The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-21
SAYS MCCALL KNEW
AS CHAIRMAN OF
WOOD BRIDE TALE
Federal Signal Head Tells
Thompson Committee +. $.
Head Was Indignant.
$4,000 SPEED DEVICE
FACTOR IN JOR LETTING

'ho bHoitlHsou leklSltllNc NbffiliIlttte NcS-
terday that he had told Edward T.. Me-
Call, then chairman of the Public Service
Commission, what he knew OF an alleged
effort on tho part of Public Service Com
missioner Wood to obtain a consideration
from the Federal ompan for his iniu-
ence In behalf of the concerns effort to
get the contract for installing n signal
service in the Fourth avenue subway In
Brooklyn.
Mr.. Renshaw said that Judge Mccall
Expressed Indignation, but not surprise
and urged him to lay this information
before Gov. Glynn In formal charges.
That was not done. said Mr.. Renshaw,
because of the feeling on his part that
proof was lacking. He said further that
lc heard hat charges of some kind had
already been made against the Commits
sioner. hut he could not remember from
whom he got that Information. Former
Gov. Glynn was quoted yesterday as de-
nying that any charges against Commits
siouer Wood mad been laid before him.
Much OF Mr.. R~enshaw's time on the
stand was taken up with a discussion OF
the progress engineers have made In per-
fccting speed control devices. II was the
opinion of MIR. Renshaw, who has had
ycaIS VI tAItlitilNt W inc puSilltss, tlit
nothing Of value along this lire has yet
been developed. This testimony and
more like 1t will be used by the Thonp-
son committee when it begins to investi-
cato an item of $4,000 on the books of
tho General Railway Signal Company,
which appears to have been expended for
the purchase OF a patent Oh a speed con-
troll device. The committees Information
10 that probably 800 would cover the
value Of any speed control device known
to engineers. and its attitude Is that the
General company, which obtained the
Fourth avenue subway signal cortrac;
after tho specifications had been changed.
must explain why any such amount as
$50, 900 was spent on an unprotected de-
vice.
Gar Only Partly Equipped.
Clifton W Wilder. who has been on
the engineering staff Of the Public Ser
Vice Commission for the last eight years.
admitted yesterday that the only thing
done 20 far by tho General company to-
ward installing a speed control device
and Il was upon the companys pronise
to do so that the contract was obtained
has been partly to equip an experimental
car. Up to the present nothing but the
standard signal devices have been in
stalled In this Fourth avenue section OF
the dual subway system.
Mr.. Wilder explained that under the
contract the General company did not
guarantee to install a successful speed
control device, but merely to eX periment.
and II one were discovered to install II
on the Il. Il. T. subways In brooklyn.
Asked what the General company had
done with speed control, Mr.. Wilder said
AN experimental car. partly quipped. had
been put on the Sea Beach line.
MI - NAaN h.a haa. iona L. NhA
partial equipment Of that carr" asked
senator Thompson.
Yes
And the compan has been at work
for a year
yes"
ANYBODY could do that, ouldn her
81 suppose So"
After saying that he had told Judge
Mccall practically the same story that
he had told on the witness stand last
Saturday Mr.. Renshaw said his con-
versat!on with the then chairman of the
commission took place not more than
three days after the incident referred to,
what did you say TO him. asked
Deputy Attorney-General Lewis.
Il told him that Commissioner Wood
had practically given Mr.. Cade an OPP
p%ortunity to offer him compensation for
his influence in behalf of our company.
That Is the pith of il. Furthermore. I
told him that Mr.. Banks had asked Cade
70 see him. and that he had practically
solicited from Cade a consideration for
his influence and that Of Wood"
where did YOU meet Judge McCall"'
I'm his office. He expressed indigna-
ton, but not surprise. He suggested that
take the charges to Gov. Glynn. l did
not do 40 for the reason that It would
simply be one mans word against that
Of another, with no further proof than
tho mere statement"
do you know II other charges had
been made against Mr.. Wood?'
~ understand so. but ] can't say
whether or not Judge Mccall told me
that"
what did those other charges relate
tor .
~ 10 not know"
"Did you make an effort TO learnT
"Yes, but | WAS not successful"
Mccall Informed Again.
lir. Renshaw said that he believed he
had again told Judge Mccall about the
Wood-Cade meeting. He was then
asked many questions concerning auto
matte stop devices and speed control de-
vices. He explained that after the first
bids for the Fourth avenue work had
been put In the specifications were so
changed az TO give the companies a
chance to change their bids so as to
over experiments with "a speed control
device. The General Railway Signal
company obtained that contract. hut, MI.
Renshaw averred, had not done anything
"xcept follow out the original speciiica-
TONS under which his ompany was the
how bidder.
Senator Thompson ~nnounced that
Commissioner Woods mother had gone
10 Connecticut for her health. but that
her counsel. Mr.. Stanchfield. had agreed
that she would appear when wanted.
She has been under subpoena to tell
about a loan made to Commissioner
Wood just before he became "a Commits
stoner.
The hearing will go on this morning.
The Grand Jury continued yesterday
IT'S Investigation of the allegation that
Commissioned Wood ag!ced to take
$1,000 from the Union Switch and
sigma! Company in connection with the
aware of a contract for installing signals
in the Centre street loop section of the
subway. sidney q. johnson, former vice
president Of the company. who says that
Wood made the suggestion to hsn that
his influence was worth $1,000, was a
witness, There is no disposition to
hurry an Indictment The investigation
will continue until all available informa-
Ito Is well in hand.
PARLIAMENT Is EXTENDED.