The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-04
FIGHT TOOVERTURN BANK COMMITTEES DECISION PLANNED Redistricting of Country for Regional Reserve Banks
 Will Be Urged BITTER ATTACK ON
 COMMITTEES ACTION Weeks Charges Committeeman Were Biased in SelectionsAReserve
 Board May Review Action
 and Make Changes

Washington. April 3.--There was ev- cry indication here tonight that the announcement of the reserve districts and cities by the reserve bank organ fzntion committee had given the sIs- nal for a determined struggle upon the part of several cities which were dis appointed to overturn the committees decision and bring about a redistrictins of the country, or at lcast a change in the reserve cities named.
 Under the law the decision of the organization committee is not subject to review except by the federal re- serve board This board probably will not be named by President Wilson for several weeks. but in the meantime it is believed that those disappointed with the committees announcement will bend every effort toward paving the way for changes. It was pointed out tonight that both Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo and Comptroller of the Currency Williams of the organ fzation committee are ex officio mem bers of the reserve board and hardly could be counted upon to reverse them- selves. The President has given no in- timation as to who the other five members will be.
 Plan Criticized
 The committee's plan was criticized in Congress today and there were re- ports of keen disappointment from several cities which Were. in the race for the reserve banks and which failed to secure them. Three members of the Senate banking and currency com mittee two republicans and demo- erat, found fault with the plan. Sen ator Weeks of Massachusetts. who op- posed the law vigorously for many months but who finally voted for it, pointed out that one bank was located in Georgia, the home state of Mr. Me Adoo; one in Virginia, the home state of Mir. Williams, and two in Missouri. the home state of Secretary Houston, the third member of the committee. He questioned the propriety of these selections and made other criticisms of the committees action
 Senator Burton disapproved the in- clusion of Pittsburg in the district of which Cleveland is the reserve center and declared that 1t would be impossi- ble to make trade turn westward from Pittsburg to that city Senator HIitch- cock pointed to the fact that Omaha had been included in the Kansas City district, instead of the Chicago dis trict and said trade did not flow that way.
 Change Not Justified
 Defenders of the committee said to night that there was no Justification Tor the charge that it was influenced by any consideration other than the \ trend of trade. and the banking ad- vantages of cities chosen. In referring to the choice of Richmond, it was said that although comment was expected because of the fact the city is the home of Mir. Williams, the committee was unanimous and Richmond would have been named over Baltimore and Washington if he had not been a member
 So far no definite plans for any fight against the committee have been aired here and there is practically no way for such fight to be undertake en except through the reserve board. It was suggested tonight. however, that members of Congress might undertake to provide banks for their districts by having the number of authorized re- serve cities increased.