New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-11-20
SINGLE TAKERS GATHER
Joseph FeIs Promises to Keep on
Spending Money.
HARMONY SADLY LACKING
Tom L. Johnson Bitterly Resents
Criticism of Commission
Course.

Joseph Fels, founder Of the Fels commits
sion for the promotion Of single tax doc
trines, told a gathering Of single takers
last night that he would go on spending his
money to promote single tax. regardless OF
what those In the meeting or the public
thought about IT, so far as this matter
is concerned he said, my attitude is the
public be damned" In addition TO this.
Mr.. Fels referred to the fools who always
critieise, but he was quickly on his feet 70
protest when the next speaker said that
single takers did not purpose to be bull
dozed because Mr. Fels happened TO be aoi9
to put more money in the movement than
they could
Leading lights Of the single tax move
ment IN various portions of the country
met to receive the first report of the Fe-s
fund commission. which was started with
a contribution of $4,000 by the man for
whom the fund was named. and received
$500 outside Daniel Kiefer, of Cincinnati.
is the chairman of the commission. and
Tom l.. Johnson. ex-Mayor Of Cleveland,
IS treasurer. Others present at the after
noon and evening gatherings were Jackson
H. Ralston, of Washington: Bishop Charles
D. Williams. of Michigan: Ex-Governor
Garvin of Rhode Island: George l. Record
of New Jersey; Lincoln S.effens. Of Con
necticut; ex-senator Rucklin, of Colorado;
Frank H Stephens, of Pennsylvania; Will
lam S. Uren. of Oregon; George A Briggs.
of Indiana: Dr. ". P. Hill, Of Missouri
John T. White, of Illinois: George H Sib-
ley, of Washington: John J. Murphy. Ten
enent House Commissioner OF New York;
DR. ". G. Egglestol and Samuel Bensle-
of the publicity bureau of the commission:
Congressman-elect Henry George. and ex-
Congressman Robert Baker. OF BROOKLYN.
VINO acted as chairman at the evening
meeting besides many well known local
single takers
After the members of the commission had
told of their activities especially in further
irg the adoption of the initiative and refer
endum in Oregon, where the commission
thinks there is a chance of getting through
a single tax amendment within two years
four letters were read critiCising the action
| Of the commission on the ground that propa-
garda would have been preferable to polit-
icaI activity Among the letter writer's
we're E l.. Plaidell. Lawson PuTdy and
William Lustgarten.
! After DR.. EggIeston had told the gather
| ing that he found it almost hopeless to get
| single tax copy accepted by any Of the
newspapers holding Associated Press fran
| chises because that organization carries
| the news of a decision in Colorado declaring
| the initiative and referendum amendment
Unconstitutional. while when the Supreme
Court reversed that decision not a word
was sent out. several speakers opened W
the criticism
Mr. Ryan maintained that there was not
a state or city in which one-tenth of the
people knew what single tax meant or
cared about it if thev did. while a repre-
sentative of the Manhattan Single Tax
League said that the fund would be better
spent providing paid secretaries for asso-
Citations.
Joseph FeIs replied in a reevish tone and
told the critics that they were getting no
where and when Mi DOblin replied to him
he was called to order by the chair and
harmony was further away than ever. The
meetings will be continued to-day and to-
morrow at the Liberal Club