The Washington times., 1915-04-15
TOCONTEST RIGHTS
OVER COMPTROLLER
Treasury Counsel Expected to
Deny Courts Power to Re-
view officials Acts.
Continued from First PageD

as a penalty the $1,000 claimed to be
due April,1 last, as interest on bonds
shall be continued In effect untii tne
final hearing on the merits OF the case
Unless given permission ny the cour'
OF Appeals, there can be no appeal IRON
Justice McCuy's decision In the preilmi'
nary hearing. As the equity DOCKET "
crowded. there Is little likelhnd tha'
the final hearing of the case cn its t'leI
its will be had before next 1ali' az
though the court may make some spe.
cial arrangements, and give the Case
precedence over others.
Bank officials said today their prep
arations for appearance N court ,o'l,,'
row were completed. They express, =,
much qualification over the fact tha'
large numbers of letters are being re-
ceiyed by them from bankers ana at'
torneys In many parts or the couh.L
commencing the stand taken ov the
bank.
Life of the Bank.
Growing in bitterness since the houi
when the Riggs Bank began Its SUI
in equity In the District supreme Cour'
TO enioin Comptroller Williams anc
Secretary of the Treasury McAdoe
from interfering with its affairs In al
legged Illegal ways. the contention ha:
become o war to the knife.
OInClAlS Oh tuo NiSSo '''hN'
cha rter expires next year. are sad tc
realize that they arc. in fact. fighting
for the life of the bank, and that there
Is involved in It's suit the broad ques
ton of what powers the Comptroller
is to exercise over national banks.
It Is charged that the Comptroller /,
trying not merely to supervise thu
banks, but to deal with details Of theiI
management, and that this is intoler
a BILE.
When the charter Of the Riggs Banl
expires in 1916 the Comptroller has 1
in his power. II not actually to pre-
! vent recharter, at least 20 dictate thu
terms Of new charter II the Comp
troller wins the present litigation, 1t !!
assumed that he will force a reorgan
ization of the bank and drive out th'
present leading officials. or. at least
will seek to do this. The Comptroller
so the friends of the bank say. is try
ing to get the scalps OF Presiden
Glover. Vice Presidents A'les ant
! Flather. and Cashier II. II. Flather.
Support Reaches Bank.
Under the circumstances. there l.
every reason to believe 1t will be wa
to the finish The bank Is getting man!
assurances Of the moral support o
other banks. In response to lette
sent out by President Glover of th
bank SAYING the Riggs is making tn
, present fight for every bank IN tn
| country and to head off exercise o
! what It calls "despotic power by tn
Comptroller many friendly letters ar
| coming in.
The officials Of the bank make 1t plai
that they intend to resort to the court
for help at every possible turn in tn
controversy. .
/ Comptroller Williams indicated he di
not take seriously the report that enort
would be made in Congress to abolis
his office. However, one or more bill
will be presented In Congress to tina
end One of them Is already being pre-
pared by Western Senator
In commenting on this proposed legis
lstion. Williams remarked that II ha
been said certain persons would Civ
81, 900, 900 for my resignation.