NEW WAY TO PAY BILLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14888, 13 January 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

NEW WAY TO PAY BILLS.

LADIES TOO BUSY TO SIGN CHEQUES.

A' novel remedy for tho chronic complaint of tradespeople that the "richest customers Will not pay their bills" has just been invented by the Fifth Avenue Bank of New York, which boasts among its depositors more wealthy ladies than any other metropolitan bank. "If yon are too busy with your homo and social duties to sign cheques every month in settlement of bills, send the bills to us and we will attend to them." is the kindly message addressed to its fashionable clients by tho president of the bank. > The message has been received with a sigh of relief by harassed hostesses, who at the beginning of another social season find the duties of preparing and signing cheques " too bothersome." Like many other New York banks, the Fifth Avenue establishment caters for the comfort of lady depositors in truly magnificent style. It provides them with luxuriously furnished rooms, where they can meet friends write letters, and go over accounts. "We want our women depositors," the bank explains, "to let us help them whenever they get into difficulties over their accounts or balances. If their cheque-books become confused wo assign a soecial clerk to reconcile the accounts. We thus -relieve I the ladies of all figuring and try to make I banking as easy as possible." The new departure, involves the appointment of a _ special staff of clerks, who at the beginning of each month visit the customers and collect all outstanding bi% which they carry to the hank for examination and settlement. The customer may thou call at tho bank a day or two later and affix her signature to numerous cheques, or if she has no time to do that, a clerk will call at her mansion ajid receive her cheque for the total amount disbursed. The new scheme is designed not only for the comfort of deDositors, but to save tradespeople the terrible predicament which recently overtook a millinery firm which filed a petition of bankruptcy on the ground that its fashionable clients were.too lazy.to .pay.their bills. •