The San Francisco call., 1898-07-23
BUILDING AND LOAN HSSOCIaTIoN
 COMMISSIONERS.

HE California State League of Mutual Build ing and Loan Associations should lose no time
 in taking energetic steps toward reforming or abollShng the present worthless and expensive State Board o Building and Loan Commissioners. The league should be prepared when the Legislature sembles, next January, to have Dill introduced which will amend repeal the present law under which building and loan association secretary, like Alslp ot Sacramento rob shareholders without danger of detection exposure from the saaried State officials, under whose supervision these assoc ations placed.
 At the second annual convention of the State League of Mutual Building and Loan Associations one of the delegates predicted that the position of Commissioner would be sought for and filled by po-
 cians utterly incompetent to make an expert exam ination of. the books and affairs of a building and loan association. The bill prepared by Mr. A. Sbar- boro of this city, and adopted by the convention in October, 1892, provided for the appointment by the Governor of only onS Commissioner, who should be thoroughly competent to discharge all the duties of the office.
 Several delegates Tn the convention commented upon the difficulty the Governor would experience III discovering man properly equipped by ex- perience and talent to fill the role of Commissioner Governor Markham, instead of being appalled, by the difficulty of finding expert in the business, suggested that the bill should be so amended as to make 1t two Commissioners and also secretary. which accordingly done and he thus found snug berths for three of his political friends whose ca pacity and fitness for the office time alone would de- veop. Politicians ways of solving problems are not likely to improve Gas officers and stockholders of building and loan associations have, no doubt, by this time discovered), and so it will continue that twoe Commissioners who know little or nothing of the business will draw comfortable salaries for per- mitting their secretary expert with half Com missoners salary, to do nearly all the work of the office No wonder then that the secretary is tempted when in the discharge of official duties, to add his salary by accepting remuneration non-ofical countant from the party whose interest 1t is to ob tain favorable or whitewashing report The law should be amended so that no could be ap- pointed Commissioner unless competent to expert books and accounts of building and loan associations One Commissioner is enough to do the work, be- experience has shown that the secretary prac tically the commission. He should be compelled to give his undivided attention to the duties of his office and not be permitted to engage in any other business during his term
 These amendments are right in line with the ideas of the men who drafted the original bill, which self seeking politicians subsequently altered to suit their purposes
 The expenses of this commission are saddled on the building and loan associations of the State and stockholders are chahng under the burthen. They feel it the more when they realize that their money does not bring them the protection results pected.
 The stockholders of the building and loan assoca- tions of California can count upon the earnest CO., operation of The Call in their efforts to remedy ;e+ino abr,ses