The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-05
Edward E. Mccall on Stand Ffoe Hours Before
Thompson Committee Investigating The P. S. g..
Asserts i. II. 7. and Inter
borough Heads Are Do
inc Their Best.

cO"t.tvcd from First Page
munths. having reported that the tran
sit bureau wa "headless" lie re-
ported only to Chairman Mccall YER
bally. and left no written reports
Il was because OF Boyle's study that
Joseph Johnson was made chief Of tho
transit bureau ut $500 a year, and u
- Johnson who has found evidence OF
overc ,owG.u-. or the strength of which
m1ndarus Suts have hecn ordered
against the marlborough and the y. Il.
r
Have YOU read tine law which makes
% mandatory for the Commissioners
themselves 10 see that their orders are
obcyrd" " Colonel Hayward asked.
tnr witness said he had. and that or
d'rs mad pceu enforced to tho salts
faction Of the commission and myself
! don't know about the transit compa
mics"
Chairman McCau believes. ne said, in
mandanus. not penalty suits. as tao
penalty was $4,000 and iuries wore In
the habit of throwing such cases ont
Of court. But ne added that he thought
the present suits against the " II. T.
and iutCrborOagi might fail because OF
evidence which be- knew to be irsuffi-
Gent wnen the suits were ordered by
the commission
lie also testified that ia.l sentences
for officers ~ transit companies might
hc wholesome" provided they wiifuiiy
ui.I'g ,~dcd the cumniss Ions orders, Of
which nee was scepUcal
Mr.. MCCa' WAS astonlshed to learn
tina; Dr. the lilies is a memorandum from
tliof Clerk baggett To- Chie' Electrical
III gineer Wilder wanting to know IL
these matters referring to complaints
"a fYllg q i
fed in striugiug along the complaints.
rs 30 often happens" lie was greatly
NeNed that such a note should have
been written.
Finally Mr. Mccall took full r"spon-
s.h.lity for everything the commission
has done In the last eighteen months
As TO charging the commissions iurIs-
a., ton. he believed ID should include all
of Long Island and possibly Westches-
ter County In transit matters. aud that
telephone supervision In the metropo,i-
tan district s1oulG also BE- transferred
from IN. upstate to the city commits
sion.
Temperature Drops.
tol Hayward who used TO he foot
ban captain at the University Of Ne.
hraeAl. had tire vays well creased fol
the launching Of his star witness For
three days %" mad been pilng up owl
dencc OF violations of the commissions
orders. Enter chairman Mccall TO.
answer the prime questions. who's re-
spous,bleo and What do YOU think OF It
al'?"
The witness at first was ali smiles.
but eventually tho temperature dropped
on both sides.
Whcn col. Hayward swept into a
stream Of questions concerning Mr. Nc
Calrs law practic. designed to SHOW
that no had not given the public MI
his time the h"aEing was all punch
punch. punch from tho Colonel and
grave. measured. but usually complete
answers from tle commissions chair
man. only half coomtul Of people
were present. To-day Mr.. Mccall is
likely to have a chance to make a state
ment in his own behalf, which he wishes
to do.
Mr.. Mccall was appointed chairman
of the commission by Gov. Sulzcr on
February :. 1913. In his early teSCf-
;3.cHy - ted -" .hc commission hal
been marking time and how his first Ave
or slN weeks We're devoted 20 getting the
dual system contracts with the COM
pauics in final form He said the en-
cheering and legal departments were
practically paralyzed' until the cor
tracts were signed, and there was a
crisis IN the situation He claimed no
q. cdit for the contamination Of the con-
tracts. as his predecessor as chairman.
William r. Wilcox, would have voted
Just as he did.
In dividing the work since then each
commissioner had looked after tho ar
fairs Of his own borough. About two
months ago Mr. Mccall established
hearing calendar for the full commits
sion to get quicker action.
is a commission OF FIVE the right
number" asked Mr.. Thompson. chair
man OF the investigating committee.
The reply was Yes because the work Is
tremendous"