Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-16
Newman and Siddons Will Be
Sworn in Saturday
Morning.
PROGRAM OF EXERCISES
INCLUDES A RECEPTION
New Commissioners Also Members of
Public Utilities Board-Mr.
Newman Congratulated.

Siddons will take the oaths of office
as civilian Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia and members of the
public utilities commission Saturday
, morning at IL o'clock
| Following confirmation by the Senate
late yesterday of the appointment of Mr.
Newman to be Commissioner, that body
. previously having approved the Presi-
dents designation of Mr.. Siddons tc
serve as the other civilian member OF
the board, the incoming officials at a
conference in the municipal building this
morning with Commissioners Rudolph and
Harding completed arrangements for
the induction ceremonies
The exercises will be conducted in the
boardroom of the Municipal building, in
the presence of officials and employees of
the local government and friends of the
COmmlSSiOnerS-to-be, to whom a general
invitation is extended. The order of cere-
monies. as announced by Commissioner
Rudolph, will be as follows:
The outgoing and incoming officials will
assemble in the office of Commissioner
Rudolph and at IL o'clock will proceed
in BODY to the boardroom. The present
District heads will take their usual seats
at the board table. while their Successors
| will sit at the east end of the table
Swearing-In Ceremonies.
Following remarks by President Ru-
dolph, the oath of office as Commission
ers of the District of Columbia will be
| administered by DR.. William Tindall,
secretary to the board. John r. Young,
. clerk of the District of Columbia Su-
preme Court, will then swear in Mr..
| Newman and Mr.. Siddons .as members of
the public utilities commission.
+. At the conclusion of these forrnaiities
the retiring Commissioners will take seats
/ at the West end of the table. while the
! new officials will take the regular places
of Commissioners at the board table.
Those present viii then be received by
the members of the new board and their
predecessor passing from east to west
| and gong out by the southwest door.
While it was originally planned to con-
| duct the ce. emonies tomorrow. it was
decided that the time would be insult
ficient in which To complete the pre-
ilminary arrangements required. lore
| the CommissiOners-to-be may be inducted
| into office it is necessary that their
commissions shall be made out and sign
| ed by the President and that they shall
give bond to the United States Treas
ury in the amount of $4,000 each. 1t is
scarcely probable that these details can
be arranged before Friday.
First Duty of New Board.
one Of the first duties of the board
conceded that Mr.. Newman viii be
chosen as president. Engineer Commits
sioner Harding, who is serving as
chairman of the utilities commission,
under the law Will continue at the
mead of that body until January l.
Following its organization, the board
| VIII give early attention TO the work
Of preparing the District of Columbia
estimates for the next fiscal year. This
IS task that annually is commenced
about the middle of July and extends
Well into the fall. the law requiring that
the estimates shall be transmitted to the
Secretary OF the Treasury by not later
than October Il.
Before the estimates can be taken up.
however. the Commissioners must de-
eide on the apportionment of depart
ments Of the local government, if the
practice heretofore in vogue of placing
certain offices under the special jurisdic-
ton OF each Commissioner is to be con-
4 tinued.
Commissioner Harding. Of course. will
continue in charge of the engineer de-
partments. If Mr. Newman succeeds Com
missioner Rudolph as president of the
board, he will without doubt have under
his supervision such departments as tn
offices Of the assessors, collector. auditor
and others. Mir. Slddons may be placed
in charge of the police, fire and heath
departments and the office of the super
intendent of weights. measures and mar.
kets, these branches having been under
the jurisdiction of Commissioner John
ston
Ii is probable that a rearrangement mt
of this apportionment scheme NAV be
ordered. although the Commissioners
to-be have given no intimation what
ever of any organization plans that
they may be considering
Probable Changes:
1t has been suggested that there may
1 h1. nfh ch in
which the affairs of the local govern
ment are conducted; that daily board
sessions may be held, and other
methods adopted for. the purpose OF
bringing about the fullest co-opera-
ton between the Commissioners in the
management of the various depart
mentS.
that they may have in mind the incom-
ing officials are silent. They have re.
fused to discuss in t'z.rce OF Their
being inducted into oI.-ce what policies
may be adopted by the aew admins
tration.
One thing is certain: The Commissions
ers-to-be will tackle Il st, .endous joi
when they set down to wo K on the es-
Inmates. Ii Will be more stupendous
than ii has ever been for the reason that
there will be about million more dollars
available for improvements than has been
the case IN any year. The additional
I IufluS VIII bt dtdl1aDle largely DecdtIS
of the fact that payments by the Dis
| trict next year on its debt will be re-
! ouced
Commissioner Rudolph, who will soon
retire 20 private life, after hav. nS
served the District of Columbia for
more than three years, stated tod ~
that he expects to put in the next sew
eral weeks playing golf in Washing
ton.
4 Newman Congratulated.
Headed by Gen. Andrew S. Burt, y. S.
4 A. retired, delegation o. about fifty
= District res dents gathered in Mr.. New
mans office in the Munsey building
/, this morning to congratulate him on
j the confirmation of his nomination by
the Senate.
In reply TO short speeches of commenda-
: ton by Gen. Burt end James L. Feeney
Mr.. Newman said that he will go into
office under obligations to no man, with
the exception of President Wilson, and
! that he will strive to do his utmost t.
: advance the interests Of ..-s people of the
] entire District.
Mr.. Feeney, who was one of the prin-
ciral organizers of a meeting held early
! III the month to support Mr.. Newman