Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-11
MccAIN'S GOSSIP
How Place Was Made for Daniel J.
Lafean-WIlIiam ]. 5arry's Change
From Engineering to Hotter
Management
BY GEORGE NOX Mccain
Tur name OF cx Banking CommIssic

| Il1E name or cN. banking Commissioner
l. Daniel J. Lafcnn in connection with
| the North Penn Bank smash conjures up
piece of unwrttcn politco financial history.
| Mr.. Lnfcan himself may perhaps be ignorant
| of it, yet he was one of the important fig
| urcs in the episode
When Governor Brumbaugh was trying to
| build up n personal machine in the state
| and was casting about in search of positions
| for those whom he fanccd might aid him. he
| chose for one rx Congressman Iafean, OF
| York. He selected ms his victim the late
| Banking Commissioner William II. Smith
of Philadelphia.
Smith was one Of the ablcst men that
| ever held that responsible position. He
| knew the routine. llc had grown up in the
Office; had been bank examiner for years.
Moreover, he enjoyed the confidence of the
| banking interests Of the state.
He was not politician like John A.
Berkey, his predecessor, or Daniel +. La
| fean, who was chosen his successor. They
were political appointments.
Several months before the end of 1916
Smith received n hint that he was due to
resign. The commissioner communicated
| with his friends. among them the leading
bankers of Philadelphia. They advised him
to hold on and in no event to resign under
pressure.
In the interim between tho notification
that his exit was desired and the day in
January when he did resign under pressure,
every banking house in Philadelphia oper-
atng under state laws, with one exception,
wrote letters of protest to Governor Brum-
hangh against Smiths removal. They in
sisted that Commissioner Smith be retained;
that his removal not only would be mis-
take but would be disastrous. Officers of
banks and trust companies in Pittsburgh
and vicinity wrote in similar vein. Gov
crnor Brumbaugh must have received at
least 200 letters Of protest against the re-
mOval of Commissioner Smith.
But he persisted in demanding Mr.. Smiths
resignation. and in his stead appointed
Daniel J. Lafean, of York county. give
Mr.. I.afcan the benefit of tn" doubt that
he was not aware of this episode which
| emphasized the efficiency of William II.
Smith.
LNEW of the thousands who know William
L j. Barry. of the Longucro through his
long career as hotel manager in this city,
are aware that by profession he is civil
engineer. He hasn't worked at the job,
though. for years.
lie was one of party of young engineers
who helped to survey the western section
of the i'll futrd South Pennsylvania Railroad.
Its magnificent ruins in tho way of tunnels,
mis- ana cuts Stlll HlOfH inc lhUuScapc III
Somerset and WnStmorcland counties.
Whether the outdoor life was distasteful
or thee indoor life particularly attractive.
Billy Barry dropped engineering and took
up hotel management His directorate of
the Brgravia covered a long period Of
years.
j. Frazier Miller. who before his rcsgna-
tOn few months ago was the efficient head
Of the Bellevue Stratford, is another hotel
IL, l,lJ 81,
hearts of prominent Philadcphians. He was
not originally hotel man. He was a Ken
tucky lad who went to New York as private
secretary to the owner of one of the great
big racing stables of the famous blue grass
region Racing and the breeding of racers
was then in its hcyday.
George G.. Boldt of the Waldorf Astoria.
whore Frazer Miller stopped, took fancy
! to the bright young southern chap. made
him his secretary and subsequently, step
by step, advanced him to II managerial po-
siton Subsequently he placed him in abSo-
| lutte control Of the big hotel on Broad street.
He will return in September, hear, with
| his bride from six months sojourn in
| southern California, and q CHEEKY welcome
! will await him.
| NHAJOR DAVID LEWIS, inspector gen.
AF1 erals department, a. Il. F.. who is
| back from France and once more in mufti,
| is looking filter than he has done for years.
| He confcsscs that he feels AS fine as he
| looks
| Major Lewis was one of the comparatively
| few officers appointed from civil life to this
department Of the army. 1t was to be ex-
| pectpd After years of training on reg-
mental and brigade stats under General
Snowdcn in the old national guard he did
| not as most officers do when they resign
| from the guard, shevc his acquired knowl-
| edge and forget all about it.
In the intervening years he kept abreast
| of the tactical changes in the military arm
of the United States service. I've heard
| him for half an hour at Il clip discussing
points of drill and discipline with regular
army officers. And he held his own every
| time.
When the opportunity came that his
| services were of value to his government
Dave Lewis promptly selected his job and
went after it, He landed it, too, with rank
of major Based on his technical knowledge
! it should have been colOnefs commissi.,n.
While inspector of the Sixth Division,
regular army, Lewis had ample opportunity
to study civil as well as military life in
| France.
II never saw drunken Frenchman," he
declared, speaking of the prohibition issue.
''The Frenchman looks at the matter of
drinking in different light from the Amer
lean lie has been brought up on wine. 1t
is part of his daily life. Only few drink
| brandy.
THE town drunkard in France is
curiosity. lie attracts attention as much
as the town crNr, who with his drum draws
n crowd in the market place. While every
body drinks wine they abhOr drunkenness.
For that reason prohibition will never win
in France"
| CAPTAIN HILL is dead. He was Lieu
~ tenant Commander Hill. L. S. n. of
the Finland. Death came As his ship was
leaving Brest, France, The new will bring
regret to hundreds Of Philadelphans who
sailed with him in past years.