New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-05
M'CALL URGED
10 QUIT BEFORE
GOVERNOR ACTS
friends Anxious to Save
Him from Ignominy
of Removal.
WILLIAMS AND WOOD
ALSO SLATED TO GO
huffman Understood To Be
Ready to Move as Soon as
Charges Are Preferred.
.u.r - q ra. rrieune.l

,r.-, star Correspondent Of Tho Tiouno.l
,lhsnv. Dec. 4.-Pressure Of the
.,rorgsst and most influential kind ia
80 brought to bear on Edward Z.
Mccall to induce him TO resign as
HERMAN Of the Public Service Com
u;.,iou before Monday morning, when
covsrnor whitman will make known
h;s decision on the charges OF the
Tsompson comm. ttee against him. Tho
covsrnor, according to persons in his
.o,fdepce, has decided to remove Nc
csu and this information has been
communicated to the Public Service
Commission chairman through mutual
friends.
Because Of this, members of the
,bsiruan's immediate family and other
relatives. it was learned to-day. have
been doing their utmost to persuade
him 20 accept the verdict and retire
from the commission TO avoid the ig-
nOminy of being removed by the Gov
ernor. Mccall, il is understood. has
shown no inclination TO listen to the
Meas of his family. He is said to be
convinced that the Governor, II he does
contemplate his removal, will weaken
AZ the last minute and save him once
more.
Mccall, apparently. is the only one
who shares this belief, at least so FAR as
Albany is concerned. 1t is understood,
however, that because of his long years
Of friendship for Mccall the Governor
finds it an unpleasant duty TO take
drastic action against him, and hopes
10 be relieved of the necessity OF dong
so by receiving the Public Service Com
sion chairman's resignation between
now and Monday morning.
Goes Over Charges and Answer.
BEFORE leaving for the Great Mead
ov-s prison, at Comstock. TODAY. the
Governor spent several hours polng
over the charges of the Thompson COM
mittee and McCalrs answer to them, 10
satisfy himself that removal was the
only decision he could make in the cir
cumstances.
No confirmation could be obtained OF
the report that Postmaster Edward VI.
Morgan was being considered by the
Governor for a place on the commits
sion. In some quarters il was suspec,-
ed that friends of President wilson
were responsible for its circulation tne
obvious purpose being to minimize the
criticism which the Presidents failuro
~ reappoint Mr.. Morgan would arouse.
Thus far. it is understood. Mr.. Nor
cans name has not been considered.
Governor Whitman, II became known
tonight, has practically become con,
WINGED that George V. s. Williams ana
Robert Colgate Wood have lost their
usefulness as members Of the Public
Service Commission, and their removal
within the next fortnight Is predlcted.
Charges against both are expected TO
be sent 10 the Governor by the Thomp-
son Legislative Committee within
few days. -,
one of the chief reasons on which
the removal Of Williams will be asked
is his opinion in the Kings County gas
rate case, in which ne has sustained
the present rate of 95 cents thousand
cubic feet. This opinion has been held
in allowance BY the commission az the
request Of the Thompson committee.
Oil Prices Considered.
In arriving at his decision Commits
sioner Williams testified that he had
given much weight 20 an oil contract
which the company had. although ad-
hitting that the price the company PAID
for this commodity was much hlgner
than that paid by other gas companies
In Brooklyn.
Commissioner Hayward. who is slated
20 succeed Mccall as chairman, also
wrote an 0. lion in this case, In when
he recommended a rate Of So cents, be-
ginning January /. Mr.. Hayward testi-
fed that the oil contract looked sus-
pieious 10 him, and that in fixing his
rate he had taken the price paid by
other companies. The difference be-
tween the two prices he said, made
difference Of between 8 and cents
thousand cubic feet.
The charges against Wood VIII be
based primarily on his transfer OF
American Sanitary Supply Company
stock 10 John A. Maher for 81. Mr.
Maher is the son Of Edward A. Msher,
yiee-president and general manager OF
the Third Avenue Railway Company,
and only a year previous 20 the trans
Ter had sold the stock 70 Wood for
$1,000. The sanitary company was seek
ing contracts with the railroads for the
installation of slot machines from
vhica one could get a clean towel for
q nickel.
Senator Thompson is Of the opinion