Evening star., 1913-06-26


| along until after Mr.. Wilson took thu
oath of office and entered upon his du
| ties.
1t was Mr. Newman, who had been con
nected with Washington newspaper fol
several years. who first talked over Dis
| trict affairs with Mr.. Wilson. then a
Princeton and Trenton. Mr.. Newman
views appeared to please the President
to his offices and informed the newspa
per writer that he must accept one o
the commissionerships. Mr. Newman
who greatly admires the President, was
willing. and that settled one of the men
Mr. Siddons' selection had really beer
agreed upon before that. but. as stated
there was change which at first threat
ened to upset things.
Newman Proposed Siddons.
OF much interest in connection with the
nominal tions is that Mr.. Siddons' name
was first mentioned to the President by
Mr.. Newman who did not then have an
idea that his own name would figure In
the selections by the President Mr.
Newman gave the President the qualifi-
cations of Mr.. Siddons and declared him
to be just the man the President wanted
for Commissioner. The two men. there
fore, are warm friends thus lnsurlne
close cooperation in their administrative
work in the District building.
Mr.. Newman will be the personal rep
resentative of the President in the chief
executives plans for making a mode
city government in Washington. He may
be chairman of the board, although tha'
will be settled when the three commits
sioners meet. Mr. Newman will be CHAIR
man if he so desires, 1t is understood
If Mr. Siddons is chairman. it Will be be-
cause Mr.. Newman prefers it that way.
The President did not settle the fight
ho cd
a problem for him. 1t is regarded as
likely that before choosing the three COM
missioners he will confer with Messrs
Newman and Sddons and Col. Harding
Engineer Commissioner. depending to a
large extent upon their Judgment as &c
the candidates that are proposed.
Mr.. Siddons is the vice president OF the
Monday Evening Club and Mr. Newman
has served as secretary of that organiZa-
ton.
Was Born in London.
Mr.. Siddons was born in London No
vember p, 1854. He is the son of Joachim
Hayward and Mary Agnes Cameron
Siddons. His father was an author and
journalist, writing under the name of j.
H. Stocqueler, and was visiting in Lon
don at the time of Frederick l.. Siddons
birth. although a citizen of the United
States.
After receiving his preliminary educa-
ton at home Mr.. Sddons entered the
Columbian now George Washington. Uni
versity Law School, graduating with the
class of 1887. Later he took a post
graduate course. leading to the degree OF
LIN From January q 1879 to June
30 1850. he was in the Treasury Depart
ment.
He served as instructor on the subjects
of constitutional law, evidence and bills
in | University lxaW
School. and as one of the commissioners
on uniform state laws for the District OF
Columbia. He is a member of Lafayette
Lodge No. 10. F. A. A. M; of Joseph
the University Club, and was member
of the Council of the National Reform
League.
Mr.. Siddons is a member Of the Ameri-
can Bar Association. the Bar Association
Of the District of Columbia, American So
and former president of the Commercial
Law League of America. He is also a
member of the Washington Board OF
Trade and of the Chamber of Commerce
Free Trade League Member.
He was a member Of the American Free
Trade League and Of the President E
homes commission, ccreated by President
Roosevelt in 1907.
He was a delegate from the District
of Columbia to the National Divorc~
Congress. being a member Of the com
mittee on resolutions of that body
which framed a uniform divorce law
for the various states.
Mr.. Siddons was one of the counsel
in the "pious fund" case, which was
frst tried at The Hague international
court. He was also one Of the counsel
for the commission sent by Aguinaldo
to this country to endeavor to obtain
recognition of the government set up
by Aguinaldo in the Philippine Islands.
April &C. 1892, Mr.. Siddons married
Miss Harriet c. Van Auken. He has
two children. daughter of nineteen
and a son eighteen.
Mr. Siddons has not taken part in
campaigns of any kind except for the
betterment Of sociological and munich
pal conditions. He has. however, 1t is
stated. very definite ideas on how to
make Washington model of city gov
ernment. These ideas have been gained
from a connection Of several years with
various social and civic bodies inter
ested in sociological and welfare work,
and from the study of these questions.
Mr. Siddons is represented as a close
student of political economy. sociology
and the science of government. His
chief administrative experience has
been gained in the practice Of his pro-
fession, law. He is a member of the
law firm of Ralston, Siddons & Rich
ardSOn.
His Work in Washington.
In Washington Mr.. Siddons took a con-
siderable part in bringing about the es-
tablishment OF the board of condemnation
for insanitary buildings, and in the franz
ing of the so-called loan shark" bill as
1t was introduced in Congress. He has
served on the auxiliary committee Of the
Associated Charities of the District of
Columbia. and has for some years been
a member Of the board of managers of
the Associated Charities.
Mr. Siddons is the vice president of
the Monday Evening Club, an organiza-
ton of nearly four hundred members of
men and women. which has for it's object
the study, particularly in Washington, of
sociological problems and educat tiOnal
work in connection Herewith
He is a member of the National Civic
Federation and member Of it's local
council. He is a member Of the Univer-
sity and Washington Country Clubs He
is a lifelong democrat.
Mr.. Newman a Nebraskan.
April 81, 1877. He spent his childhood
in Lincoln. and went to Des Moines,
Iowa. with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
George c. Newman, in 1854. He at
tended the public schools and academies
of Des Moines until the spring of 1897,
when he was appointed to West Point.
He Was dismissed the end Of tho fret