New-York tribune., 1915-03-30
Governor Plans to Com
bine, Instead of Ousting,
Commissions.
THOMPSON CHARGES
MAY BE DROPPED
Manhattan Senators Say APP
pointee Has Not Lived Long
Enough in State.
lFrom a., siar Correspondent Of The Tribune,

lFrom StaF Correspondent Of The Tribune
Albany. March %. Governor Whit.
man tonight appointed Colonel Will
lam Hayward Public Service Commits
sioner for the 1st District to succeed
Milo r, Maltbie, whose term expired
February /.
when the appointment reached the
Senate, following its custom, it was re-
ferred to the Finance Committee.
As member of the commission, Col
onel Hayward will receive $4,000 a
year, an increase of $4,000 over his
present salary. The appointment is
for five years.
The appointment viii come up for
confirmation probably on Wednesday.
Two New York City Republican Sena-
tors tonight indicated they would op-
pose the confirmation.
Governor Whitman this afternoon
said in reference to the nomination:
Colonel Hayward's appointment is a
purely personal one. There is no poll
tics back Of it,"
Colonel Hayward has been in New
York only few years. having run for
Congress in Nebraska In 1912. He is
thirty-six years old, and was an As
sistant District Attorney under Gov
ernor Whitman. In the last Presiden-
tial campaign he served as assistant
secretary of the Republican National
Committee. and during the probe of
the Public Service Commissions he was
counsel to the Thompson committee.
Senator George F. Thompson, chair
man of the committee, said tonight:
'If the New York City Republicans
want Colonel Hayward III vote for him.
If they don't, I'll vote against him.
assume this attitude because the ap-
iy."
1t is the plan of the Republican lead
ers to reorganize the Public Service
Commissions and supplant the two
comm Assions with single commission.
of which 1t is proposed TO make Colonel
Hayward the head
That this was the intention OF the
Governor and the Legislative leaders
was exclusively announced in The Trib-
une last January. To-day the situation
reached point where a conference be-
tween the Governor, Senator Brown
and Speaker Sweet was held on the sub
ject.
From an authoritative source il was
learned that bill reorganizing the
Public Service commissions along such
lines will be introduced within the next
ten days. This bill means the. ousting
Of the present commissions, and will
obviate the necessity Il asking the res
ignations of Mccall, Wood, Cram and
Williams, against whom charges of in
efficiency, incompetency and neglect Of
duty have been filed.
Following the opposition TO the plan
for q single commission the plan was
abandoned and the Thompson commit
tee created to investigate the charges
filed against the Public Service Com
mission.
Before the Thompson commission
ended its work it was believed that Nc
Call, Cram, Wood and Williams would
be asked to resign.
This plan also seems to have been
abandoned for the reorganization of
the commission, which the Governor is
now undertaking.
Senator Thompson said his investi-
eating committee would make its final
report on the I'd District Commission
to the Senate next Monday. 1t is TN
derstood it will not contain anything
to warrant the removal of the mem
bers of the commission. In fact, its
criticism will be general and mild. SEN
ator Thompson said in so far as the
report dealt with the conduct of the
commissioners it would present only
facts, on which the Governor could
draw his own conclusions.