Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-01

tnCre are more now.
II asked the Legislature for ten add.
tional examiners. The bill passed the
House and first and second reading in
the Senate. but il was held UP for po
litical reasons. My appointment was
not confirmed. Governor Sproul, then
a senator. although he knew how badly
we were in need of men in the Banking
Department. did nothing to help the
passage of the bill.
II never. as banking commissioner,
appointed any but capable. experienced
men AS examiners, and never engaged
them for any specified time. They
were kept as long as their services were
satisfactory. | did, however, discharge
some old employees because of incom
! potency.
His Ideas in New Law
This new law under which they arc
now working embodies ideas of mine.
! helped to frame it. that the Bank.
ing Department might be reorganized.
Now, Il commissioner of banking can
have as many examiners as he chooses,
one to a hundred. | was limited a. to
my best men left for better paying posi-
tionS. \ good accountant can earn
more than $1,000 year and that was
our limit.
You ask me if bank examiners usu
ally advise the banks they have been or
+ der"d to examine of their coming?
Most certainly not They are de =
tailed to examine some certain bank
ing institution. They make their cx
animation and Immediately report to the
banking department when they have
finished it. Then they are detailed to
some other bank
How is it then" Mr.. Lafean was
asked that Meyer. the cashier of the
North Penn Bank was annarentiy.
able so accurately to guagc the coming
visit of the bank examiner and to have
the bookkeeper, Coltlcsh,, as was teati
fed at Meyers hearing. alter the bank $
books and other records from pencilcd
notations he gave him?
"Wcll." was the reply. "Of course.
he may have been told by the examiner
that he was coming, but hardly think
so.
bank examiner to enter the bank h.
proposes examining about 3 O'Clock
in the afternoon. That is usually the
closing hour.
wen count your cash." he AN
nounces. This takes some hours, per-
haps. Then the examiner leaves
the bank is closed. and the examiners
next visit is the following day.
Time Given to Change Books
"Of course. in the interval, in tn,
night hours. there would be sufficient
time for alterations to be made to book
and records, to make good showing
upon the arrival Of the examiner t.
: continue his work.
"Yes. I know Meyer. the cashier O.
the North Penn Bank. also know Mr.
Gabel and John J. Grelis, the cit!
magistrate, both directors, and Mr.
Michel, the president. Michel is 1
baker, l believe. Somehow he neyeI
seemed to NE to be the kind of man t
hold bank presidency. But. ] sup,
nose he had money and q considerable
following in that section of the city,
''Gabell / liked. He's fine man,
good business man, a brainy man.
used to telephone him and ask his kealtl
when | was in Philadelphia. If Moyer
the cashier. fooled him and pulled tn
! wool over his eyes, he's certainly I
good one.
Mover never seemed to me to be tn
; kind Of man they now say he is.
don't seem able to picture Meyer as
. crook. He didn't look that sort to me
"You ask me what criticisms l mad
of the examinations of the North Penn
Rank which were made while | wa
still banking commissioner?
Don't you know you ought not t.
ask me such questions? The law for
bids the disclosing of any information
concerning any banking institution by
banking commissioner or any of his as
: sociates. still hold to the injunc
ton,
"Did l ever get any money fror
, the North Penn Bank?
i mot personally, no! never Dor
rowed dollar from that bank in M,
|. life and had no business dealings witt
l.tN lt Il. I' ~. 1I''t II|If It I.t u 4.