He had many duties, among thorn being the ringing of tho morning "/leasing bell" during harvest time, to start tho gleaners-to tho fields, and the curfew at night, by which, tho villagers* set their clocks. But a duty tihat touched the congregation more closely was that of cliastising members whom the preacher lulled to sleep.. Services wero longer then, and tho preachers "leanings to mercy" less,marked. No fear of man prevented tiho olerk from applying his stick sniirtly to those who shm£ bored. The young people used, to retaliate by tieing tflio card of the bell to tho weathercock, and the paririh..on a stormy night would bo startled by ghostly, fitful, ringing. Yet this perpetual hostility bred no ill-will on either side. , Tho clerk declared that " boyd must bo boys," and tho other side -admitted frankly that tho enemy waa " paid for lookin , arter things," and the old man did not lose a penny when ho went to colLect tho " sweepings" as tho threepences which tho parishioners contributed towards the cleaning of tho Church wore called. Some duties were occasioned by tho emergency of tho moment. For instance, a thort-sio-hted clergyman of the "old school" °was preaching ono dark afternoon to a sleepy congregation. The Church was badly lighti-d, and his manuscript difficult to decipher. Stumbling along, ho camo to a passage which he road as l&illowu:-—"Enthusiasm, my brethren enthusiasm in a good caaso Ls an excellent—excellent quality, but anlees it is tempered with judgment, it is apt to lead us—apt to load us . Here, Thomas," handing the sermon to tho clerk, "go to tho window and see what it is apt to lead us into.". Tho village clerk certainly leaves some <-xoeHent stories behind him as a memorial. ... If one may judge from Comic Opera tho story of the doings Armies. of an American navar officer in the last revolution in San Domingo, as told in tho New York " Evening Post "—«, paper which is tho antithesis of "Yellow Journalism "—the most extravagant scenes of military absurdity in comib opera arc not mare ludicrous than some of tho incidents which mark tho course of revolution in the island of Hayti or in tho Republics of the mainland. In this particular case a terrified American planter made- his way from tho interior to the port where tho officer's gunboat lay, and appealed for protection. The

oapfcabi «mt tho lioutennnt to leaguml capital; *> defend from tho President. The total eastoi ' i*t? ties in tho besieged town, ns the tven\r \v of a bombardment by 20,000 men, \J* \\-> been tho dmth of a mtilo and the'fhJ.' \" turo of tho leg of a Government sontuwl, ~ " The sentinel, it should be explained \td *"■. ; - fallen from a rampart, end the naju ? * had died of overwork in hauling pm. " visions for tho garrison. I n th* ]£y sieging army tho oasxialties wero B y V The President w*s polito, but confcW ■' - himself somewhat helpless. Ho h«| »' however, skin • 10,000 rebels in a night, and as soon as ho had i\ For the others hs would be happy t 0 gj T - '', die American protection. Tho officer had to go away contented with, a pajj. port eecuring his countryman fro m '<• , molestation. The next step was to con. • < vey tho planter up tho river whidi '*' to !his homo, and make an itnpesfag demonstration en rou' >. The journey ' * was made on ft tug, the solo armament * of which was a. one-pouuder, a ***n» ~*\ . cannon," as tho captain called it. * tho tug was close to its destination, «' gilt-ooverod, much-plumed individoal *' ', sprang out of tho uiKlorgrowtL, " .waving a sword, excitedly ordered tha ['expedition to halt. Ho was followed by some twenty variously garbed eoldfenf I all bootless, and somo without coats. Xh* ' [ lieutenant refusetl to stop, leader of tho motley force on tho bank tJirea.tened to slioot with the only cMfe~. an old-fashioned musket—which, his men carried. Tho lieutenant then quickly matched tho canvas off tho "toy oniron," and turning the muzelo t«r&nis tho San Domingo warriors, cried, " Jfow ' scat!" They " smtted " forthwith, ■ lieutenant says that ho never saw ami run. so fast or yell so loudly. They " fell all over themselves" in get<ia»' out of the way of a gun that wasn't loaded. This officer says that rovofo, tions in tiheso islands aro geoenUly s * almost bloodless, tho reports one geta of hundreds killed and. wounded Wag, j quite incorrect. Hβ knows of a case - iin which two armies confronted <a» another for & month without <%» * fatality. Tho troops looked upon ny as a great giamo, and shot into tie air. The sight of en Amerioaa warship or tho landing of <a couple of dozen.mea J will generally terrify revolutionists, u l n ■ fact, those on board his vessel gqd jsi used to these disturbances that UwjKyg of a. now revolution before breakfast did not even oauso a stir. ■ '! lateet in' - Luxurious! l|feV campaign to capfato * 'I Travelling tho trans-Atlantio tr&tbj • *' i is a liner of 23,000 tone, , - tho Amerika, fitted up in a way thai _• * makea her tho most luxurious of veeseli. ~ Sho is indeed in many resnocts the moet' wonderful ship in tho , world. Her speed , 13 not great, for it is not likely to «x-/ ceed 17 or 18 knots β-n hour l —her omten *• j holding that speed is generally"'attained at tho expense of comfort,- and ' that ( -veseela of moderate epeed pay better—but her accommodation is b> , •'' tended to match all that can be doM by the Garlton or Savoy hotels.'For .". the first time in the history of shippings" a passenger-lift, which .traverse*,.' fir* '\ ; of the seven declcs, has been introduced* "i,;' The berths in the first-claes cabkut iSo, ,' f< ' all on a level. A children's play-roan." ,vv has been provided, admirably furni«h«of>)?4s J . and fitted up, with : H\, ■the «alls:representing children's"fctorie? > '* ;of/■■(Gfcerfaxan find English origin.'' plit \.W. jlh<j iniost striking -of the irinoratioWie t-he''Carlton Restaurant."' Lα tiurtct^ ' < "* tauranfc passengers can ' take 1, tifeiir *' t meals at separate tabloe ;and v, afc their own hours. ThiiKtoonw **V', . lias been fitted ur> regordleee' of d •) *. cost; and tho decorations am stiperV. . > Tho tablo ware ia 6f the best. Tty .' ? costliest china hae-been 'BOoured;"for '«' lunch eilrer is used, 1 but the knires and ?■•* ' epoone for dinner aro of 14-carat gold. \' Indeed, tho manager for MeunTHar- t X landmnd Wolff, tho builders of the ship, \ ■ ' told a London journalist that Aβ money l '-- f ~ expended on two such restaurants would *| , ! > pay for a vessel of 4000 tone. Thie*'' r ,~i restaurant idea is probably an experi- , '•'•t ment,.but the owners are oonfldeni thai •* -.jl , it wiJI be a success. Bo eager, were the 1 V*" passengers on the first trip for aaurenin < i f that several spoons and lereral ctipj • > £ wore appropriated. There ia, of coune,, a Marconi installation, with'-waitjh^ 11$ rooms attached to the office, and adail/ •';? ; 'i paper Is to bo printed on board.- In '-X * addition.to a doctor, there am trained'; *~& nurses. It is the intention of the wta- '.. £ pany to build four of these week/ ~"?. costing £700,000 each. Germany cw«;-< , l .i tainly seems to have the upper hancMor l . "'.' the moment in providing 'J--¥ travelling across tho Atlantic. We'cin /% " only wait until the new turbine Cunaij"^,.'' • ' dors are ready. Thero is some JJ , - tiori in knowing that this great T*Bjtf ';* was built in the United Kinedonu #' V ', ■ . . * -'' H' »