The San Francisco call., 1899-02-10
JOHNSON FIGHTS
FOR THE BANKS
Grovel Makes a Lonesome
Stand Against Mnen-
ter'S Bill.

CALL dEADl2O OACfNA-
MENTO. Feb. 9-Evidently Grovel John
son is also attorney for bank. The
singIe-handed and bitter fight he waged in
the Assembly to-day against Assembly
bill 206, by Muenter of San Joaquin, can
be explained by no other hypothesis, nor
can his previous policy regarding that
measure.
Mr. Muenter's bill is designed to throw
one more safeguard around those people
who trust their earnings to the savings
banks and also to compel banking instItu-
tions to render each year to the Assessor
true statements of their assets that they
may be taxed accordingly.
Like the law now in force, Muenter'
bill provides that on or before the first
day of April of each year every banker
shall file with the Bank Commissioners a
true statement of the banks finances, but
1t adds a proviso that the statement shall
be verified by a majority of the board of
directors as to the correctness OF the
statement made by the principal officers
and as to the value of assets therein set
forth. The bill further requires that the
Bank Comission's report shall be made
out at Il o'clock noon on the first day OF
March of each year and at the same tine
a similar statement must be made out for
the Assessor of the county In Wnlch the
bank does business.
AS was expected, Mr.. Muenter's bill has
won the opposition of the e banks. L9e ,a,.
his banks annual statement. lie Would
also rather not make out the list for the
Bank Commission and Assessor at the
same time for palpable reasons, ana 70
avoid being compelled to do so fight
on Muenter's bill was ordered.
Early in the present week Grover John-
son got his instructions from his bank
ing clients in San Francisco. He re-
ceiyed a telegram instructing him to have
the bill held back on the file for four or
five DAYS He took ii at once to Z. II.
Ortman, Assessor of San Joaquin county,
who is working hard 70 get the Dill
through, and together they went TO As
sembIyman Conrey, chairman OF the Com
mittee on Commissions and Pubic EX-
nenditures Mr.. Conrey said he could not
Understand why so much time was want
ed and he told Johnson to have MS peo-
ple on hand the next day or not at all.
Johnson talked the matter over with Ort-
man and tried to induce him to have the
clause concerning the verificaton by
directors cut out and he intimated that
the bill would not pass unless TINS was
done. To save the rest of his bill Mr..
Orfman practically consented to the
amendment Johnson wanted and that pc
culiar legislator Immediately wired his
San francisco clients to be on hand next
day. 5000 .o,,, 49,
son that Ed n Hamilton, cashier OF the
Sacramento Savings Bank, would appear
for the banks. AT the committee meet
ing that evening both Johnson and Hamil-
tor, were present and so were Mr. Muen-
FER and MIR, Ortman. Hamilton told the
con,nittee that the only objection the
hanks had to the bill was the director
clause He was asked If 1t would incon-
venience a bank TO close up during the
noon hour of the first Monday in March TO
prepare its statement.
He replied. .'Well. will tell you hon.
esfIv III would not, and no honest bank
would fail to do it, The bill was at once
recommended to pass.
Ortman and Muenter fancied that john
son's opposition would be withdrawn after
Hamilton's friendliness, but when the bill
came up on the second reading file to-day
they were undecefved.
Despite that Hamilton had said mo
honest bank would fail to make its re-
MORT and have il verified on the pre-
scribed day johnson got out on the floor
TO beat the very clauses that would COM
nel either honest or dishonest banks to
do that very thing. He wanted the entire
clause concerning directors cut out and
he wanted to amend further by cutting
ont the words lat IL o'clock meridian"
Valentine of Los Angeles took the floor
In defense of the measure and said that
Johnson's' proposed amendments would
cut out the greatest safeguards the bill
contained.
johnson, however, insisted, and pursu-
ing his usual course tried to handle not
the floor That he was not as strong as
he was before The; Call exposed his lesis-
lative methods was impressed upon him