The Irish standard., 1907-02-23
GOV. HUGHES ASKS
KELSEY'S removal
TELLS NEW YORK SENATE IN
sURANcE SUPERINTENDENT is
UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE.
SAYS HE HAS FAILED
TO PERFORM DUTIES
Vast Interests Involved Require Ad-
ministration That Will Command
Confidence Of PeopIe-Integrity Of
Official Not impugned.

Albany, N. Y, Feb. 2l.--Gov. Hughes
sent to the senate Wednesday morn
ing special message recommending
the removal from office of Otto kel-
sey, state superintendent of insurance.
Charges Negligence and Unfitness.
In making the recommendation the
governor says: "With respect to life
insurance, New York is easily the
most important jurisdiction in the
United States, If not in the world, and
the vast interests involved imperative
ly require, and it should be a point of
honor for the state TO maintain, fear
less and efficient administration of its
supervising department, commanding
the confidence of the people. recon-
mend Mr.. Kelsey's removal because as
head of this department he has con-
spicuously failed to perform obvious
duties of the first Importance, and his
neglect has demonstrated his unfit
ness for the trust contided to him."
The message was read and referred
without debate to the committee on
judiciary, of which Senator Davis, Of
Buffalo, is chairman.
Integrity Not impugned.
The governor comedies that there
was great burden of work on Super
intendent Kelsey, and declares that he
does not seek to impugn his integrity.
But" said the governor, 'the more
important the work Of the department,
the greater the need of making it CT
f1cient and trustworthy. The assiduity
of departmental chief in attention to
details, to routine, cannot compen-
safe for lack of administrative capac-
ity. The passage of laws will amount
to nothing if they are not executed.
Provisions for publicity will not avail
if the supervision of the state be fee
BILE and inadequate.
IF examinations in the future are to
be of the same description as those
in the past, the administration of the
department will not prevent 81 recur-
renee of the old abuses. Doubtless in
former years superintendents and
their assistants have been burdened
with work, and before the legislative
committee much was said of the ex-
tent of their activities, but compara-
lively few hours Of we'll directed labor
would have made the insurance inves.
tigation unnecessary and would have
saved us from the scandal of the past
two years.
Not the Man for Place.
Il have been compelled with regret
to reach the conclusion that Mr.. Kel-
sey is not the nan to have charge of
this department. His past neglect and
the want of force and initiative al
ready displayed make it unsafe to ac-
cept assurances for the future. The
excuses that he now makes serve only
to place in more prominent light his
misconception OF his obligation and of
what the people of the state have
right to expect.
Robert, Hunter, first deputy supcrin-
tendent of insurance, Wednesday re-
newed to Superintendent Kelsey his
expression of eadiness to resign,
quoted by Mr.. Kelsey to Gov Hughes
on Monday, and asked that his resig-
nation be accepted forthwith. Super
intendent Kclscy said that he would
write to Mr.. Hunter that his resigna.
tion would be accepted as soon as GER
tain pending matters could be prop
erlE arranged fO!.