The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-23
SERVICE BOARD ON
THE CARPET TO-DAY
Gov. Whitman to Hear Their
Answer to Charges of
Neglect.
REMOVAL Is EXPECTED

ALBANY. March 22.-Chaifmau I'D
ward r. Mccall and Commissioned O..
v. s. Williams OF the Ncw York city
Public Service Commission reached Al
bany tonight. prepared to file to-mor-
row with The Governor their answers TO
charges made against them by Mr.. Whit
man on which he expects to base their
removal. Commissioner j. Sergeant
Cram and Robert e. Wood tho other
two against whom charges were Med,
are expected tomorrow morning.
DO you want any delay in this mat
ter?' COMMISSIONS Williams was asked.
why should We want any delay he
asked. we are prepared to go ahead
and defend ourselves at a hearing to-
morrow
Chairman Mccall disappeared soon
after ne reached Albany and It was re-
ported thst he went to the Executive
Mansion for a conference with the Gov
ernor, hut on reliable authority II Is
learned that h did not visit ;hc man
sion.
Col. HAYWARD. counsel to the Thomp-
son legislative committee. stated def
nitoly tonight that the hearing will be
held tomorrow.
The hearing will 20 on tomorrow
and I Will be present said Col Hay
ward tonight when asked II he had
heard reports that the Public service,
Commissioner would merely file their
fnrrna1 nsusAr an1 Tho hga rim tttanlA
be postponed until later.
Col. Hayward has s~uhprnied all the
records in tho cases into which tho
legislative committee inquired during
its Investigation of the New York city
commission. These will be placed in
Gov. Whitman's hands as soon As the
hearing opens.
The answer OF Chairman Edward T..
Mccall IN q long defence of his actiona
rs Commissioner In which the criticisms
Of Counsel Hayward are answered IN
detail. The answers OF the other Com.
IN ssioners are ready for Submission 10
the Governor.
Commissioner Martin 5. Decker NJ the
Upstate Public Service Commission
filed n statement with the Thompson
investigating committee to-day. point
Ing out that ho had. participated in the
consideration and adoption of orders dis.
posing Of more than 1000 cases during
his eight wears service a. {, commits.
sioner and that a large proportion %;
such orders were prepared by him. IL
further points out that of the col opin.
ions written by the commissioners h,
personally preps red 50 of them. and
continues:
In the present investigation no effort
has been made TO bring out with clear
ness and with any specification the
great amount of work which has beer
done by the commission and its various
members. the character OF that worh
or the results of IL a. affecting the pub.
lie interest. and II Is therefore i'm
possible for this committee to make
any finding whatsoever upon the genera
efficiency and attention to duty OF the
commission or it's members unless II
shall lind In favor of the commission as
10 its general efficiency and attention
70 duty.
"In the testimony taken before tn.
committee seven cases out OF 400,
have been selected as the subject ui
examination with reference to my work
Three OF those cases are mentioned
solely on the ground OF delay"
COMMISSIONS Decker then reviews n
length the facts concerning the sever
cases criticised by Counsel HAYWARD
and insists that the action OF the rom.
mission in these cases should not bs
subjected to adverse criticism.
Chairman Mccall and COMMISSIONS
Williams left for Albany At I o'Diocl
yesterday afternoon 'wNh Travis II
whitney, secretary of the commissi n
and Le Roy V. Hardness. assistant
counsel. On the same. train went q
trunkfu of records which had been sub
p~nsed by the Thompson committee.
The Commissioners were directed Il
produce In the Executive Chamber to
day all the records that had been us-C
BY the committee In It's hearings q
City Hall. # MAS supposed that th'
this material for possible use in ques
tioning the Commissioners II they dp
pear before him to-day.
None of the Commissioners knew f.
sure Yesterday that the hearing woul,
take place to-day. IN the notification
sent fhom by tho Governor eleven dav'
ago he SAID THAT TN, written answer
mus. hc filed Icy noon "n March "a
and that there would he = hearing thei
OF on . later daN, to- b. tiNrd by him.
Al the written defence vas DELAYED
until tn. last moment II has been int
mated that tho hearing might he p -
poned until the Governor had time :,
study tho commissioner
Mccall. Williams and Wood worked ~
day sunday on their defence. and II di,
not go to the printer until Yesterday.
Commissioner Wood LEFT for Alhar'
at midnight lse' night. cHmmissione
Cram Will go IN his morning. ~
Wood was asked Yesterday II he ~
pected to tax sharply TO the ';overno
AT the hearing He shook his head an
said II haven't = bit Of p'fsona
feeling in the matter"