New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-10
He Regards Report Sub
mitted by Investigators
as Charges.
COMMISSIONERS GET
TEN DAYS FOR REPLY
Investigators Split Into Three
Factions, Each of Which
Presents Its Findings.
.s.,- Correspondent Q, The Trieunsl

e..- co--ssn,pd.nt o. The Tribune
- March Charges looking
49,. romoval Of Chairman Edward r.
cou Robert {. Wood. J. Sergeant
~, end George V. s. Williams four
=, ,.be five members Of the 1st DIS
..;,. Public Service Commission Will
,..,. 70 them within the next day or
asa result Of the report submit
"a "a Governor Whitman today by
a. Thompson legislative INVESTIGATING
..,nittee. While the report criucise'
wuo R. Maltbie. fifth member OF the
..,,r,ission. charges to bring about MS
,.movsl are not necessary as his term
,vr;red on February !. and the uoV-
.-.or can appoint his successor at any
time.
"a, soon as have had an oppor-
.,.;+vp said Governor Whitman TO
nina the conclusions Of the com
-i,.ior which I understand practically
.n,onrt 10 charges. shall notify the
..r,i,s;oners that charges have been
msde Under the Public Service Com
u;,.,on law. they are given ten days IN
rb;cb 10 answer, and they may then
,,r.sr before me for hearing If they
desire
Assuming that their removal Is IN
.vitsbls." the Governor was asked
avopld it be predicated upon your hay-
ing their successors ready
AZ don't say that" he replied.
Governor Whitman has already de
c,sred that re intends TO name Colonel
HAYWARD. his counsel end the counsel
for the Thompson committee, as chair
man Of the 1st District commission,
hut he would give no inkling as to
whether he had any other appointees
in mind.
Republicans Ask Removal.
Accompanying the majority report.
Joint letter, signed by the Republican
members Of the Thompson committee
was sent TO the Governor. II called his
attention TO the section Of the Public
Service Commission law providing for
the removal Of members on charges.
"These facts" said the letter, refer
ring TO the contents Of the report, "if
unexplained and undenied, constitute,
in our opinion, such ineficiency, neglect
Of duty and misconduct in Office within
the meaning Of said section as TO JUS
tify heir removal by you, and to re
quire you 10 use the said report as
basis Tor charges against the commits
sioners Of the lst District, upon which
they, of course, have q right TO hear
ing as provided by law.
Senator Cromwell, however, IS not
convinced that the commission, as n
whole, has not been dilgcnt in pressing
forward the work Of subway ccnstruc-
ton under the so-called dual con
tracts"
This part Of the letter is signed by
Senator's George +. Thompson. chair
man, and George Cromwell and Assem-
blymen W. J. Maier, l.. Leslie Kincaid,
John Mcknight and K. Hunter McQuis-
ton.
Senator Ogden L. Mills, who held
That the Governor should draw his own
conclusions, said: Fl concur, but in
view Of the fact that the commission
ers arc about TO be tried on charges.
DO not regard it as my duty to do more
than 10 find the facts, leaving the con-
ellsions thercfrom TO be drawn by the
Governor"
Il concur i'm the above" said Ser
aior Robert K. Lawson, except as to
the words unexplained and undenied
The facts explain themselves in the
record. do not concur with Senator
Cromwell in the last paragraph"
Democrats Refuse TO Sign.
The Democratic members Senator
James A. Foley and Assemblymen
Sharlcs D. Donohue and Frederick s.
burr refused 10 sign the letter. 1t is
understood that Senator Foley took d
synopsis Of the majority report to New
lork on Saturday, and conferred with
Nhairman Mccall concerning IT, From
an authoritative source il was also
stated that Colonel Hayward asked
Chairman Mccall and Commissioners
'ram, Wood and Williams for their
Heslgnatons last week.
nave not yet seen any designations
ID my mall said the Governor.
ne members Of the Thompson com
ml'lee have made out three reports Of
continued on page o. column