The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-01-19
APPOINTMENT IS A SURPRISE
Kenosha Man Had Not Sought the Hon.
or and Has Not Yet Definitely De-
cided to Accept Office From the State
Senate.

Governor Francis E. McGovern on
Tuesday afternoon sent to the Wiscon-
sin State Senate the appointments of
Albert E. Kuolt of Kenosha to be Wis
consin Commissioner of Banking and it
is expected that the appointment will
be confirmed by the state senate in ex-
ecutive session on this afternoon. The
appointment of the Kenosha man to
succeed M. c. Bergh of Viroqua who
has held the Office for more than eight
years came as a complete surprise not
only in lLenosha but in Madison. Bergh
had expected to be re-appointed by
Governor McGovern and he was great
ly surprised when the governor sent
in the name of the Kenosha man. Mr..
Kuolt who is, cashier of the Merchant
and Savings Bank had not been an &C
tive candidate for the appointment but
a week ago the governor called him on
the telephone and offered to name him
for the Office. At that time Mr.. KuolS
even suggested to the governor the re-
appointment of the present commission
err. This was the last that the Ken
osha man heard OF the proposition until
kilograms of congratulations began to
pour in on him on Tuesday evening.
He then learned that his name had
been sent to the senate as the choice
of the governor for the office.
While it is probable that the Ken.
osha banker will accept the high honor
offered by tie governor he has not as
yet definitely accepted the appointment
and it may be some time before he
leaves Kenosha to go to Madison to
take up the office. Mr. Kuolt has been
connected with the department. of
banking as he served for some time as
Assistant Bank Examiner under Com
missioner Bergh and he is well versed
in the duties of the office While he
was deputy bank examiner his work
attracted attention among the bankers
and it is certain that he will be a
popular official with the financial con-
Germs Of the state.
Mr.. Kuolt is named for term end
ing May IS, 1913, this being the re-
mainder of an unexpired term as the
State Senate refused to confirm the APP
pointment of Bergh when it was sent
in some time ago.
Mr. Kuolt is not novice in state af-
fairs as he has been in offices of the
state on former occasion. He held an
office in the Office of the Secretary of
State and was also connected with the
state insurance department. for a year
or two. The office of Commissioner of
Banking is in no way regarded as a
political office but in the past it has
usually gone to some active politician.
Mr.. Kuolt while closely identified with
the Progressive movement in the
state has not been politically active.
He was an ardent supporter OF Gov
ernor McGovern during the campaign
but he did no open political work. Mr..
Kuolt has been cashier of the Mer-
chants and Savings bank for the past
four years and in that time has won
many friends in the city. He is the
head of the Kenosha Industrial As
ISOLATION and has taken an important
part in other public associations.
Louis T. Meyer of Milwaukee was
named to succeed e. L. Tracy of Mil
waukee as State Oil Inspector This
appointment did not come as sur
prise as the activity of Tracy in the
Fairfield campaign gave assurance that
he was slated for political decapita-
ton.