New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-04

after Assistant Corporation Counsel
Burr had been removed by Corporation
Counsel Polk. Mr. Lewis read letters
that William S. Sheehan had written to
Commissioners Maltbie and Cram. They
were dated July %, and he considered
it significant that the commission APP
proved the sale a few days later, Mr..
Burr having been out of the Corpora
tion CounsePs Office for nearly a month.
Approval Construed by Court.
Justice Hatch, Mr.. Lewis said. had
] construed the approval of the sale as
also approving the right of the Amster-
dam company and the Edison company
Z TO merge, the object OF which was to
I give the latter the use Of the formers
! franchise, which the city was at that
I Tina seeking to annul.
( "Mr. Mccall declared that the COM
mittee's construction Of the approval of
this sale Of stock" Mr.. Lewis said,
would ( do credit 10 a student in
his first year at law school. Judge
/ Hatch held the same opinion that this
committee holds, and | wonder if Mr..
7 Mccall will apply that statement to
Judge Hatch, whose ability and char
acter am quite sure he respects"
Mr.. Lewis contended that Chairman
: stock on the day the order was made
by the Commission without a protest
on his part. He declared that il was
I McCalps duty as a representative of
the people on the commission to at least
protest against the order II he did not
want TO vote against IT.
1T Is a question" Mr.. Lewis said,
whether IL was proper for Mccall to
act with the stock in Mrs. McCall's
possession.
"If the law provides" Mr.. Lewis
went on, that only a Commissioner Is
prohibited from holding stocks and
that his wife or any other relative may
do so il may be necessary to amend
the law. Personally | think Com
missioner who sits by as Mccall did
and sees an order Of this kind ap-
proved without protest should be pre-
vented from being member OF the
Commission. II the law did not pre-
vent the Commissioner from taxing
part he himself should"
Mccall then replied TO various other
charges which the committee has made.
and Mr.. Lewis presented the commit
tees side briefly.
Refers 20 yellow Dog Fund
Referring TO the rumors which for
mer Commissioner Maltbie said he had
heard regarding a 'yellow dog" fund OF
81. 100000 TO be used in obtaining legis-
lation in the Observation-Disclosures
third tracking contract. Mccall said
that the committee should have sub
penaed President Shonts and other Of
ficers Of the Interborough TO find out
the facts, instead Of going up 70 Bos-
ton and endeavoring 20 look through
the papers Of the late Gardiner Lane.
why not subpoena the officers Of the
Peterborough he shouted. Bring
Shonts and Quaekenbusb here and get
their story, instead of housing around
dead mans effects"
Mccall declared that he was never in
favor Of the Stevens contract.
III there were any basis for these
charges against me-" he said. you
would have TO deplete the entire city
government, Including the Board OF
Estimate"
In closing HIS plea 20 the Covernor
Mccall declared that he would neysr
be rushed of his feet "by any pandsr-
ing or septstional rot"
II will DO equal justice when am
called upon 10 decide. / will act ac-
eordipg q ny. best Judgment he said,