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A friend from a western town writes: "We can trace at least a thousand increase of population the past year from the fact that the fifty-four members of our Commercial Club about a year ago all agreed to have printed on the back of their business letterheads a description of the town, its location, climate, natural advantages, possibilities for business, etc. Thus every letter they wrote was an advertisement for the town. The town booming matter was artistically printed, and the catch line being visible as the folded sheet was taken from the envelope, few persons failed to read it. Inquiries for more information came pouring in, and then the people came pouring in. Why don't you try to have your people do likewise ?" Now that looks like a sensible proposition. Suppose fifty of our 'citizens should have their stationery printed with such matter on the back! Say they will average a thousand letters a year. That would be PASKEN fifty thousand little booms for the town, going out to all quarters of the compass. One of these letters might strike the eye of just the right party and bring us a new factory, an educational institution, or even a good substantial family looking for a desirable home place. It is worth trying. We can get up the descriptive matter for you and do the printing. Why don't you start the ball? LET'S TALK IT OVER, ANYHOW. San Juan Bank Adopts Certificate System SAN JUAN COUNTY BANK has been forced by the unprecedented financial situation to adopt the clearing house T certificate system of payments now general throughout the United States. The flat refusal of its reserve agents in Seattle, Chicago and New York, which hold upwards of $75,000 of its funds, to honor drafts upon its accounts sufficient to meet the demands of ordinary business here, render it imperative to suspend cash payments temporarily, except in small sums, not exceeding $25, and issue in lieu of cash either certificates of deposit redeemable as soon as cash is obtainable, or Seattle clearing house certificates upon which it will be impossible to realize cash any sooner than it can be obtained upon the bank's own certificates. The bank has over $40,000 in cash on deposit in Seattle, in the largest bank in the state, and it also has several thousand dollars in one of the leading banks of Chicago and a considerably larger sum in the National City Bank of New York, known as the "Rockefeller bank," which has the largest capital and surplus of any banking institution in America. But no cash, or practically none, can be obtained from these depositaries or any other bank in the country. 'The bankers of all the great financial centers are calmly "sitting on the lid, while their vaults are bulging with gold, harmoniously singing to all of their customers, rich or poor, high or low, who ask for cash,-"wai 'till the clouds roll by, Johnny; wait till the clouds roll by." There is no statutory authority, state or federal, for the position they have taken, but it has the approval of the comptroller of the currency and state bank examiners and is certainly justifiable and should be commended on the broad ground of public policy. Any other course would almost certainly result in a ruinous panic in the midst of a season of abundant crops, high prices and unexampled prosperity. The situation has no parallel in commercial history. President Gould, of the San Juan County bank, was in Seattle Wednesday. "I was in ten of the prominent banks of the city during the day," said he, "and the total number of people in all of them, by actual count, was only 125 and much the greater portion of them were at the receiving tellers' windows making deposits. There was absolutely no excitement or evidence of distrust. Business men generally accept the situation philosophically and cordially approve the action of the banks. Present indications are that cash payments will be resumed within a few days but of course this is uncertain. In the meantime our customers need not feel the slightest concern. Business men will accept our certificates at their face value and little, if any, inconven. ience is likely to be felt here."
