A Bank That Is Entirely Different

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXX, Issue 3627, 3 July 1939, Page 7

A Bank That Is Entirely Different

Alms to Improve Homes and Gardens Most of us have thought of banks as hard, unsympathetic places; this is the story of a bank that is different. It is a small-town bank in America, the First National at Pikovllle, Kentucky, and it is becoming well-known for the unusual way in which it conducts its business. There are only 4000 people in Pikeville itself, but the coal, timber, oil, and gas industries round about make the town a busy one. The first thing the visitor notices is the smart white bank building, and when he enters it he sees that it is no ordinary bank, for soft music is being played and the lobby and banking room are filled with flowers, pictures and sculpture. If it is a hot day he will be offered a cool drink from a refrigerator, or on a cold day some coffee. While he is drinking this and looking round him he will notice, if he is observant, that the bank is very well protected against thieves, the people here believing that it Is better to spend money on preventing a crime than on .a reward for the capture of the bandit after it has been committed. So the visitor will see banditbarrier fixtures with bullet-proof glass encased in steel and wire protection charged with 15,000 volts of static electricity. The music comes from an electric organ. Every morning before the day’s work a service is held by the employees, and during the day soft music or talks on wnrld affairs are broadcast. The flowers come from the bank’s own garden, and to encourage a love of gardening the bank organises flower shows and gives packets of seeds to its fiends and customers. And not only does it encourage the love of music in the town by giving monthly concerts, and gardening by having a beautiful garden itself, but it helps young people to go to college by arranging loans for them. It is always ready to help householders to paint their houses and make attractive gardens, and it is, in short, a bank which wants to help everyone to make their homes attractive and their families happy.