"Careless Not Dishonest" say Square Bankers of Harvard's Money Ways; Overdrafts Common; Forgery the Exception

"Careless but not dishonest" is the verdict of Harvard Square banker's on the financial practices of members of the University.

Officials of both the Harvard Trust Company and the Cambridge Trust Company told a CRIMSON reporter yesterday that, while cases of forged checks are exceedingly rare, a large number of overdrafts mar the banking records of University students. "Easy come and easy go is the rule for most college men as far as money is concerned." "The average undergraduate has never had a checking account in his life before, and he can't keep it straight. As a rule he does not know whether his balance is $20 or 10 cents." These were a few of the comments made by tellers, and higher officials, as a result of their observations of undergraduate banking methods.

The Cambridge Trust Company complained particularly of counterchecks. Large numbers of them are written hurriedly, cashed, and then completely and serenely forgotten. Only one case strictly beyond accepted ethical standards was cited. That was an emergency budget measure adopted by a Harvard student last year. After he had boldly written checks until the bank was swamped, he came in with a handful of them, marked "No Funds," and declared that they were forgeries. A couple of days in jail however convinced him that he must have written them after all, and he confessed.