Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

1867 TO 1901 89were subject to parliamentary revision every ten years, and in1880 another effort was made to introduce the National Banksystem of the United States into Canada. Mr. B. E. Walker,whose experience while in the New York agency of TheCanadian Bank of Commerce had given him a thoroughinsight into the American system of banking, prepared anexhaustive comparison between the Canadian and Americansystems for the use of the Hon. Edward Blake and the Hon.William McMaster, who led the opposition to the proposedchanges, the one in the Commons and the other in the Senate.The effort was not strongly pressed and soon went down todefeat in the face of the strong opposition it aroused.At the annual meeting in 1879 the Hon. Adam Hope retiredfrom the vice-presidency, although remaining a member of theBoard. He was succeeded as vice-president by Mr. WilliamElliot, one of the three remaining members of the originalBoard, the other two being the president and Mr. T. SutherlandStayner. In July, 1881, another director, Mr. A. R. McMaster,died, and at the annual meeting held just afterwards the shareholdersdecided not to fill his place, but to reduce the numberof directors from nine to eight. On the death of the Hon.Adam Hope in August, 1882, the directors elected Mr. JohnWaldie, 1 of Burlington, to succeed him. In January, 1883,Mr. James Michie died and was succeeded in the followingApril by the Hon. Samuel Casey Wood, 2formerly Treasurer^ohn Waldie (1837-1907) was a native of Hawick, Scotland. He was for manyyears a general merchant in Wellington Square (now Burlington), Ont., interestedin the grain trade and shipping, but later removed to Toronto and went into thelumber business, becoming president of the Victoria Harbor Lumber Company,Limited. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1887, and again in 1888, asmember for the county of Halton, and was also for some tune warden of that county.He was vice-president of the Landed Banking and Loan Company, Hamilton, and adirector of the Bank of Toronto from 1902 until his death.The Hon. Samuel Casey Wood (1830-1913) was the son of the late Thomas SmithWood and was born at Bath, Ont. In early life he filled various municipal officesand was elected to the legislature hi 1871. In the ministry of Sir Oliver Mowat. heheld office successively as Provincial Secretary and Registrar, Commissioner ofAgriculture, and Provincial Treasurer. On his resignation from the legislature hebecame manager of the Freehold Loan and Savings Society, Toronto.