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Bank Supervision Analyzed. Comptroller Murray has made an analysis of the reports received from the State bank supervisors, showing the cost of adfinistration of the banking departments of the various States, and has compared it with the cost of national bank examination and administration. The cost to the taxpayers of the various States for supervising the banks operated under State charters, amounts in the aggregate to nearly $286,000 annually, while the supervision of banks in the national system is without direct cost to the taxpayers of the country. Every expense connected with the supervision of national banks is paid by the banks. The cost of State bank supervision in forty-one States of the Union, aggregates $1,008,000. Reimbursements by the banks by means of fees for examination, and other special assessments to the extent of $722,000, leaves a deficiency of $286,000, to be met by the taxpayers of the States for administering their banking laws. In the forty-one States reporting there were 12,648 State banks, savings banks, and loan and trust companies, with assets of $10,427,000,000, under State supervision. For the same period there were 7,277 national banking associations, with aggregate assets of $10,383,000,000. The Comptroller recently requested the superintendents of the banking departments of the different States to furnish information showing the cost of administration of their departments, including the examination of State banks. A reply was received from every State having a banking department or an officer charged with the supervision of banks. Statements received from forty-one States show the aggregate cost of bank supervision for these States to be $1,008,374 for the last fiscal year. The number of banks under State supervision, excluding all private banks, was 12,648, with aggregate resources of approximately $10,427,000,000. The number of examinations of State banks made during the fiscal year numbered 22,001. The cost of examinations alone, for the States in question, was $697,220, or 67 cents for each $1,000 of assets. For the same period there were 7,277 national banks in operation, with assets aggregating $10,383, 000,000, the cost of examination of which was $492,269, or 47 cents per $1,000 of assets. Examiners in the States from which reports have been receivel, number 224. The average salary or compensation paid examiners in these States will approximate $2,300, exclusive of expenses. Traveling expenses for each examiner averages about $800 per annum. The average compensation for each national bank examiner, paid in fees, is $4,356 per annum, out of which all his expenses such as traveling, hotels, clerical hire, &c., must be paid. From the data obtained, it appears that during the fiscal year, 22,001 examinations of State banks were made at a cost of $31.69 for each examination. The avercost of examination of each national banking association is $41.10, but th eamount of assets handled by a national bank examiner, is about double the average for each State bank examiner. National Bank Fails. The Comptroller of the Currency received word yesterday of the failure of the Washington National Bank of Washington, N. J. Examiner Richard Goodhart was in charge of the institution temporarily until the arrival of Milton C. Elliott who has been appointed receiver. The bank had a capitalization of $50,000. Its resources on September 1 were approximately $400,000. Comptroller Murray refuses to divulge the reason for the insolvency, preferring to await the report of the receiver. Plan Bank Clerks' Banquet. At a meeting of the committee on arrangements for the annual dinner of the Washington Chapter, American Institute of Banking, in the chapter rooms, 1214 F street, last night, February 10 was selected as the date for the affair, which will be given at the Raleigh Hotel. The following chairmen of subcommittees were appointed: Seating, C. C. Eckloff; music, W. H. Childs, and printing, A. S. Carter. Refuses Merchants' Request. The Capital Traction Company yesterday refused the request of a committee of the Retail Merchants' Association of the Chamber of Commerce that the company permit the placarding of their cars with "early shopping" signs between now and Christmas. The refusal came after the Washington Railway and Electric Company had granted the request of the subcommittee, composed of A. D. Prince and M. A. Leese. Mr. Carll, general manager of the company, stated that his company desired to limit the advertising on the fronts of its cars to baseball and football games. Will Redeem Bonds. Postmaster General Hitchcock, as chairman of the board of trustees of the postal savings system, yesterday authorized the statement that postal savings bonds offered for sale by persons compelled to relinquish their investment will be purchased by the government at par. The Postmaster General stated that no depositor would endanger his principal by exchanging certificates of deposit for postal savings bonds. Under the postal savings act the board of trustees is authorized to withdraw at any time 30 per cent of all postal savings funds on deposit in banks and post-offices for investment in bonds or other securities of the United States. It is under this authority that postal savings bonds will be purchased from the holders. New Provident Officers. New officers and directors were elected at a special meeting of the stockholders the Provident Savings Bank vester-
