The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-03
Comptrollers Inability to Con trol Offenders Without Un- due Harshness Is
 Pointed Out
TO MONETARY COMMISSION
No Contest Over Currency or Bank ing Will Be Allowed. However, Unll Next Congress
 COnVCnCs.

Washington, Dec 2-DcfcetS In methods of bank examination and the inability of the comptroller of the cur rcncy to deal with inlractions of the banking laws without rcsorting to such harsh punishment as the closing of the offending national banks were point ed out to the National Monetary com mission today by high officials of the treasury department Interested list oners were prominent members of the American Bankers association, who will be given an opportunity later to approve CT disapprove of the sugges- tions made for amending the laws gov eriing administrative features of bank tug
 Any general revision of the national banking laws is not contemplated by present Hearings, all of which are oX- ecutive. 1t is the intention of the commission to report to the coming session of congress amendments which practically all interested persons win agree are needed to correct faults in the laws governing the conduct of na- tonal banks. but it is not intended to provide for any general revision of the laws in advance of the full report of the commission, which will not be made until the first regular session of the siXty-0rst congress.
 No contest over the currency system or banking laws will be precipitated upon the present congress in the short session Suggestion of changes in the present laws which meet with opposl- tion of character which makes their enactment doubtful will be rejected by tte commission and will be considered later when the whole currency problem Is taken up. It Is believed, however, that there Is substantial agreement be- tween treasury officials and bankers, that the methods of bank examination should be revised,
 At the hearing to-day a statement was made by Secretary Cortelyou, who added to suggestions he made at a former hearing at Narragansett Pier, R. l. A brief statement was made also by L. A. Coolidge. assistant secre- tary of the treasury, but most of the day was occupied by Lawrence o. Murray. comptroller of the currency, and Thomas P. Kane, the deputy comptroller,
 Great interest was shown In Mir Murray's request for the passage of a law to enable him to deal judicously with minor infractIons of banking laws so as not to inflict distress upon stock holders not responsible for the viola tions or to injure a community where the banking institution is situated, as would be the case If the bank were closed Bankers recently received a circular issued by Comptroller Murray asking of bank directors number of questions pertinent to practical bank ing. MT Murray wanted to know, among other things, If the directors at tended meetings of the bank boards If they took healthy interest In the pro- ceedings: and if they were familiar with the signatures of chief borrowers
 By reason of these questions, some of the bankers assumed that Mir. Mur- ray was Anquiring if they were "dum- my directors, and they resented the in quirY When he appeared before the commission the banker Tn q measure had made of IL hostile camp, but at the noon recess the comptroller and the bankers came to an understanding, or at least a partial understanding, which warmed the frigid atmosphere.