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# A BANKER CRITICIZED The Seattle Trade Register of February 1, says that "Robert Moran, of Moran Bros. Co., last week issued a long "open letter to R. R. Spencer, of the National Bank of Commerce," of decidedly spicy nature, which was widely circulated by mail, and the press entirely overlooked the news. The bank was charged with refusing to pay over money ordered paid by the United States Treasury from the government deposit; spies were alleged to be employed to see where the money went when paid, and a charge of "spiteful tattle" was made because of refusal to change the Moran Bros. Co's. account of 26 years with another bank." This is a pretty scathing arraignment but no one who knows Mr. Moran will doubt that it is well founded. The bank in question is the largest in the state in point of capitalization and volume of business done, but it is hardly likely to maintain that position long if the policy which characterized the management during the panic is continued. The bank was for years the principal reserve agent in Seattle of the San Juan County bank, which had quite a large sum on deposit there when the financial lid went on and the city banks adopted the certificate system. The flat refusal of Mr. Spencer to let the president of the bank here have more than $25.00 of the bank's funds was what compelled the adoption of the certificate system here. Without having had his attention called to the matter by any of the bank's officers the editor has noticed that since the lid came off the Seattle drafts of the bank have been drawn upon another institution. Arrogance doesn't pay in business, especially in the handling of other people's money. It has been unfortunate for the big Bank of Commerce that President Backus was absent in the Orient in the interests of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific fair when the recent financial storm broke in Wall street.