Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

234 HISTORY OF THE BANKHon. George A. Cox, who had been president since 1890,but remained a member of thedecided to resign that office,Board of Directors. His successor was Mr. B. E. Walker,who had been general manager for twenty years, and who hasever since held the presidential office. Mr. Walker's successoras general manager was the late Mr. Alexander Laird, who hadheld the position of assistant general manager since theretirement of Mr. J. H. Plummer. On Mr. Laird's promotionthe latter office was abolished, and a rearrangement was effectedwhereby Mr. A. H. Ireland became superintendent of branches;Mr. H. H. Morris, superintendent of Pacific Coast branches;and Mr. Vere C. Brown, chief inspector. The continuedgrowth of the bank's business rendering it desirable still furtherto increase the number of directors, a by-law was passedfixing the membership of the Board at fourteen. The newplaces were filled by the late Mr. Z. A. Lash, K.C., 1 one ofthe most eminent members of the Canadian Bar, and Mr. E. R.Wood, 2 whose abilities as a financier were winning everincreasingattention in the business community. A vacancyhad been caused in the previous July by the death of Mr.W. B. Hamilton, the senior member of the Board, and his seatlZebulun Aiton Lash, K.C., LL.D. (1846-1920), was a native of Newfoundland.He was called to the bar of Ontario in 1868 and created a King's Counsel in 1879.Mr. Lash was Deputy Minister of Justice of Canada from 1872 to 1876. In the latteryear he resumed his practice at the bar, entering into partnership in Toronto withMessrs. Edward and S. H. Blake, and founding the firm now known as Blake, Lash,A nglin and Cassels, who have for many years been the general solicitors of The CanadianBank of Commerce. Mr. Lash appeared before the Imperial Privy Council in anumber of important cases. He was chief counsel for the Canadian Bankers' Association,The Canadian Bank of Commerce, the Canadian Northern Railway Company,and many other large concerns. He was a governor of Toronto University and adirector of many important companies. Mr. Lash was elected vice-president of thebank on January 11, 1910, and held that office until his death on January 24, 1920.Edward Rogers Wood (b. 1866) is a native of Peterboro, Ont. He entered theservice of the Central Canada Loan and Savings Company in 1884 and rose to bevice-president and general manager. In 1914 he was elected president. Mr. Woodwas chairman of the Dominion Executive Committee which handled the campaignsfor the Dominion of Canada Victory Loans of 1918 and 1919. He is a vice-presidentof the National Trust Company, Limited, and a director of the Canada Life AssuranceCompany and of many other financial, industrial and railway companies.