The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-28
Commissioner Criticised in
Gas Case Goes Out
With Cram.
WOOD ONLY DEMOCRAT
LEFT AFTER FEB. 1


the Governor at Albany. Is 10 become
effective February /. when the term
Of Commissioner J. Sergeant Cram ex.
pires.
It is known that the desire o: Com
missioner Williams to have his term
end on the same day that an.ther
Democratic Commissioner leaves office
Is OF particular Significance 1t Is meant
to give effect to an idea that the sooner
those Commissioners who have h.en
associated with fellow members against
whom charges have been made ge, out
OF the commission the better It will be
Tor that organization and tho great
undertakings In which 1t is engaged
Commissioner Williams issued for
NAL statement last night In which TO
hint Is given as to the real reason
for his resignation as II IL assigned by
those In his confidence. He wartcda Il,
understood that his resignation was Not
prompted by possibility Of charges
being made against him BY the Thonip-
son legislative committee. On the con-
trary. 1t has been understood fjr the
last two weeks that Senator Thompson
and his colleagues have given up the
idea OF filing charges against Commits
sioner Williams and he intends that the
only matter which could have been the
basis OF charge against him shall
be cleared up before his rcsignat on
becomes effective
Mr.. WiIIlams's Statement.
In his statement the Commissioner
says:
For some time I have contemplated
resigning from the commission and
returning to the practice of the law.
but when the latest investigation
was started felt that could
scarcely in justice to myself retire
while under fire
Now that the investigating COM
mittee has gone thoroughly into my
actions. official and otherwise. and
examined into my bank accounts so
that my income AZ well as my outgo
has been scrutnized and the only
criticism appearing to be directed 10
n tentative opinion In a gas rate
case in which certain members of the
committee disagree with me. ! have
decided to retire with the expra-
tion of Commissioner Crane term
on February /.
have accordingly sent my resig-
nation TO the Governor to take onec'
on January 81 at midnight. by which
time I hope that the unfinished mat
ters now before the commission can
be disposed Of
To my friends. especially in Brook
lyn, who have stood by the commis-
sion during the turbulent times since
the signing of the dual contra IT'S.
wish to express my heartfelt graft
tude Toward those who have cri''-
cised bear no III will ] shall AZ
ways feel proud of the part that I
a 20 faE In
ing about of the great transit I'M
provements which are now being car
red to completion. the only great i'm
proyement Brooklyn has been able
to get for years and apparently IN.
only one she will get for years 10
come.
No one has chafed over the delays
incident to the construction more
than /. and ! hope that from this
time the work will go on more
rapidly and that my successor will
be spared Investigations. charges.
Grand Jury inquiries and the like and
he permitted TO do his work on the
commission for the public must reai-
ixe that IL public officials are to excl
else their best judgment and fui,
abilities they must be free from con-
tinuous Investigations. But In saying
this ! do not mean to imply that they
should not be held 10 the fullest ac-
countabilty for their public acts.
Move q Complete Surprise.
The resignation of Commissioner viii.
Jams was a complete surprise. Report
ers were summoned to his office at
o'clock last night by James b. Walker
assistant secretary OF the commission
Commissioner Williams and Commis
sioner Hayward were together In th'
former, office.
~ nave called YOU here to tell yot
thar ] have resigned. w. j. Glacken
nv secretary. left at 12: 80 o'clock fol
Albany to lay my resignation befor'
Gov Whitman. He was instructed t'
let me know IL he did not find him.
have not heard from him and ASSUME
therefore that the resignation Is In th'
hands OF the Governor
HAS your resignation been prompted
bv the investigation of the Thompson
committee? asked some one after tn
written statement OF the Commissioned
had been read. =.
"It was not. but rather in spite Of II
To thought that the Thompson com
mittee was going to bring anything III
eainst me. to resign would be the las
thing / would do"
The Commissioner added that MI
present plan 10 to resume the practice o
the law at SIS Liberty street, where h
has kept his library since he became
Commissioner Albert f. Richardson
his former law partner. has an ONCE
that address. but Mr.. Williams had noth
ing to say about resuming practice AS
Arm. ,, -,
MIR. williams said that he hoped hi
successor would be n Brooklyn man ant
that he thought II would be well II wv
brooklyn men were members OF tho com
mission. ., 81,
AS for the real reason behind. hi
resignation. his friends say that he ha
fe,t most keenly the possible enects o
the allegation made before the Thompson
Iegis,ative committee that Comm sslone
| wood sought money from the Unio'
switch and Signal Company for his IN
Nuence in SWINGING to that concern
contract for installing signals In tn
Torrth avenue subway In Brooklyn. Tht
a,Ievation and others connected with
are, being Investigated by the Gram
Jury.
First Hiatt Of Graft.
Comnissioner Williams felt the sn,ar
=, mat accusation against his colleagus
=, was the first intimation OF dishonest.
an the part of any Commissioners, al
thongh the Investigation began earl
last sprlng. Judge Mccall was remove
as chairman, but In the long list
cbaryes against him there was not
hInt ~ ANYTHING like graft. His friend