New-York tribune., 1907-07-09
ELLISON FORCED OUT.
CRAVEN GIVES UP BROOM.
Mayors Are also Hits CiJI Seruice
Commissioner TalIey.

COipoIdIIoh counsel, IN place or w Nl1aU 3.
Ellison, removed.
DR. WALTER BENSEI. former sanitary su-
perintendent of the Department OF Health was
appointed Street Cleaning Commissioner. in
place of McDonOUgh Craven who resigned
JAMES ]. MARTIN. former Police Commits
sioner, and for many years Tammany leader OF
the 21th Assembly District. was appointed City
Chamberlain. 10 succeed Patrick keenan,. VIII,
died about two months ago.
FRANK l. POLK was appointed a Civil Ser
vice Commissioner. TO succeed Alfred J. TaIIey
The appointment Of a Tax Commissioner to
deferred till fall
The removal of Mr.. Ellison While not unex-
pected, signifies a renewal Of the bitter fight
that Mayor Mcclellan is making against Charles
r. Murphy as leader Of Tammany Hail. Mr.
Ellison was not pronounced Murphy man Hs
is a personal friend Of Timothy d and TIn,orhv
r Sullivan These two men lead a contingent
which constitutes the balance of power in Tam
many Hall Mr. Ellison willing to tie up
win the Mayor but he was unwilling 10 break
with the Sullivans. and as the suUivans vrorIS
not break their alliance with Murphy the Mavor
lost confidence in Mr.. Ellison
Inc appointment of James ]. Martin to the
once or city Chamberlain means more tro,1hIs
Tor Murphy Mr.. Martin resigned his Ieadarsbir,
oI the -ith District when Murphy a year ago
tied up with Hearst at the state convention.
civil Service Commissioner TaIIey was law
partner OF John J. Delany when appointed IN
the commission. He is a good Oreanizatton
man, as the saying goes in Tammany Hall.
which means that Murphy is acceptable 70 hin,
a leader.
The new Corporation Counsel. Mr.. Pena1ato,
never has been active in politics. He was chair
man or the City Betterment Commission and IA
4amInany Hall Democrat. but has been too
busy with his business to pay much attention
+ to organization politics.
The Mayor plans TO leave tovrn on J,Iyz 1S -,
/ his vacation 1t has been known for some time
that he would make changes before he went
away.
MAYORS LETTER TO ELLISON.
said:
Ihe interests Of the city require that the Cor
poration Counsel shall have the compIete conf
dence OF the Mayor. You are aware that this
relation has not existed for some time
+ AS you have announced in your public statement
of June 26 that Won will NOT RESIN NJ co,,--a =.
open to me but 10 remove you. which hereby do.
All the comment Mr.. Ellison would make on
his removal was this:
Section 95 Of the Charter gave the Mayor power
70 remove me whenever IN his Judgment the pub
W -tue,e eStS shaIi so require. II those interests
required my removal then certainly IL would be
tlSI,S Ior me 10 protest II they did not require
tue actoh taken oy the Mayor, then with equal
certainty the matter is one solely between the
pubic and the Mayor. and no comment on Inf
part is necessary. Ny personal feeling however
is one of profound relief
Regarding his succ ssor Mr.. PendIeton. the
retiring Corporation Counsel had this to say:
for years. He is lawyer Of excellent stand
ing and man Of recognized character and abiI-
tty. l congratulate the city upon his selection"
1t IS an open secret that Mr.. Ellison wished 20
remain az the head of the Law Department..
He started IN as Corporation Counsel eight
months ago. Corporation Counsel Delany re-
signed preciptately gust at the inception Of
sharp controversy between Mayor Mcclellan and
the Board Of Elections over the disposition OF
the election advertising. Mr.. EHisons services
and promptness in that emergency won warm
praise from the Mayor.
HOW MR.. ELLISON FELL.
Mr.. Ellison was in good standing at the
Mayors Office until early in May last, when he
tried 70 put through the locally celebrated
peace" move involving the Mayor and Charles
F. Murphy. Mr. Ellison took upon himself 10
say that the representative OF the Mayor he
had conferred with the SuIlivans who in turn
represented the Tammany organization Mr..
Ellison said that peace had been agreed on. and
that the Mayor henCeforward would recognizes
the Tammany organization in his appointments.
NTavor Mcclellan repUdiated the alleged dea
and Mr. Ellison was put in awkward position
He assured the Mayor that he meant well. but
the Mayor apparently did not believe him The
peace move also aroused the opposition OF
Water Commissioner O'Brien, who Is close 10
the Mayor and Mr. Ellison not able TO
Eabilitate himself at the Mayors office. Last
week IL became known that Mr.. Ellison haA
started an investigation of the Interborough-
Metropolitan merger Mayor Mcclellan did not
look upon the move as an act IN good faith. an
he had told Mr. Ellison that he wanted him TO
resign as Corporation Counsel. Mr.. Ellison told
the Mayor that he would not resign, and that the
only way 20 get rid of him was 20 remove him
Mr. Ellison was on the point OF af1xing his
signature 10 the opinion which he had prepared
at the request of Controller Metz. as 10 the con-
stitutionalitv of the law creating the Public Ser
vice commissions. The receipt of the Mayors
letter of removal prevented Mr.. Ellison from
legally signing the opinion as the citys counsel
loot r71TlS 81 nov ~
successor.
TALLEY'S OUSTING \ SURPRISE
The forced resignation Of Civil Service COM
missioner TaIey a good deal OF a SURPRISE
The Mayor sent him note. saying:
sir: The legal member of the Municipal Civil
Service Commission should devote more time 10
the public service than you do. l therefore ask
your resignation.
Mr. Taley replied as follows:
I am in receipt of your communication OF even
date requesting my resignation and assigning the
I following reason:
.Sir. The legal member of the Municipal Civil
Service Commission should devote more time TO
the public service than you do I therefore ask
YOUR resignation Respectfully,
GEORGE r. MCCLELLAN Mayor
I have natural regret that should leave office
with the imputaton OF having neglected its duties.
for as you know we'll that Is untrue
However. in position cannot escape Such
a danger when one in yours does not hesitate 10
seek such a pretext to justify a removal from
office Whatever view the public may take OF your
action am conscious my service has been at least
efficient and that my Individual efforts have been
of some avail advancing the interest OF the de-
partment and OF the merit system in the city or
New York I sure that the most visiiant critics
of your administration will concede this fact
Whatever YOUR motive for asking my resignation
might have bean. il would have been cheerfully
/ given at your request. and the office would have
/ been AZ your disposal without your doing
eaVeu ~ana