The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-19
INVOLVES A BANK
PrOberS of SiSal Trust Call for
Deposit Record.
"We Won't Give It." Is Def of
Chicago Banker.
"POT CALLS KETTLE BLACK"
Alleged Monopoly Points to
n. Y. Concern as "It."
Charge Bank That Loaned to
Growers Was Disciplined.
"POT CALLS KETTLE BLACK"

Washington. Feb. 19.-The senate
agriculture committee today decided
to call upon the Continental and
Commercial National bank of Chicago
to submit a statement showing the de-
posits of the International Harvester
company for the last three years in
order to determine the truth of
charges that the Harvester company
had disciplined the Chicago bank for
extending financial aid to the sisal
growers of Yucatan.
The committee is investigating
charges that the Harvester company
and the Plymouth, Cordage company
combined to monopolize the sisal out
put and prevent independent twine
dealers from obtaining raw material
and counter charges that the Pan
American Commission corporation, of
which Sol WeXler, a New York bank
er, was the head, financed sisal mo-
nopoly with the idea of putting up the
price to American merchants.
Threats Kept Back Loans.
The committee has been told that
the Pan-American corporation was not
formed until the planters had been
unable to make loans from independ-
ent bankers. who refused because of
and Plymouth companies.
Won't Show Records.
Chicago, Feb. 19.-Arthur Reyn-
olds, vice president of the Continental
and Commercial National bank, when
informed of the decision of the senate
committee to ask for a statement from
the bank showing the international
Harvester company's deposits, said to-
day the request would be refused.
we question the ant ard il1r-
isdiction of the senate committee and
we refuse to open our books to the
committee until so directed by a COM
petent court said Mr.. Reynolds.
For long period" continued MI.
! Reynolds, the International Harvest
er company has carried a considerable
| balance with us and there has been no
marked decrease in the amount of the
| deposit. l do not consider that the
bank has been disciplined in any
manner by the harvester company"
Charges "Underhanded Gumshoe.,
Mr.. Wexler explained the organiza-
ton of the Pan-American commission
corporation, of which he is president,
which guaranteed to loan the Yucatan
planters $10,000,0O0 a year.
When 1 went among the banks of
the country to assure myself that
could get this money from them when
needed, all but two agreed that if
other conditions justified the loans 1
could have them" he said They
were the Continental and Commercial
bank of Chicago and the National
City bank of New York.
| THE president and vice president of
the International Harvester company
had gone to them and tried to lntimi-
date them with threats of withdraw
ing their deposits and withdrawing
| their representative from the board
| of directors.
And further. this entire propa-
| ganda to arouse the farmers against
| the sisal growers conducted through
the trade journals and by mouth mas
been started by the harvester COM
pany, in its underhanded, gunshoe
] way"
| Opposed Prison Twine.
Senator Gronna, of North Dakota,
declared that he had received many
letters from farmers in his state, urg-
ing him to advocate laws forbidding
interstate commerce to binder twine
manufactured in the various state
penitentiaries.
Wexler testified that the prison
tWine factories were the chief indie
pendent buyers of siSal-