The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-24
Goodell Engaged Ry
the League
TO BRING THE SUIT
AS Soon as Word is Received
From Boston.

The fight between the League Of AM
erican Wheelmen and the city of Wor-
cester is on. Both are entering the
ring with their seconds and bottle
holders, and time viii be called In a
day or two.
Lafayette G. Blair of Boston, counsel
for the Massachusetts division Of the
/. A. w, ana L. w. Goode' of this
city are seconds for the league, and
City Solicitor Arthur P. Rugg and AS
sistant City Solicitor Ernest I. Morgan
viii administer syimulants to the
city of Worcester when the L. \. w. is
landing its blows on the municipal
solar pleXus.
+. w. GOOdell, lawyer at 43 Main
street, was yesterday selected by the
local consul Lincoln Holland. to take
The initiatory steps for the l.. A. w.
He viii enter suit against the city of
Worcester in a day or two in behalf Of
Charles J. Grady. who claims he was
taxed for more than five times what his
bicycle Is worth.
Local Consul Holland has jurisdic-
ton in the premises. being delegated
10 act by Sterling Elliott, sts,e consul
Of the L. A, W, which is the real
DldlHllIl IN the sun. yesterday MI.
Holland notified Mr.. Elliott that he had
selected Mt Goodell to -~y'ie the first
s-eps necessary TO bring the matter be-
fore the courts.
Mr.. Goodell will await instructions
from Mr.. RlRic Of Boston as to the
methods VIII . the attorney for the
league desires him to pursue, and as
soon as he gets q reply will attach the
goods Of the city of Worcester to settle
whether the city assessors have a right
TO make man pay taxes on five times
The value of the article for which he is
taxed.
The contest viii probably be a de-
termined one There is only 81 cents at
issue and neither party welcomes a
costly suit in which the stake is only
81 cents. But the League Of American
Wheelmen is fighting for a principle
and is bound to protect its members.
To the league there is the principle
to fight for and not only that but the
saving Of thousands of dollars, for if
The suit is decided in favor Of the league
thousands of members will reap the
benefit in being taxed for what they
own instead Of five times its value as
the league alleges has been done.
Lawyer Goodell WAC chosen to enter
Vha suit because he is one of the oldest
members of the league in Worcester
He has been a member of the L. A. w.
for eight or nine years and his mem
beTship antedates that of any lawyer
in this city. He has been spoken to
previously concerning the incident and
without thinking that a special test
case would be made. offered to assist
the league in establishing its princi-
pie. When seen by the Spy man yestSr-
day he said he had received q letter
from Mr.. Holland asking him to take
the necessary steps to bring the suit
Of o q
cepted the commission and will wait
until Mr.. Blair of Boston directs him
70 enter 1t in whatever way is prefer
able to the league attorney.
Mr.. Holland also notified Mr.. Elliott
that he has selected Mr.. Goodell to en-
ter the suit and Mr.. Blair was also no.
titled. The league will attend to the
matter shortly. The officials of the state
division have been anxious to press the
case to a settlement. but were unable
to get it properly before the courts
The practice adopted by the asses
sors in levying taxes last year incon-
venienced the league. The assessors
them separately The bicycles
We're included in lists Of personal pro-
perty. The officials of the league IN
looking UP a case which could be
brought against the city wanted one in
which there could be no question that
the tax was levied on a bicycle and for
that reason the method of assessing
troubled them.
They found several cases, but in each
the owner had paid the taxes 1t was
then too late to satisfy the desires of
the league as the officials desired an
instance where the owner objected to
the payment. Mr. Gradys case Just
suited them, but another difficulty pre-
scented Itself as Mr.. Grady was not a
member Of the league. AS far as his
standing in the courts was concerned
1t made no difference whether he was
a member of the league or not, for al
though the real combatant against the
city is the L. A. W, Mr.. Grady is the
plaintiff in the law suit which is to be
brought.
The league officials were anxious that
test case be made but did not feel
they should take up Mr.. Gradys case
while he was not in the fold. Neither
did they think they were called on to
pay his admission into the league. Mr..
crazy settled the question
quickly by joining the league. He
had not then paid his tax as he was
acting under advice and when he be-
came member Of the league the al
leged injustice OF the tax was called
TO the attention of the league.
The state officials then took a hand.
Mr. Blair prepared a protest for Mr..
Grady against the payment of a tax
which he considered unjust and Mr.,
Grady paid the tax under protest fill
ing the protest with Fred w. White,