254 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

office. I can't attempt to run every agency individually. I have to pick
people in whom I have total confidence and give them latitude. That's
the way I've always operated with my staff and with other department
heads in the past and that's the way I intend to continue to act.

Q. Now, Mr. Steers indicated that you had suggested the name of
someone you like.

A. Well, suggesting a name is not trying to run his department.

Q. Governor, will you make an appointment on the Public Service
Commission soon?

A. Yes, I expect to do that very shortly. We have quite a few appoint-
ments that will be coming out. Some of them are being cleared at the
present time and there should be a fairly steady stream of announce-
ments within the next couple of weeks that will clean up the out-
standing appointments.

Q. Does that include, I presume, the Bank Commissioner?
A. Yes, I would expect so.

Q. Last week in Washington there was a series of hearings on credit
life regulation as tearing down insurance. One appeared who objected
strongly that the states be allowed to handle this matter on a state
basis rather than going to Federal regulation of the industry in several
examples of malfeasance or at least questionable activities by credit
life insurance which were uncovered for the committee. Last session
Mr. Polovoy, the Insurance Commissioner, asked you to support his
bill which would have brought the credit life companies under the
department's regulations. Did you do anything to support the law?

A. Yes, we supported it. I indicated to every legislator I was in con-
tact with that I was in favor of this bill. It seems to me that regulation
is needed, very firmly needed, in this area.

Q. Regulations that cover premiums?

A. Yes, I think that the profit structure in this particular form of
insurance, because of the indirect control that's exercised by the
lender, even though it's not an absolute control it's a control that is
not generally known about by the person who is doing the borrowing,
does require in the public interest some regulation in this area.

Q. Governor, what are you doing on the investigation into the Victor
Cullen situation?