The morning call., 1893-12-22
HE WILL NOT PAY
Commissioner Wilson So
Writes Colgan.
THE STATE RESPONSIBLE.
Because 1t Does Not Provide a
Depository.
HE FOLLOWED AN OLD CUSTOM.
Will Stand Suit on the Collection of
State Funds in the Pacific
Bank.
He FOLLOWED AN OLD CUSTOM.

j. n. E. Wilson, State Insurance Com
missioner. returned yesterday morning
from Mexico. where he has been engaged
for six weeks in looking after some mining
properties he owns there. Until his arrival
home he was unaware of the correspond
ence that has passed between his office
and the State Controller regarding the
unremitted June collections which are tied
up in the insolvent Pacific Bank.
The communications regarding the mat
ter given publicity by the Controller Mr..
Wilson characterized as very unjust, as
only one side of the correspondence. except
one letter. was published. To each of the
letters from the Controller received by Mr..
Wilson reply was sent atonce. The Com
missioner main tains that he is not respon-
sible for State funds which were On de-
posit in the Pacific Bank.
"Why should | be?" he said Yesterday
afternoon. "The State will not furnish
me with a safe depository for my coilec-
ti0ns. There is no law that will cover the
expense of safe-deposit vault, and what
am TO do? DO they expect me to carry
the money around in my pocket every day
until the end of the month? Our collec-
tons in this office amount to from $1,000 to
$4,000 every month. We have an old-fash-
iOned safe in the Commit ssioner's office that
has been there ever since the creation of
the Office. 1t is not fit TO keep money in.
1t would not take profes ssional crack sman
fifteen minutes to get inside of it; in fact, |
could break II open myself am convinced.
Now. is this the place they want me TO
keep the States money and be responsible
for it? l won't do it.
MY predecessors in office. with one ex-
ceptioD, would not trust the safe, and why
m 1 w Foo . ehnxr a D.
Pacific Bank, and when ! came in Office l,
believing the institution solvent, followed
their practice. / will never pay the amount
unless l am compelled to do so by the
court, until l get it out Of the Pacific
Bank"
The first business act consummated by
the Commiss oner on reaching his Office
after having read the account Of the Con-
troller's intention to bring suit was to die
tate the following letter:
SAN FRANCISCO, December 81, 1898.
Hon. E. p. COtgdn, Controller Of State
DEAR SIR: returned from Mexico this morn
ing, and am In receipt OF your communication
OF December u, 1898. l have also seen the
article which appeared in the San Francisco
Examiner OF December 19, 1898, the headlines
OF which are refreshlngly sensational, and the
body OF which contains certain correspondence
between your office and mine. AS you well
know l have always taken the position that
am not personally responsible for the funds
which the State had in the Pacific Bank when
that Institution closed its DOORS / have said so
openly and repeatedly, and months ago L vol
unfairly gave the item that the June account Of
this office was tied up in the Pacific Bank fail
ureI TO the public press. have said repeatedly.
and repeat to you now, with an earnesfness
made more forcible perhaps by the unjust as
PERSONS which the headline OF this newspaper
article has cast upon me, that will never paw
out OF my private purse the moneys which the
State lost by the failure of the Pacific Bank
until compelled to do so by decision of the
Supreme Court of this State. l don't care how
soon you begin your suit. You will find me pre-
pared TO meet you In court.
Of the collections made in June, 1893,
amounting in all 10 81. 9S8 Al, there was in the
Pacific Bank at the time OF its failure S204O 81 .
there was paid for Office salaries S40O, and
there has been and is under my control safely
This pack age ain prepared 10 send TO you on
the condition that you give me personal dis
charge in full for the month OF June. II you
are not willing TO do this, and Ii is immaterial
10 me whether you do or not shall immedi-
aIely deposit it in court, together with my
answer 10 your complaint, there to await the
decision Of the court.
1nclosed you will find an itemzeo account of
the sums collected during the month of June,
as you request.
Idesire further TO state that invite you or any
other officer OF the Stale Of California, or any
private citizen who may desire, 10 make a
thorough and crucial examination of the books
assure you that you Will he afforded every facii-
lily for such examination. Respectfully yours,
j. N. Z. WILSON, Ins. Com
The Controllers letter giving twenty
days grace for payment was written on
the 18th inst, so that the suit to recover
the amount will in all probability be insti-
tutad Immediately after the nav vaar