The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-14
REPLY TO COL. STEWART.

To the Editer of the Eagles
Col. Stewart seems to go out of his way
to make an attack upon Wichita banks.
Upon the strength of q "rumor" that GER
tain banks have been charging fee Tor
cashing pension checks, he proceeds to lee
ture the banks upon the old chestnut OF
ingratitude to the nations heroes. Now,
SO far as I know there is no foundation
whatever in this ''rumor." l do not be-
lieve any charge has been made 10y any
bank in Wichita for cashing these checks;
but want to say right here, not only as
banker, but as IAN old soldier" that II
such charge was made l should have no
fault to find with the bank that did 1t,
but I should commend its business sense
These pension checks, unlike all bank
drafts and commercial exchange II lost In
the mails. cannot he duplicated without
great Inconvenience and delay. In the
first place. after loss, the owner must
send to Washington for blank BOND TO
be executed to the government as an IN
demnity.
This bond, covering two or three pages
the size of legal cap. must be executed
with all the minutenes5 and attention to
technicalities and details as If 1t We're the
death warrant of a king, even down 10
placing q tiny daub of wax opposite each
signature. Usually the bond has to go to
Washington and back two or three times
before it will pass muster before the hlgh
collared chaps who part their hair IN the
middle and run the departments at WASH
ington The bond matter once finally set
tied, after much tribulation and delay,
YOU must then wait six months from date
of approval of the bond before you can get
d duplicate of the pension check:
Now, suppose bank has the mlsfor-
IL los. n
States postoffice officials, TO have letter
lost containing, SIS is often the case,
twenty or thirty of these pension checks;
In return for its patriotism ana
gratitude to those who have shed their
| blood for our country's salvation. the bank
must get up as many bonds as there were
pension checks. run the red tape gauntlet
| of getting the bonds approved and then
| have its money tied up six months longer,
before it can realize. This is the "gf att
| tude" shown by the government TO the
! bankers who, in trying to serve the gov
! ernment's saviors, are made the victims OF
| the carelessness of the governments post.
| office employees. The bank with which
am connected has been through 1t all, and
| for wears has paid express charges on these
| pension checks in getting them cashed
! not daring to entruss them TO the mails
and while we do not charge Tor caSnlne
| them. we do maintain that as matter OF
| business ard of right, we ought to do so
and that an attack upon bank for re
! fusing to cash them at their face, is nothing
more nor less than sentimental bosh-
If Col. Stewart proposes 90 have the fact
| of his pension check AS he says. let him
make his quarrel with the government
and not with the banks. Let him advocate
A bill requiring the government to senc
the money by express TO each pensioner
| instead of asking the banks to pay express
charges on these checks after cashIns
them to get their money back In
government is quite as able to DO this a
the banks, and is under quite as lastinl
obligations to them, its defenders, in tim
of peril, as is the banking fraternity
| II. w. LEWIS.