New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-30
KELSEY ENDS DEFENCE.
DETAILS HUGHES Talk.
Fight on Hearing Witnesses to
Come Up Tuesday.
y EeIsgEaph 10 - -

/ interview at which Governor Hughes demanded
| his resignation. According to Mr.. Kelsey. tho
/ Governor said then in a speech which he him
/ self said need not be "mealy mOuthed'' what
| he has reiterated since. that Superintendent
Kelsey had failed to handle serious situation
and his failure could be retrieved only by his
resignation. To Mr.. Kelsey's reply that what
/ ever was not satisfactory could be made 50 the
| Governor had said that radical changes-"a
/ hOUsecleaning'-wer necessary.
/ Coming Just at the end Of the days hearing.
which also the end OF Mr.. Kelsey's testi-
mony, the repeating OF this interview evidently
was regarded by the superintendent lawyers
as their strong point. taken in connection with
the showing that Ex-Governor Higgins had had
full confidence in Mr.. Keisey's Judgment and
had advised him. If he thought best, to retain
/ Deputy Superintendent Hunter and Chief Ex-
aminer VanderpOel. On the other hand. Cow
ernOr HUghes's friends maintained that this lasl
day Of the hearing had proved the most damag-
ing Of all and had amply justified the Governors
demand for Mr. Kelseys official head.
! BY his own showing Mr.. Kelsey relied for his
information during all the critical period follow
/ ing the San Francisco disaster on the reports
brought to him by Hunter and VanderpOel both
discredited by the insurance investigation, and
on the information about their resources which
the companies furnished voluntarily. During
that period serious charges were brought to his
I y.
Moore a member Of the New York Chamber
of Commerce. in three letters to GOvesnor
Higgins declared that the department was not
doing its duty and that companies in the state
in precarioUs condition were doing business and
endangering the public because the department.
failed to get proper information about them.
The Merchants Association made similar
charges. Both offered to name specific cases
Yet nothing was done about this. and Senator
[ n
investigation Of fire companies had been made
/ beyond the routine requests for annual state
ments, although most of them had not yet set
/ tied the San Francisco losses
| ANOTHER HARD FIGHT TUESDAY.
/ The Judiciary Committee is likely to have an
other hard fight on Tuesday over the question
/ whether other witnesses shall be heard when
the hearing IS resumed next Friday When eN-
Justice Hatch finished his examination OF Mr..
+ Kelsey tonight. he moved formally that sub
poenas be issued for witnesses to be present at
+ the next session. He had not the list Of names
ready. but suggested that he would prepare it
7 by Monday. and that. anyway. he would want
to begin examination of Harry Appleton. deputy
superintendent. and ]. 8. Patterson, chief actu-
airy. Senator Davis. apparently forgetting that
the admission Of other witnesses was mooteq
point. acquiesced. saying that She COMMITTEES
would take mp the sU5PCsla question On Tues
strong viii protest against examination Of any
more witnesses Just now it seems a little un-
likely that they will be able TO carry their
point This will mean the dragging out OF the
defence to an interminabIe length. and viii MT
in well with the comprehensive scheme Of Op-
position 10 the Governors projects. which IS
being developed here by the anti-HUghes men,
E NIr Kelsey's account Of his talk with Gov
ernor Hughes aroused great interest. since it
{ Of fufp
had been made public He said that after he
/ had seen the Governor about his preliminary
! report the Governor asked him TO call the next
day. as he had important affair TO discuss
/ Mr. Kelsey couldn't go the next day. so an IN
terview was fixed for Friday, January 81 There
were several men in the large room when kelsey
called so he and the Governor went into the
small
Il think his first remark was; Well. what
have YOU 10 say to me?'" said Mr.. Kelsey. Il
told him that what might have 10 say would
take a good deal of time. but the most pressing
thing was the matter of the election in the TWO
New York companies. He stated there should
be no trouble about that. that there was some
uncertainty on the point. when the law was
drafted as to what the conditions might BE- etc.
He then stated there was a matter that he
wished 70 talk 10 me about. to which he had
I oiven a great deal of attention and had reached
/ a definite conclusion I stated that would %
/ o,od 20 hear il, He said that his plan was to
I sDeaE directly and he did not feel like being
/ r1eaI,--rnouthed about it. I said that should
he glad 70 have him speak frankly. He said that
NJ the time took charge Of the Insurance De-
/ rar4n,ent there was a great opportunity, thaU
/ had not been equal TO it, and. in his Juos-
r,ent the public demanded a different aohalnls-
I tration. and he thought should have to TeslsIi-
..I said that I was very sorry 70 have nina
/ reach such a conclusion. and that was eO-ill-
/ dent he was mIsinfOrced as to the sltuatloh
: asked him if he would not be Wiling 10 I~la~
/ .bo r,attar over with men who had long expert
/ ence IN Albany and had known me 1or a sreA~
NAM, wears He said there would be no Obiecr
| IN that. as the situation one which demand
/ ed a change. in his Judgment, and he could sec
/ NO other course except for me to retire / said
10 him that il looked to me Ike a harsh 1uds-
/ mont as / had endeavored 90 serve faithfully
/ and knew Of no reason why the department.
( should not be conducted in full accord with his
/ views II the administration could be bettered.
| He said that employees OF the department. for
| many years had been continued by me and that
/ House sentiment was against it. / stated that
the conditions were such that l. felt justified in
/ the way that had managed the department.
UNDER DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
| Il can't remember Just what followed. 7
! asked him TO remember that in that admins
/ tration I had been under a different environ
/ ment, perhaps. than under his administration.
and he asked how, and I said different state
administration. He said feared So. I told
him that the effect upon me would be most
serious. that / never could explain TO my friends
satisfactorily resignation. that wanted .
chance to live. He said that a resignation
4 rendered nv me could he accepted II we UNDER