The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-07
HOCH CONFIDENT.
Legislature Will Pass Primary
and Bank Bills.
COrrectS Statement Concerning
Mr.. Ridgeley's Attitude.
WHAT HE DID SAY.
WHAT HE DID SAY.
National Banks May Accept
Guaranty Deposit Law.
Hopes Work Will Be Done in
Ten or Fifteen Days.

Governor Hoch signed the proclama-
ton for the special session at 2:15
o'clock. He then called the newspaper
reporters into his private office and
said:
Il have studied this matter with
great care, and have taken counsel
from everybody that I could reach.
Without mentioning any names, I feel
confident that the guaranty deposit bill
and the primary election bill will both
be passed. I telegraphed each member
of the senate, and can say that the
guaranty deposit bill will have a hand
some majority in that body. I did not
telegraph the members of the house, be-
cause there are so many of them, and
1 already knew pretty well what the
house would do.
when 1 say that I believe that a
primary election law will be passed,
mean real, statewide primary, not a
substitute. I do not care whose name
the bill bears, but it must be a direct
primary for all state officers. Whether
such a law should be made to take eff
feet before the time fixed for the Re-
publican state convention is a matter
which l do not care to discuss
Il practically decided to call the
special session on Saturday. But
wanted to find out what the attitude
would be of the comptroller of the
currency toward the guaranty deposit
law. 1t had been reported that Mr..
Ridgley would not allow the national
banks to avail themselves of such a
law. I telegraphed to Mr.. Ridgley.
and received word that he had made
no such ruling; that the matter had
been submitted to the attorney gen.
eral, and had been referred back to
hi rtT mt than oTpnnina cd
by long distance telephone with Gov
ernor Haskell of Oklahoma, and
found that a committee Of national
bankers from his state had gone to
Washington to see the comptroller
about the law as enacted there. This
morning I received the following dis
patch from Governor Haskell:
National Banks Can Participate.
ett In Saturdays Wall Street Jour
nal, just received here, is the following
Washington special: Comptroller
Ridgley has decided that national
provisions of the state constitution
for the protection of depositors. but
are not required to do so.' c. N.
Haskell
"Of course that was good enough
for me. 1t isn't necessary for the ma
tional banks to be obliged to take ad-
vantage of the law; that is a matter
which rests with themselves. 1 felt
sure, however, that the federal gov
ernEaent could not step in with a rul-
ing which would be so disastrous to
national banks.
Can Finish in 10 or is Days.
'tNow there is one thing that 1
hope the newspapers will help me to
do. I hope they will help me to get
this legislature to get right down to
business finish up what is to be done,
and go home. 1t should not require
more than ten or fifteen days to do
what is to be done. This is all old
straw to be thrashed over-there is
nothing new to come up. There is no
reason why the session should not be
a pleasant, harmonious and speedy
one. 1t will get out of the way lot
of questions which might bother us
in the national campaign. The en-
actment of a. guaranty deposit law
will take the money question out of
the campaign so far as Kansas is
concerned The primary election law
will remove that question from poll
ties
Governor Hoch will issue, late this
afternoon, a formal statement setting
forth his reasons for the special ses-
sion. and outlining the work which
he hopes to accomplish.