The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-23

state PrOvidept AssOc1atiou-LeSis
lature Refused to Follow His Suggestion
and Assented to President Stewards
Proposition.
Hon. Charles r. Written, ex-State
Bank Examiner, was in the city Satur-
day. When asked by PRESS reporter
in regard to the message OF governor
Cleaves, intimating that he had been
diliatory In pursuing the Granite state
Provident Association, Mr. Whittier said;
ST do not think the Governor intended
to reflect upon my Official conduct. lie
simply directed my successor to do what
1 should have done and what he knew
would have done had been reap
pointed. u
"When assumed my duties as state
ready licensed and doing business IN this
State. The first year OF my term
of service, wasI very busy one, and
it was not until Decem Der, 1879, thaG 1
had an opportunity to investigate the
Granite States affairs. I then wrote Mr..
Lyford, chairman of the BANK Com
missioners of N. FL for lnformatlon.
I1t S6llb ul6 pllAtoo oteseciAAS ~"-'
last examination of the company ana
wrote me that the N. H. Commissioners
were preparing to make their annual ex-
animation for 1884, said it would De an
arduous undertaking for me to MAKE Inc
examination alone and suggested uha1
join them. I went to Manchester ana
remained three days, this being ali the
time the other duties of my ONCE WOULD
allow me to spend. Their methods We're
not such as to meet my approval, and
therefore took the matter up IN my report
for 1894, sufficiently to place the people
of Maine on their guard in respect to the
company, until such time as more crit
ical examination could be made
"When the legislature assembled won't
to the members of the banking COM
mittee and laid the matter before
them, and as the result OF this
consultation they drew up a bill
requiring thsi company to de-
posit with the State treasurer at
Augusta S10e, 600 and seyenty-fye per
cent of all moneys deposited IN this
company by shareholders n this State.
President Stewart, of this company,
hearing of this bill, came to Augusta, to-
gether with many friends and agents of
the company in the State. They also en-
ployed able counsel, to make more effective
their objections to the hill. Mr.. Stewart
finally said to the committee that he
had invited the bank examiners OF Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Connections
New York and New Jersey, to come to
Manchester and make q thorough exami-
nation of the association. By that ex-
animation the company would stand or
fall but Mr.. Stewart had no doubt that
it would stand.
.The banking committee considered
this proposition fair. and indicated that
they would accept it and direct the bank
~. CO,
the order was introduced and passed, au-
thorizlng and directing me to proceed.
/ was ready to begin April first but of
course the commissioners had to select
time suited to the convenience of ali. SO
the matter was delayed until June We
then met at Manchester and with the
aid of expert accountants have been en-
gagged in the examination all summer, at
such times as we could, devote to it.
1t had been arranged that on the Both Of
this month the commissioners from the
various states should meet in Boston to
decide upon joint report If possible, and
I had not intended to make my separate
report to the Governor and Council till
after that meeting; but when found
that was going out OF office and ! saw
that could not take part in the proceed
ings on Sept 30th. or sign d Joint report
1 felt it my duty to the people of this
State to make this report to the Governor
and Council as I had been directed by
the legislature to do. had made the in
vestigation and no one else could have the
same knowledge of the case that had
acquired through my opportunities with
the other commissioners at Manchester
After receiving the order of the Legisla-
ture to make the investigate and report
the results to the Governor and Council
considered that was deharred from tax
ing any definite action until such inyesti-
cation and report had been made.
have felt also that with S400, 900 of
Maine money in this concern it was a
very serious matter to shut them out of
Maine hastily and arbitrarily without a
fullsand exhaustive examination IN every
detail
did not make any recommendations
ins1ny report as to the necessary steps to
be now taken because was going out
of office, and it might have seemed like
an attempt to direct my successor. What
the Governor has directed Mr.. Timber
lake to do is the logical result of my re-
port and the step had planned to take
Immediately after .making report OF the
examinationlto the Governor and Council,
providing it met with their approval.
AS to the statementRof President Stew
art that I did not allow him an oppor-
tunity to be heard at the same time I sub
mitted my report, / will say that I
should have been willing to allow him
such an opportunity, but the unexpected
termination of my service as Bank Ex-
anime left me powerless to comply with
his request.
I wrote him last Saturday that was
compelled to make the report and gave
him my reasons therefor.
Mr.. Hiram v. Fernald, for many years