The Alaska citizen., 1911-04-03

of the bank As no one at this time knew what his plan was. and there was simply the bare state ment of his intention on record. the Citizen refrained from further com ment until such time as that plan was divulged.
 Barnettc came. He published a statement of what he was willing 10 do. l. was net satisfactory to the depositors and. unfortunately. there was a lot of time wasted before he depositors met and appointed com mittee to consult with the captain and make further terms. This paper then considered that until that com. mittee had made its report it was not its place to interfere. The man agement however. did turn over to the committee, through Mir. Vol colt. its chairman. what information il could secure. Although the Citi- zen would have liked to publish an account of the course of the trans actions between the committee and the captain il could not obtain it because the committee believed that secrecy was the better course until an understanding had been reached.
 When it was announced that the proCog dings between the captain and the committee were ended the com- mittee was asked for full report of everything that had occurred. The chairman was told that the Citizen was prepared 10 go to any trouble 10 get this report and was willing to publish EVERYTHING that the committee had to say. This report was run in full by the Citizen and one of tho members of the commit tee, who was dissatisfied with the report, was assured that she could have all the space she wanted for report from herself This lady, how ever. stated she would not believe in the honesty of Barnettes purpose until he had placed the securities with the receivers of the bank. and that day Barnette signifed his inten- tion cf doing this very thing the next morning
 When the receivers had the secur- ities the Citiaen believed that the point at issue so far as the camps welfare was concerned was not so much where the money had gone 10 as it was Where is the money con- ing from?" With this in mind, and knowing that great many were willing to sacrifice a big percentage of their accounts to get hold of a little cash. the scrip issue was sug, gestCd It was realized that this would effectually block any schemes Barn1tte might have for buying up accounts cheap, and that it would drive him into settling quickly if he intended to settle at all.
 Further than to say Barnette had rendered his offer in a business like manner there has been no sin gle word of credit attached by the has always adhered to it's claim that Barnette was responsible for the wrecking Cf the bank, and that it was up to the officials of the department of justice to determine the extent of his liability criminally.
 The grand jury investigated the matter. Street rumor has it that that body was overwhelmingly in favor of the captains indictment but it was assured by the district attor- ney that no case had been made on any of the particular phases of the matter investigated that would SC cure conviction. Although the mem bers of this jury have their hands to silence and to refrain from say ing anything in their own defense they have been viciously attacked by an irresponsible writer in the Times and by others who have net given the matter careful consideration.
 The Citizen has never lost sight of the necessity that those responsi- ble for the wrecking of the bank should be punished, and since the adjournment of the grand jury the matter has been taken up with in creased diligence. The publishers of the paper are well satisfied in the knowledge that their course has been laid out with the public wei fare at heart and in the belief that this course is appreciated by those who have given the matter mature consideration
 THE TIMES COURSE.