New-York tribune., 1908-02-12
ASKS KELSEY REMOVAL
HUGHES SENDS MESSAGE
Says Question InUoIUes the Credit of
the State.
rRy Telegraph TO The Tribune


Alhany. Feb. 11--With d severe and s1eeping g
erraignnlent Of conditions in the insurance de-
psrtn1ent Governor Hughes to-day sent TO the
Senate his second demand for the fenlcval of
otto Kelsey, Superintendent Of Insurance This
time the Governor message. while not couched
IN the form Of charges against the superinten-
cent, contains specific statements Of neglect Of
duty and inefhciency, based on the report Of
Matthew c F1eming's investigation of the de-
partrnent. The report transmitted with the
message for the Consideration of the Senate.
Termed --disa ppointment'' by some VINO were
looking for sensational disclosures. and the
same old thing" by ardent kelseyites, the Gov
ernor-s message really is careful, conserva-
tive statement of a case TO which he has given
long study j is a document restrained in tone,
almost grim because of its restraint. Only in
-,,aces does the Governors strong feeling on in
,---s,ca conditions burst into caustic utteranca.
Whom those places were read Superintendent
1elsex-s friends WINGED almost as if srnitten in
the face.
7-be Governor sums up his whole argument in
The last paragraph thus
The matter now presented TO You Is one
which 1ranscends any question Of personal re-
gard. II involves the credit Of the state IN
the circumstances 10 which 1 have referred the
people Of the state without confidence IN
The administration of this important depart
uaent. That confidence should be restored
II was the portrayal of the circumstances
d5sr,s ssionateIy in broad, telling strokes WHICH
made Mr. Kelsey's friends Wlnce- Inc 'o
ar-,or-s message pointed out that Kelsey, III
o4=5ca = wear and half with free hand, hao
failed 70 reorganize the department from i'S
condition at the time Of the insurance ois
-Ioen-es There has been no appropriate ef1ort
"a fix responsibility for the past derehctlons Oh
he department and 10 determine by sultaoe
.,.,,;-z- ,,,or7 whom reliance could be placed
ere,i47c s,11;es had been disregarded by the head
O. the department.
The DELAYS in instituting reforms that are
-,Fainl. needed. the failure 10 take fun adVan-
age of the machinery provided by law Tor the
--otection Of the rights of policy hoiders' the
ak Of proper attention 10 matters as 10 WHICH
-,e department is in 2 position greatly 10 aio
the 1oiicyholders in securing the proper iui
41-,ert OF their contracts are without excuse
the message says
COMMENT IN SEVERE TERMS
In severe terms the Governor comments on the
<-rt that al insurance commissioner from Colo
-a5o was the man. by his examination 10 as
..lssa tt,e conditions in the PTovtdent Savings
fre Assurance Society, OF which State Chalr-
man woodruff formerly was president Though
- T,7s-ice Hatch Nj kelsey's lawyer last year
.,75 him Of trouble in that company. Kelsey,
sg--s the Governor. went on with his exarnina-
lion Of another company. whether or when
- action would have been taken had 1t not
taan for the Intervention of the Colorado COM
==-.- may ta left 10 conjecture says the
Governor And to say the least 1t Is fnoruiy-
irr n the extreme in view OF the powers OF 'iie
S,,ne-intendent and the facts recently disclosed
;. -. e-a-e that il should be left TO a Com
missioner from Colorado to reveal the necessity
- the examination of New York corpora
tior~
Governor Hughes would not supplement ms
Message with s7v verbal comment on the sit
.1a-ior He made II plain that his message COM
rie-o5 his statement on the case for the mo-
,nan-. There has been much talk here tha' 'nf
,-o-error was holding something IN reserNe
He would not discuss that for publication Inc
Kelsey case. so far as he is concerned. rests
With The cor7pletion Of his message to the sen
z-a But Il il becomes necessary through
changed conditions further actiFl'y Is "ie'''i
the --alr1 q possibility.
Tho senate chamber and the galleries anu
,obr- u-are tj7-onged when the message was pre-
,.---- -ri- morning Closest attention greeted
=, -.a Senator's Hughes and Kelsey men allke'
r..-e-ea rzrefs,lly 10 every word of the lohg eA-
7eo-a5 -o-7runica1ion. When the readlhs was
finished Senator Raines made a foThla' Hi0'
s-s- TIA r7esssge and documents acooF'h'a '"e
= be r7~frted and lie on the table Tor 'ile PsS'
.l-1os- n the same moment eeha'"i 1o'
WIT one of the ardent Kelsey champions
crossed The chamber for whispered conference
afrr senator McCarreu, the Demoora''' 'ef''4''
Of F-ooklvn. another warm Kelsey man
THE, GOVERNORS MESSAGE
The message vas follows
state o. y" I'm Albany Feb. Il, 1905
T. A-ever last charges were nIso go 70 his
s-tf~i.1f-nGent -. - ,4a,,ar1roent / appointed