New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-08
HIS HANDBOOK
WAY GUST WOOD
p. S. Commissioner Will
Be Affected by Report
on Certain Accounts.
MORSE'S TESTIMONY
WILL SPRING MINE
Semple Declares the 95-Cent Gas
Rate Is Not Warranted-Hay-
ward Backs Testimony.

Sensational developments are ex-
pected before the Thompson legislative
committee when Perley Morse, the
commissions accountant, makes his re
port on his examination Of certain
bank accounts which the commission
has been after. Senator Thompson con
firmed this last night.
The developments, it is understood,
will have a bearing on the charges
which the Thompson committee will
make against Commissioner Wood and
on which Governor Whitman will be
asked to remove him from Office. This
course. the Governor has already de-
cided upon, 1t Is understood.
Wood declined yesterday TO allow the
committees accountant to examine his
deposits in the CoPmercial Trust
Company, in Jersey City. The com
mittee is anxious to inspect these, in
Guiding the check for $1,000 which
Wood admitted yesterday he had re-
ceived from the Union Switch and
Signal Company for having obtained
for that company the contract to IN
stall signals on the Kansas City, Clay
County & St. Joseph Railroad.
Oliver c. Semple, who is now now, under
consideration by Governor NnlVihah
for appointment to the Public Service
Commission, was grilled for more thah
an hour before the committee yes'el
day afternoon, and he proved an I GH
cellent witness in his own benaII; rs
appointment to the commission Is Delnb
opposed by Senator thompson.
Nr Semple was quizzed regarding tne
part he had in preparing portion Vi
Commissioner Williams's opinion hG-
ing % cents as the rate lor gas IN tne
territory controlled by the Kings Couh-
ty Lighting Company. The asSistan'
ooS9,,1sel frankly said that he had writ
49,, That he did under orders from
Commissioner Williams that he was
simplv a subordinate, obeying the IN
structions of his superior.
9j-Cent Rate Attacked.
Personally he believed that the, rate
Of % cents was not warranted ana saiu
that he had written an opinion 10 lnlo
effect. Commissioner Williams among
other things, had told him TO CONSIDER
an excessive oil contract IN preparing
his part Of Williams opinion. + "a
". he said, he did not believe tnat .hIs
contract should be considered: ne eNen
went so far as 70 have Dr. NeDer' ohe
of the commissions engineers, prepalg
statistics Of the company for hlh' anu
with this as basis he hxed rate con
siderably lower than that Oh Coihih'S-
sioner Williams. ~
Tbe former commissioners, MT.
cenrla said. paid considerable atten-
tion TO his suggestions, but the present
commission had not done so. MI
Semplo said he had discussed the ques-
tion with Commissioner Hayward IN the
last ten DAYS, but that his recoliectio
v5ae bazv as 10 what had taken place.
Commissioner Hayward was called 10
the stand rather unexpectedly TO tel'
what ne knew about the conversation
Uo said he remembered having dls-
cussed the allowance Of Z per cent WIN
MIR Cemple. and that the latter had sara
that that sum was sufficient. Colonel
HAYWARD. by the way, has also written
an opinion i'm this case, when mas peeh
dragging before the commission since
1910. fixing rate of SO cents.
"Didn't Mr.. Semple tell you that he
was clad there was somebody VINO had
the nerve TO write an opinion and not
take into consideration the oil con,
tract? ," Deputy Attorney General
Lewis asked -. -
Colonel Hayward admitted that 1t
was so. He said he had talked with
MIR. Semple about the oil contract, ana
that he understood Mr.. Semp!e TO nave
said that he did not see why an OIL
contract made eleven months before a
sinoie gallon Of oil was needed should
l. tnLnn in4n consideration.