New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-16
Attorneys for McAdoO and
Williams Want More
Time to Reply.
WEEKS QUOTED AS
CONTROLLERS CRITIC
Banks Counsel Says No Other
Institution Was Consulted in
Making Charges.
fFrnm N. Trlhune Bure,u.l

Washington, April 15. Attorneys OF
the Department Of Justice, headed by
Louis d. Brandeis. who are working on
the case of the Riggs National Bank
against William G.. McAdoo, Secretary
Of the Treasury, and John SHELTON
Williams, Controller Of the Currency,
have encountered unexpected dlihculues
in the case. officials Of the bank believe,
because Of an official announcement
that the government would not De
ready 20 90 on with the case to-mor-
row. Il was admitted that a post
ponemcnt Of at least ten days. and
perhaps more, would he asked for.
The report that a strong effort would
be made al the next session OF Con
gress TO abolish the Office of Controller
Of the Currency recalled in political
circles a colloquy between Senator'S
Weeks. of Massachusetts, and BriStow,
Of Kansas, on January %. -,
LET me inquire Of the Senator
said Mr.. Brstow. az. in his opinion,
the administrative policies TO which he
refers of the Controllers Office and
Of the Federal Reserve Board are not
very similar to the Administrative poll
cies of the Gar Of Russia and just as
tyrannical and unreasonable and un-
democratic in their methods"
81 think they are more So" replied
Senator Weeks. 81 regard the Car OF
Russia as mollycoddle compared with
them"
Senator Weeks's Statement.
The statement by Senator Weeks
who is frequently spoken Of for the
Republican nomination for the Presi-
dency in 1916. which led 10 the inquiry
by Senator Brstow was;
at should be kept in mind at all
times that a large percentage OF the
business non Of this country under
present conditions, with the possibility
Of having government bureau placing
in their path restrictions and obstacles
which Will imperil, or at least lnJure'
their business operations, VIII not eN-
press opinions that are unfriendly to
the administration.
81 propose at some time. when nave
the time, 70 put into the record some OF
the activities Of the Controllers ONCE
in connection with certain banking IN
tcrests during the last years time, and
in my judgment 1t Will astonish tne
American people to see the extent TO
which bureaucracy is trespassing on
the reasonable and proper rights OF
business organizations. Why, the
Controller Of the Currency has even
cone so far as 20 recommend IN his
annual message this year that an
infringement upon the regulations
Of that bureau by any citizen engaged
i'm the banking business shall subject
the offender to a fine, to be imposed by
the Controller himself-and this under
q mere regulation, not law al all.
declaration that the Riggs Ma
tional Bank was alone in fighting the
present case. and had neither support
of nfhpr hank
chain Of banks, was issued tonight by
ex-senator Joseph W. Bailey, of Texas,
Of counsel for the bank. The statement
was due. II was believed. to the publ
cation of letters sent out by the Riggs
bank to other banks justfying its pro
ceedings against the Treasury Depart
ment.
Says Bank Acted Alone.
"A lawyer is seldom justified said
Mr.. Bailey, "in making public state
ments with respect to any suit which
he has instituted or which he is de-
Tending, but / feel obliged to enter my
formal and emphatic protest against
the very obvious attempt which IS
being made 10 give political slgnlh-
canoe to the case of the Riggs National 1
Bank against the Controller Of the
Currency and other Treasury ofhclalS.
In certain parts OF lHc County, az
least. the Riggs National Bank Is rep
resented a. merely the active agent OF
other banks in a war upon the Con
troller's Office. and it is sought TO OBJ
scure the legal questions by an appeal
10 political preJudices.
Under these circumstances, ! think
II incumbent on me to say, once for
all, that the Riggs National Bank did
not consult any other bank in the
United States about bringing this SUIT,
nor did the attorneys for the Riggs
National Bank consult any other attor-
news in the United States about bring
ing this suit. The bill in this case was
prepared by the attorneys whose names
are signed to il myself and Frank J.
Hogan-and no lawyer, other than US,
ever saw the bill or any part OF 1t until
IL had been prepared.
The correspondence between the
Riggs National Bank and the Con
trolIer's Office demonstrates beyond the
shadow of a doubt that the officers OF
that bank earnestly desired TO avoid
conflict with the Treasury officials and
the bank did not resort TO the court
until the Controller had assessed a
fine Of $4,000 against il, ordered the
sO.o-es+ on is bonds withheld from II,