Backers of Chase-Chemical Merger Far Outnumber the Noisy Opponents

We were dismayed by the tone and the headline of your Nov. 17 article ("Politicians, Activists Rip New York Megamerger," page 1) that covered the first day of public meetings at the Federal Reserve on the Chemical-Chase merger. Those individuals at the hearing who were critical of the merger, in fact, represented only a small number of organizations. This was in contrast to the broad and diverse community support expressed by representatives of many different organizations in favor of the merger. The real value of a public meeting such as the ones held Nov. 16 and 17 is to provide a forum to gather more information about which programs and ideas are working, and which programs are still needed to help meet the needs of all our communities. On that account, many loans as well as community partnerships were cited by groups supporting the merger that can and will be replicated and expanded in the new Chase. Of those who were critical, few were able to provide specific examples that could be translated into programs to benefit the community. Regrettably, your article, by emphasizing negative generalities instead of pointing to specific successes, was not helpful to your readership, many of whom may be in a position to implement similar programs to the ultimate benefit of our communities. Carol Parry Managing director, Chemical Banking Corp. Mark Willis Senior vice president, Chase Manhattan Corp.

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