The Alaska citizen., 1915-05-10
Phone 262 Phone
THOSE BANK SUITS.

By the way people crowded the court room last Tuesday night to hear the arguments of Attorney de Journel oa teAalf of his petition 10 be permitted to prosecute suits against former stockholders and de positors of the WashingtonAlaska Bank of Washington. originally known as the Fairbanks Banking company. proved how vitally inter- ested everyone is in the subject.
 But the discussion brought little enlightenment to the people there, except the attorneys, perhaps, as it was along legal technical lines which could only be appreciated by law yers, The people present seemed to be as much in the dark as to the merits of the case when the hearing ended as when they came. for it seems that even lawyer would have trouble in determining the ad- visibility of bringing the proposed suits.
 week ago The Citizen said edi- tortally tat The Citizen does not pose as a legal authority, and it does not presume to say that the suits suggested should not be prose- cuted" In the same editorial it said that The Citizen is confident that the only safe policy to pursue in this matter is to get new re ceiyer appointed, and let him and the court work out the problems that still remain"
 IS far as the bringing of the suits is concerned, this idea must certainly be shared by the conserva- tive n-.n and women interested, for the pI,I.em is largely one of legal techn.cality about which the public knows little.
 Judge Bunnell made it evident at the hearing last Tuesday night that he would be unbiased in the matter Of the bringing the suits, and the employment of MT. de Journel as would be folly for anyone not fam iliar with the legal phases of the case to say off-hand that the suits should or should not be brought, though the advisability of going to much expense in the matter is a feature that will certainly appeal to anyone.
 But The Citizen continues to main tain that new receiver, one who has the confidence of the public, should be appointed. This news paper is not trying to tell the court or anyone else who should be ap- pointed to take Mir Moves place, for it is not footing anybody's horn. It is simply consistent with the stand that it took on behalf of the depostOrs from the first, to the effect that MT Moves is a wrong man for the position and that as long as he is maintained in the position he now occupies. there will be little chance for the deposl tors to recover anything. Before MT. Moves was appointed. the two former receivers had collected and divided among the depositors half of the amount due them. But since Mir. Moves has been in office he has regained only about enough to pay the expenses of the receivership.
 One of the most striking displays of MT. Moves incompetency was when he sold at auction large number of notes, many of which were good for their face value, bu, brought almost nothing to the de- positors.
 Another thing that works against Mr Moves is his unpopularity. With but few exceptions the depositors are fighting him-that is, the deposi- tors who still remain in Fairbanks, and until he is removed it is cer- tain that the rank and file of in- terested people will put little faith in the receivers plans.