Evening star., 1915-03-15
Joint Select Congressional
Committee Organizes and
Requests Briefs Filed.
ORDERS PUBLIC HEARINGS
TO BEGIN SEPTEMBER Is
H. B. F. Macfarland Offers Assist.
ance Of Citizens Organizations
in Fiscal Investigation.

quiry at it's first meeting, held today
| In the Office OF Senator Salisbury of
| Delaware.
| The committee determined that no
! public hearings should be given until
Wednesday. September Is, and ad-
journed to meet on that day.
| Instructions were issued by the COM
mittee that any organizations or per-
sons interested in the investigation
should file briefs with the committee
not later than August 1.
| Senator Chiffon of West Virginia was
elected chairman of the committee and
Representative Henry T. Rainey of IL
linois executive secretary.
| The committee made 1t clear in a
statement issued following the meet
confined exclusively to the question Of
| the fiscal relations between the District
and the federal government and that
no question of suffrage for the citizens
OF the District would be considered.
| All the members Of the committee at
| tended the meeting today with the ex-
ception OF Representative Warren Gard Of
| Ohio. who Is seriously i'll at his apart
| ments in Congress Hall The other
members of the committee are Sena-
| tors Chiffon. Salisbury and Works, and
| Representatives Rainey and Cooper.
AdCIaIlduQ OueTS ala.
| Henry B. F. Macfarland, chairman OF
| the executive committee of tho joint
! citizens committee, appeared before
| the committee today and offered the
assistance of the citizens committee to
the congressional committee in pur-
| suance of the investigation. Mr.. Mac
| farland said:
| I have very pleasant duty to per-
| form as the representative of the Board
| OF Trade, Chamber of Commerce, Fed
| GRAFTON of Civic Associations, Retail
Merchants Association and committee
| of one hundred, in informing the joint
| select committee that these civic or
| ganizations of the District of Column
bia have agreed, through their repre-
sentat1ves. at meeting held last Fri
| day at the University Club, to co-op-
crate in the preparation and presenta-
tton OF the facts in regard to the pres
ent fiscal relation between the United
States and the District of Columbia and
| to render the joint select committee any
service in their power.
| The five organizations have a mem
bership of more than 5000 individuals,
representative citizens of all the sec
| tions OF the District of Columbia and
| OF all occupations working together
| Friday, composed of duly appointed
| representatives of these organizations,
joint committee was formed for the
purpose of carrying out the object of
| the organizations in this regard and
an executive committee of five chosen.
| The members of the joint committee
are Henry B. f. Macfarland, Theodore
W. Noyes, James F. Oyster, D. J. Cal
II. Classic, A. Leftwich Sinclair, A.
Schulteis. Harvey w. Wiley, George
Truesdell, Richard B. Watrous, Charles
s. Bundy. John Joy Edison. John B.
Larner, EdWin~C. Brandenburg, Cor
coran Thorn. Edward F. Colladay, will
liam f. Fowler. y. A. Edwards, Will
liam Mex Clayton, J. G. McGrath, R.
P. Andrews. NJ. A. Leese, Isaac Cans
and c. ]. Columbus. The members of
| the executive committee are Henry b.
F. Macfarland. Theodore W. Noyes, D.
]. Callahan, Corcoran Thorn and Ed
ward F. Colladay.
Organized to Cooperate.
The executive committee was in
structed to inform the joint select COM
mittee of Congress at its first meeting
| that the Joint committee of the five
civic organizations was organized with
a view to cooperation not only of the
| organizations, but with the joint
| select committee of Congress, and de-
sired to serve the joint select commit
tee in any way possible, and also at
/ the proper time to present thoroughly
\ and accurately the facts in regard
| to the present fiscal reation between
| the United States and the District of
| Columbia.
'The executive committee at its meet
| Ing Saturday last instructed me as its
chairman to appear before your commit
tee this morning and to make the state
/ mont which I have now made.
| May / add that at the meeting Of the
joint committee Friday there was a
unanimous expression OF qualification at
the creation OF the joint select committee
| of Congress and at the acceptance by you
gentlemen of membership in it. We ap-
preciate that your task is an arduous and
| exacting one, and are grateful to you
| for undertaking it, knowing that 1t will
be performed in a thorough and impartial
| manner"
Will Be Given Hearing.
Senator Chiffon asked Mr.. MacfarIand
| If he desired to file brief with the COM
mittee or preferred to be heard.
Mr.. Macfarland replied that the citi-
zens committee would prefer to have a
hearing. Senator Works and Represent
ative Rainey both suggested that it would
| be advisable to have briefs filed before
the hearings were begun, SO that the COM
mittee could famliarize itself with the
arguments and facts which witnesses de-
sired to present.
! I'll be very glad to file Il brief will
i the committee" said Mr.. Macfarland
The committee requested that this briet
l be filed not later than August l.
\ H. j. Browne, who was employed b,
the House District committee in con.
nectlon with an investigation into the
Il assessments and taxation in the Dis.
trict, was heard by the committee also
The So called George report was made
to the House following that investiga.
ton.
| Browne to Protest.
II am one of the rare residents of the
District" said Mr.. Browne, Opposed
to the half-and half plan of appropri.t