New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-04
Removal Decided Upon
Unless Commissioner Re-
signs Before Monday.
HAYWARD IN LEAD
FOR GUARDIANSHIP
Official in Strenuous Fight TO
Hold Place Denies Charges and
Bitterly Attacks AccuSers.
.From a sisn Correspondent Of The Tnbune.l

IRON 4 SfaN Correspondent OF Inc lnDuit-l
Albany. Dec 3.-Edwsrd E. Mccall
fought losing fight this afternoon to
retain his $4,000 a year job as Chair
man of the Public Service Commission.
After listening for six hours to his de-
fence Of the charges of the Thompson
legislative Committee Governor Whit
man. it became known from one close
TO the executive, made up his mind that
unless Mccall resigned between now
und Monday morning he had no alter
native but TO remove him. The Cover
ror. il is understood, was not satisfied
with McCalPs answer to the twenty
charges which Senator Thompson and
his investigators have made.
The particular reason which, 1t is
understood, has prompted the Cover
nor to decide on McCalls removal, is
that, while the Public Service chairman
was technically complying with the
law. if he transferred the 367 shares OF
Kings County Light, Heat and Power
Company stock 10 his wife, he never
tbeless remained under moral obliga-
tion which made his remaining on the
commission contrary TO the spirit OF
the public service law as prepared ana
signed by Governor Hughes.
Commissioner William Hayward, it
was learned tonight, has an excellent
chance of becoming chairman when
Mccall gets out. The Governor to-day
reverted again to Hayward as the man
who he believed he could best trust
in the place. But the executive mind
is not yet settled on this appointment,
although Hayward's chances were
never better than they are to-day.
Men Considered for a Place.
The Governor has also under consid-
Grafton several men for appointment as
member of the commission when
Mccall goes. Among them are Oliver
c. Semple, assistant counsel of the Pub
lie Service Commission; Henry I.
Hodge, of the engineering firm of Boil
Ter & Hodge, and Alexander Hum
phreys, president of Stevens Institute.
The Governor is anxious to get Mr.
Hodge on the commission, but is by no
means assured that he will ACCEPT the
appointment.
At the close OF the hearing to-day
Governor Whitman announced that he
would have nothing TO say regarding
his disposition Of the Mccall charges
until Monday morning. This was in
terpreted by persons in touch with the
Governor as intended to give Mccall
an opportunity to retire gracefully Of
his own volition.
Mccall put up the hardest kind Of a
fight to-day. II lacked the theatrical
and stage play Of the former hearing,
but, despite this, it Was replete with
incidents which went a long way to
relieve the monotony Of an argument
between two we'll trained legal minds.
Occasionally Mccall got excited and
thunderingly denounced the chairman
Of the legislative committee which
preferred the charges against him, but
for the most part he kept to his brief.
This was a detailed answer 70 each OF
the twenty charges which Deputy At
torney General Lewis, counsel for the
committee, sought to drive home.
Bitter Toward Thompson.
Senator Thompson came in for the
greater part Of the outpouring OF
yituperation and bitter invective from
Chairman Mccall. Every time Mccall
turned toward the Senator from Nj
agara County his eyes bulged, his fn-
gers twitched eonvulsively and he ap-
psared 70 be strenuously trying to keep
bis temper under control. Mccall
never lost an opportunity TO refer to
Senator Thompson in the most bitter
words that he could find.
But Senator Thompson was not the
only object Of McCall's wrath. William
z. Hearst was accused by the Public
Service chairman Of having been re-
fponsible for the charges that he act
20 a. cObntcl IOr q IeatbJ NN"'f~"'
said 20 be under the control Of August
Belmont
That was put in the report AZ the
behest Of William X. Hearst" Mccall
shouted. "He has been assaulting me
for 3 year as the Belmopt attorney.
What the wret-h means don't know"
Mccall WAS waiting for Governor
whitman a. he walked into the ezeeu-
tive chamber promptly At noon to-osy'
The Governor nodded 20 Mccall, who
responded with q smile. His face
quickly changed, however, 20 one OF
tense study and suppressed excitement
a. the Governor read the charges. ne
seemed almost unable 20 wait untii
the Governor had finished before
springing 70 his feet 20 reply.
Insisted He Complied With Law.
A. times Mccall was defiant and at
,tner times meek and pleading. lie ~
sisted that he had complied WIN tbs
law when he carried the 5o7 snhfes oI
Klbgs County Light, Heat and rover
Company stock 20 Mrs. Mccall and SAlo
Cestiassd n ssSs 4 eeiws"