16 
BANKING STANDARDS 
CHART 1 
D1sTRIBUTION OF YEARLY Di1sTRICT RATIOS OF LOANS AND DISCOUNTS 
TO EARNINGS ASSETS, ALL MEMBER BANKS, 1919-1925 
Per Cent 
15 20 25 
Percentage 
Groups 
0 
fe A 
Number 
of 
Cases 
66 and under 60 
60 and under 64 
64 and under 68 
58 and under 72 
72 and under 76 
76 and under 80 
80 and under 84 
84 and under 88 
1 
i5 
17 
21 
15 
I vn TY ten 
Ey TIE 
rm. 
“ir 
a Bax: nn 
tribution “tailing off” to the group 56 and under 60 (57.59 being 
the minimum), and extending to group 84 and under 88 (84.31 
being the maximum). 
But with this method of presenting the ratios, both yearly and 
district differences are ignored. Further study is necessary with 
them in mind. If the seven-year average ratio for each district 
is taken as a base from which to determine district and yearly 
variations, and the differences are measured in percentages by 
which the yearly amounts are greater or less than the base 
amounts, the details in Table 4 are obtained. 
This table, while showing considerable variation in the per- 
centages by which the ratios of loans and discounts to earning 
assets in each year in each district are greater or less than the 
district average ratio for the seven years, indicates certain uni- 
formities. Briefly, they are as follows: in 1919, 1923, and 1925, 
the ratios were relatively low; in 1920, 1921, and 1922, they were 
relatively high; in 1924, they were mixed—high and low. Con- 
sistency of position is apparent, yet it is not necessary by virtue 
of the way in which the comparisons are made. Differences from 
averages are, of course, part plus and part minus, yet the time 
when the respective differences occur does not have to coincide.