Assessed Senator

Michigan's white-crowned James Couzens, richest U. S. Senator, sat himself down last week and signed two checks totaling $30,423.39. One he stuck in an envelope and mailed to the receiver of the defunct First National Bank of Detroit. The other he dispatched to the receiver of equally defunct Guardian National Bank of Commerce. Then he smilingly informed his wife, Margaret Manning Couzens, that he had paid in full assessments against her as a stockholder in the holding companies for the two closed banks. He also informed the Press.

Other stockholders, less well-to-do than the Couzenses, were fighting the $35,000,000 in assessments ordered by the U. S. Comptroller of the Currency, had in fact secured a temporary Federal injunction against their collection. Such legal tactics made upright Senator Couzens impatient. Declaimed he:

"The provisions of the law for double assessment are plainly stated. Mrs. Couzens and I believe that the moral obligation is plain and we do not desire to avail ourselves of any technical or other reasons for not paying the assessment."

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