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Courses. At the end of the year the usual full-day courses were held regionally for managers
and cashiers of agricultural banks. Management and inspectors also took part. Subjects dealt
with included the Credit Supervision Act as it would affect agricultural banks, the modification
as from lst January 1952 of the Central Bank's interest payments system, whereby a higher rate
of interest is paid in proportion as a greater part of the moneys deposited with the agricultural
banks is placed on current account at the Central Bank, and finally the Central Bank's directives
regarding limitation of finance for investment outside agriculture and horticulture. The courses
gave evidence of considerable understanding for these developments which occasionally involve
sacrificing a measure of freedom in agricultural bank administration.
Publicity. An advertising campaign was conducted by the Central
Bank in 1951 in the usual way. The advertisements were planned and
prepared with great by qualified experts by arrangement with the
Central Bank publicity service. The attention of farmers and market
gardeners was specially invited to current account transactions, for
which a very appropriate series of advertisements had been built up,
and to saving at agricultural banks. The advertisements were inserted
in agricultural and horticultural papers and periodicals, in district dailies
and several other publications.
In addition to newspaper advertising, so-called directed adver
tising, for instance by folders, was employed to a considerable extent in
1951. The two new folders distributed in great numbers were circulated
where the biggest result was to be expected. 60,000 copies were issued
of the first folder for 1951, dealing with saving at agricultural banks
in general and with youth savings in particular.
Of the second folder announcing the increased rates of interest on
long deposits and the new types of saving 160,000 copies were issued.
These folders were also planned and prepared with the greatest care.
As regards youth savings, we again took part in a campaign in
association with the National Savings Council. Over 50,000 copies of the
booklet in sixteen parts, "Vleugels voor Jan en Ineke'' were issued to
children.
An attractive wall calendar has been issued for 1952 by the Central
Bank publicity service. It has twelve photographs on agricultural and
horticultural subjects bij the well-known photographer Martien Coppens.
The dates are more widely spaced than in the calendar for 1951, leaving
more room for notes. Furthermore it has various references of interest to
farmers and growers. Each month's sheet contains a short note on some
particular activity or aspect of the agricultural bank.
This calendar has been well received and 12,000 copies have been
distributed.
21
The Central Bank film service continued to be active during the
year and arranged numerous film publicity evenings, which in addition
to one or more films, always included an introductory talk on a subject
relating to the agricultural bank, selected by the organizing bank. Such
film-püblicity evenings generally aroused very considerable interest.
The 1951-1952 season included for the first time not only films
supplied by the Central Bank but also some supplied by the United
States Information Service, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food and by the Dutch Film Institute.
This is an appropriate moment for us to express our thanks for
the kind co-operation of these organisations.
There was less activity in regard to exhibitions than in previous
years, fewer being organized, probably because of a certain surfeit of
exhibitions. In addition to several smaller exhibitions we took part in
the FF Exhibition at Enschede and in the L.L.T.B. Jubilee Exhibition
at Roermond, using a new stand specially built for the purpose, which
employed modern fluorescent lighting.
Taxation. During the year returns for Company Tax in respect of the financial year 1950
were attended to by our Central Bank. Of the many alterations in fiscal matters the most important
one for our agricultural banks was the increase in the rate of Campany Tax to 20%.
Audit and Statistics. The yearly statistics of the agricultural banks for 1948 issued in 1951
will soon be followed by the statistics for 1949 which are now being printed. We also hope to
complete the 1950 statistics during the present year.
The rendering of monthly returns by the agricultural banks, the preparation of which gave
many a cashier a bad headache, particularly at the beginning of the year, has improved each
month thanks being due in part to the outdoor service of our Inspection Department for their
ready help. In this respect perhaps still more possibilities can be realised in future.
Audits of the monthly returns were more exact in 1951, inter alia because of constant additions
to the basic details asked for in the schedules and because a link-up was sought on more and more
points in preceding monthly returns partly by reference to ledger sheets. The reliability of the
information available to us consequently increased considerably. Internally, too, the monthly return
figures were collated and used for a constantly increasing number of purposes. Aggregation of the
monthly returns has since the latter months of the year been effected with a fully automatic
accounting machine.
From the ledger sheets sent to us monthly by the local banks, the volume of business is also
aggregated machanically. An extract of the information so obtained is regularly included in our
Monthly Notices.
Equipment. After obtaining the advice of the Central Bank's Business Organisation Depart
ment a number of agricultural banks have brought their office installations and their equipment
up to date.
Delivery times for accounting machines and typewriters and for steel office furniture were
fortunately not as long as in the early post-war years. At the end of the year however the industry
asked for longer delivery times owing to defence orders having to be given priority.
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