LEVITAN SAYS BANK OF OWEN CHARGE IS LIE
levitan says bank of owen charge is lie Produces Correspondence To Prove Point; Raps Samp "The mast pathetic creature in politics is the candidate who seeks to climb Into an office of public trust...
...John J. Blaine, Secretary of State Fred Zimmerman, and Atty.-Gen...
...This same charge of discrimination has been hurled at me throughout every campaign, and in 1925,1 requested the Honorable William F. Quick, chairman, of the Senatorial Investigating commit-Itee, to investigate my department, and this commftteo made no investigation...
...No state funds could be deposited with any bank at that time until its depository bond had been received and approved by the board cf deposits...
...In other words, the bank of Owen asked to be made a state depository before I took office...
...it was made a depository without my vote...
...Public officers are frequently the target of obviously untruthful charges made by irresponsible persons...
...I am answering the charges of my opponent, merely because it seems rather amusing that a man capable of making such groundless charges should have the temerity to ask the voters of Wisconsin to elect him to a position of trust and confidence...
...Such an investigation would prove conclusively that the state treasury department Is administered efficiently and with strictest regard for honesty...
...The State Bank of Owen was notified of its appointment, and was asked to furnish a corporate surety bond...
...My opponent charged, in effect, that the State Bank of Owen could get state money only on condition that it deposited funds with the Commercial National bank, that when such funds had been deposited, the Owen bank was made a state depository...
...Although I, too, was a member of the board, I did not vote...
...Signed by SOLOMON LBVTTAN, State treasurer of Wisconsin., LONDON—Swimming parties by airplane are all the rage in England...
...What a pity that any candidate for any office should stoop to such iniquitous methods...
...Yours very truly "'(Signed ( V. F. Shereda, Cashier' " 'State Bank of Owen.' "And this ended the transaction as the State Bank of Owen had failed to qualify as a state depository...
...it received no state funds, because of the high price of surety bonds...
...My record Is clear and I would welcome a thorough investigation of the state treasury department...
...To this inquiry I received tha following reply: '"May 26, 1993 J " 'Solomon Levitan, 'j State Treasurer, Madison, Wis " 'Am sorry but after some consideration the directors decided that the cost of the bonds was too high and therefore requested that our application be laid aside...
...After due consideration this bank was appointed a state depository by three of the members of the board of deposits, viz...
...but compare it with the story my opponent told...
...Yours very truly "(Signed) V. F. Shereda, Cashier "'State Bank of Owen.' "I waited a week for the bonds, but not receiving them, I again wrote the bank to learn whether they had been sent...
...Denies Owen Bank Charge "The State Bank of Owen filed its application for state funds on June 27, 1922, when Henry Johnson was state treasurer...
...but that when the directors of that bank learned the conditions of receiving state money, they voted against being a state depository...
...Ridiculous Accusations "My opponent also made the redlcu-lous accusation that the Commercial National bank has an Income of approximately $60,000 a year from deposits placed by state depository banks...
...The Northampton Aero Club and various other such clubs in the Midland area have organized swimming parties and good sized crowds leave the airports for Castl' Ash by lake, property of Lord Northampton, every day...
...Usually such charges are not worth the dignity of a reply...
...A charge, therefore, that I can guarantee deposits to state banks ls absolutely ridiculous in view of the fact that I do not vo'e on appointment of depository banks...
...In his frantic efforts to gain public attention, he deems it justifiable to attempt to besmirch my reputation, challenge my honesty, attack my integrity...
...Dear Sir: " 'Relative to the surety bonds yours of the 16th will say that I have ordered the bonds some time ago and expect them any day, have written again today asking them to hurry it along, the bonds are furnished by the Maryland Casualty Company...
...The records in my office show the absolute falsity of this charge...
...Herman L. Ekern...
...My opponent, appreciating his own lack of qualifications to fill the high office he seeks, has started a campaign of falsehoods and innuendos...
...Madison, Wis...
...The total income of tile bank from all sources has seldom approximated this amount, and the last two years the income from its entire business has been far below that sum...
...To me no office is worth holding if it can be won only at the sacrifice of self-respect...
...Raps Samp "The mast pathetic creature in politics is the candidate who seeks to climb Into an office of public trust by means of a lader of lies," declared Solomon Levitan, state treasurer, In an interview this morning...
...Over two months passed and I had not received a bond from the State Bank of Owen, so I wrote to learn the reason for its delay, and received the following reply: " 'May 18, 1923 '"Solomon Levitan, State Treasurer...
...This can be verified by the income tax report filed by the Commercial National bank, which is a public record...
...Surely, this committee, knowing the full workings of the state treasury department and the board of deposits, realized how ridiculous this charge really was1...
...Soon after I took office, a meeting of the board of deposits was held at which I submitted all of the applications then on file from the various banks, including that of the State Bank of Owen...
...That's the story the official records show...
...Indeed, I have never voted on the appointment of any bank as a state depository, which the proceedings of such board will show...
Vol. 1 • September 1930 • No. 41
