Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-12-07
Mccall DepOsed
by Gov. Whitman
AS CHAIRMAN OF PUBLIC SER
VICE COMMISSION
2 CHARGES DISMISSED
Removal Made Because He Owned
Stock of a Corporation Under the
Supervision of His Commission.

Albany, n. Y, Dec. edward z.
Mccall, of New York, a former justice
of the state supreme court, was to-
night removed from office as chairman
of the down-stat public service COM
mission by Governor Whitman, who
sustained in part the charges pre-
ferred against the commissioner by
the Thompson investigating commit
tee of the legislature.
Violation of Law.
The governors decision was that
Mccall, in violation of the public SER
vice commission law, owned stock OF
a corporation under the supervision of
leging neglect of duty and inefhciency
were dismissed.
To Appoint a Temporary Chairman.
Governor Whitman tonight said that
tomorrow he would designate Commits
sioner William Hayward of New York
as temporary chairman and that at the
same time he probably would appoint
commissioner to fill the vacancy
caused by McCalls removal. Mccall
was appointed February g. 1913 and
had two more years to serve.
Evidence Reviewed at Length.
In the opinion Governor Whitman
reviewed at length the evidence TO
support the charge that Chairman Nc
Call was the owner of 3S7 shares OF
stock of the Kings County Electric
Light and Power company, as well as
the commissioners explanation that
before entering upon his official duties
he transferred these holdings to his
wife. In this connection the govern
or says:
No Evidence of Transfer of Stock.
There is nothing before me which
in any way evidences the transfer of
stock from the ownership of the COM
missioner to that of his wife except
the commissioners unsupported state
ment and while I have no desire to
question the truth of his statement
that he intended to transfer the stock
to his wife, there is no competent evil
dence before me to show such transfer
was ever made There is no evidence
comply with the elementary legal re-
quirements. 1 do not believe that a
transfer within the meaning oc the law
| was ever made"
| of the tax law providing a penalty for
| transferring stock without affiXing
thereto the necessary stock transfer
stamp and continues:
Violation Either Way.
Therefore if we assume that there
| was such a transfer we have this
| situation-a former justice of the su
! preme court when one offense is
! charged against him, offers as a de-
| fense that he has committed another
| If it be true that he transferred this
stock to his wife and that he wrote a
memorandum at that time, setting
| forth his purpose to transfer, his fail
ure to pay the tax requirement by law
! was a crime for which he could be i'm
! prisoned for six months. OF course
| the fact that the statute of limitations
| protects him now from prosecution has
no bearing upon the question involv-
| ed"
Finds Charge is Sustained.
| 81 find that this charge is sustained
and I direct the removal of the COM
| missioner.
Having sustained this charge, the
| other charges and specifications there
| under for the purposes of the records
| and in conformity to the statute. are
hereby dismissed
Mccall was appointed by Governor
| Sulzer. He had the endorsement OF
| Charles f. Murphy and it was said
| that this was the last appointment
made at Murphy's request before the
| break between Sulzer and the Tam
| loader