As the matter now stands, gentlemen, if I want $10,000 currency I bundle up $12,000 or $15,000 of my commercial paper, and take it to my correspondent, and get the currency by giving my bank's note, and leaving the $12,000 or $15,000 of paper as collateral. Now, if you should ask my correspondent upon what he had loaned me $10,000 he would say, "my bank's credit and the commercial paper I left with him." But, gentlemen, why could I not issue $10,000 of my bank notes against my bank credit, and keep the $12,000 or $15,000 of commercial paper? Certainly if my bank's credit and the commercial paper were good enough for my correspondent bank to let me have $10,000 upon, they ought to be good enough to issue my own notes upon. The present situation is simply absurd and most troublesome, as well as most expensive.
Mr. Manufacturer: I agree with you, it certainly is. I was talking the other day with a Congressman about the Canadian Currency system, and he said, "yes, it works fine up there, but they have a branch banking system up there, and only 27 banks." Well, I said, it works just as well in France with one bank. It has been working in Scotland just as well with 12 banks for 217 years. It worked in Indiana with one bank and 17 branches. It was just as efficient and successful in Louisiana under a General Bank Act, where several banks were incorporated. And it worked in New England under the Suffolk system with 500 individual independent banks—why won't it work here? All he could say was, "Well, I don't know."
Uncle Sam: Pinhead. Didn't know the difference between a principle and a fact, and he didn't even know the fact.
Now, boys, I am completely satisfied and if any one here is not, let him speak up, or forever hold his peace. I believe you must all be satisfied.
You must all be on time next Wednesday night so that we will not have to wait as we did tonight.
Good Night.
WHAT IS EXCHANGE?