BUSINESS LIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15548, 4 March 1914, Page 12

BUSINESS LIFE.

BANKING AMALGAMATION. The most recent reform in the banking world has developed info quite a mania • for ; amalgamation or absorption (say*- anEnglish Writer). "The competition among hanks for big figures is quite excitingJ It remains to be seen whether this will ultimately be an unmixed blessing for the banks "assuredly it is not a blessing to their clients. The private banker is now almost extinct, and the client hitherto so well known to him is compelled to await the decisions a bank manager or a board of directors in London, who never heard of him, may send down.

r Provincial joint stock bank directors have even been compelled by their shareholders to withdraw absolutely, almost completed proposals for amalgamation, so strongly was it felt to be detrimental to the best interests of their business customers. On the principle that union is strength the policy of amalgamation may be defended. But is it or was it necessary? It has ever been an axiom in the banking world, "United we stand, divided we fall"—hence the instant help and assistance given to each other in times of difficulty.

The accumulation of such an immense sum of '-deposits in London undoubtedly has a tendency to induce hank managers and directors to help financiers rather than, merchants, manufacturers, farmers, and trade generally.

To jfat the matter in the most striking view it means that the Sank directors I prefer to help the' millionaire in his financial speculations to add more to his millions, than to help commercial men to extend their business-operations. '■ SUCCESS IST AN IDEA. Two/ideas, steam power'and' the' locomotive, changed human life almost as if the race had been transported to another planet. Ideas pulled the lightning down from the —used it to tie hemispheres together so that men thousands .of miles apart talk as easily as though across a table—tamed its titanic forceput it into harness to do man's bidding. The shiplocks at Panama will change the commerce-track of the ships of five continents, and affect the destinies of nations. * Choose what great business organisation you will. Out of one end of its hopper comes flooding a stream of profits. Ninetenths of what is fed into the other end consists of ideas. The organisation had it* inception in an idea, was nourished and built up with ideas, and lives to-day in its massive strength only because its thousand arteries are crowded with idea, red corpuscles. It ia, in fact, only an idea incarnate. ! '»" ' " AWAKENING CONFIDENCE. People ask to-day, before they buy the| use of skill and brains, that you awaken their confidence regarding your ability, trustworthiness, and experience. They are utterly unable to Compare, handle, and inspect your brains. Goodsthe tangible products of hands working for brains— can pick up, look over, and decide upon. But before a merchant pays an expert for advice, he makes sure his aisles are congested— he needs: help— that the counsellor's brains are able, trustworthy, and experienced. When you offer service ". through the mails you plan, to arouse even greater confidence, because the 'prospect cannot come face to face with you. At a distance, with the help of a stamp, you have to uncover a need and then demonstrate that your abilities or brains are worth paying for to satisfy that need. You ask the same respect which. specialist receives from the hopeful patient who has never aeejj him before the consuilatior; hour. ' -