New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-06
STATE PAID FOR ALL
AND FED CHAUFFEUR
Lack of information on
Violations a Puzzle to
investigators,
NEGLECT DENIED
BY COMMISSIONER
labored at Night Over Law
Cases-Says Official Has No
Time for Private Business.


William Hayward. counsel for the
legislative committee investigating the
pgbue Service Commission. sprung an
,.le~ surprise Yesterday on Edward T.
Meal. chairman Of the commission,
,lo was on the witness stand again
all day.
After :he chairman had spent con
siderable time in explaining just how
his handling Of his private law cases
Rad not interfered with his work for
The commission and had again defended
himself and associates for not taking
legsl action sooner 70 enforce the ser
v,,e orders against the railway cOmpa-
,s,, Nr. Hayward suddenly switched
% the automobiles owned by the COM
mission.
Did YOU use one Of them as a pri-
r,,e car" asked counsel in suave
tone.
NcCalrs Rides in T. s. Auto.
ooh. no." said the chairman, shak-
inr bis head and smiling in a peculiar
sort Of way. Certainly not"
Mr.. Hayward STOPPED over and from
gader the table produced pile Of
thick blue cards.
"In the Offices OF the Public Service
Commission" counsel began, speaking
dov'~. ".here is chauffeur's daily re-
rort showing the mileage Of the cars.
the mileage and the number of pas
wngers. ] have subpenaed the record
Ct the car that seems TO have been used
By YOU"
Then he proceeded 20 read a number
oi the cards m the period between
June, 1913. and June. 1914. They
showed tina, not only had Mccall re-
pestedIv used the commission car to
70 to his summer home in Easthamp-
ton, but also had made trips 20 Garden
City. Piping Rock, White Plains and
Mount Vernon
The total mileage of the car for days
on which II was being used by Mccall
!or pleasure trips was 1854 in d single
year.
For days at time the car was at
Essihsmp.on, seventy miles out on
Long Island, gathering up mileage on
;hs beautiful roads in that vicinity, ac-
eordirg TO the chaufeur's records.
Spins to Polo Grounds.
Then those exceedingly informative
ards indicated that Mccall had on
rsny occasions been carried from the
'oAces OF the commission TO 155th St"
about 2:5O o'clock in the afternoon.
Baseball is one Of the chsirman's hob
bies, and he acknowledged that 155th
81 without doubt meant the Polo
Grounds. He said he went as often as
he had time.
You did have time, then: ?" said Hay
ward, thinking Of the repeated state
nents Of the chairman that he was so
rushed with the subway work he did
not have time 20 look into the regu-
ia''ve side Of the commissions busi-
ness.
On his guard here, Mccall replied:
NO ina' is, not az all times"
but the records would seem TO indi-
Vsie that he did have time 70 20 to
,hir,een ball games in the car owned
.! me Public Service Commission in
!'i5 and 20 two iu 1914.
vouchers received from the executive
Suoitor IN Albany show that the ex-
Pthse OF operating this car in the year
isl3 was S3,82l 72. Of which 81 200 rep
resented the salary of the chauffeur.
Chauffeur Fed by State.
The operating expense for 1913 was
Eo' pI; iu the record but A number OF
ne cards bore on their back a dinner
Sharge q. K.'d with the initials of the
easufeur, which would seem TO indi~
es'e that the government paid for his
meals on some Of these jaunts.
NcCall was rs changeable as an April
esy IN his moods on the stand yester-
gay At times he laughed until his
noes shook. Then he was placid and
Wogghtiul Again. his face would sud
oeniy darken with wrath, and he would
snap out his answers like the rattle Of
machine gun.
ilme and again the members Of the
committee fnd Hayward would return
me question as 20 whether he did
iol think there was something radical
y wrong with the organization OF a
eooy that would permit its chairman
70 be ignorant until within "A month Or
20 OF violations Of their orders 10 pub
nc service corporations.
knew about the conditions. but ]
oid not know about the orders or their
Violations" repeated Mccall, as he had
,1piained many times on Thursday. !
vas engrossed on paramount matters
Now" said Hayward. in his tan
nllzing way. land ! ask this in all
nhoness, will you please tell us no"
many OF .hese matters you could nave
iiound Que about il YOU had devoted
ne same time 20 delving into them
mat you had devoted TO your private
Jaw practice ?"
Worked at Law by Night.
Apparently exasperatcd and har-
issed beyond measure. the witness shot