Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-04
THOSE HEARD HEREAFTER
MUST STICK TO SUBJECT
Order Is Intended to Prevent Hear
ing Taking Too Wide
a Range.
ARGUES AGAINST TAXATION
B. M. Seibold Concludes His Conten-
ton That Congress Lacks Power
to Tax Residents of
District.

The joint select committee of
Congress investigating the fiscal
relations between the United
States and the District OF Column
bia today formally gave notice
through its chairman, Senator
Chiffon, that all persons desiring
to be heard must appear in the
next two days. 1t reserves the
right to summons other persons
whenever it desires. 1t also gave
notice that witnesses must here
after conhne themselves to the
question at issue and avoid such
general topics as the single tax.
B. NJ. Seibold finished his argument
before the committee to the effect that
the ievying of taxes by Congress in the
District for purely municipal purposes
was unlawful.
The attention of the committee to in
equalities in existing assessments In
by ]. S. Wondrack, who told the COM
mittee he was being assessed at the
rate of $5,400 on a piece of property
for which he paid $4,000. The commit
tee indicated that it would look closely
into the case of Mr.. Wondrack and
other alleged inequalities in assess
ments.
To Hear All "Volunteers."
When TIE committee assembled today
an executive session was held to con-
slider further procedure. At it's con-
clusion Senator Chiffon. chairman of
the committee, announced that the
committee would hear all volunteers
today and tomorrow, but that it would
prefer to have all the speakers occupy
not more than an hour or an hour and
a half each
"On the general subject of the sin
gle tax, and other subjects as gen.
eral," said Senator Chiffon, 1.-The COM
mittee has been liberal in it's hear
lngs, we think. The committee hopes.
therefore, that it will not be called
upon to hear further argument upon
subjects which are SO well known and
about which so much has been printed
already.
THE committee hopes also that those
who come before it for hearing will not
read the written briefs which they have
70 the committee Inc COM
nittee is perfectly capable of reading
these briefs itself.
I'VE are not a committee appointed to
hear complaints against various District
but We have been appointed to
decide what proportion of the Districts
expenses should be borne by the federal
government and by the District itself
Therefore, unless these complaints have
some direct bearing on the question at
issue, the committee does not intend to
take them up"
E. NJ. Seibold. who began his argu-
ment before the committee yesterday.
today resumed the stand. He contend
ed that the federal government was
bound by contract and by the pro-
visions of the Constitution of the
United States to pay all the expenses
of the District of Columbia.
The District of Columbia is the
adopted child of the government" he
said. "A child which can never ma
ture and must continue to be support
ed by its parent"
During the course of his argument
Mr.. Seibold said:
The people of the District have been
fooled from 1900 down to today. This
District was not acquired by law but
by contract between the federal gov
and the states of Maryland and
Virginia. which ceded the territory of
the District to the federal government"
Mr.. Seibold contended that the recess
sion of the territory in Virginia. origi-
nally part of the District of Columbia.
was unlawful, and that Congress had
no right to return to Virginia the
property which had been taken by the
Contested Payment Of Taxes.
Senator Salisbury asked Mr.. Seibold
if he ever raised the question as to
whether it was unlawful for Congress
to levy taxes on the residents of the
District in the court
yes" said Mr.. Seibold. "and l was
turned down."
He said that he had had the matter
before the Police Court, and had at
tempted to get it considered by the
District Court of Appeals but without
success.
81! realized that justice cost money"
he said "and / did not have it"
Mr. Seibold said that he had refused
To nav a cigar license tax in 1909 on
the ground that Congress had no right
to levy such tax under the provisions
IF the Constitution, since it did not tax
all the citizens of the entire country IN
been arrested at the time. On an
other occasion. he said. he had contest
I'd the payment of a dog license tax.
Mr.. Seibold insisted that the consti-
.eaIIv come before the Supreme Court
# the United States for decision. He
aid he hopes that the investigating
committee, now that the matter had
,een called to it's attention, would see
hat the Supreme Court was asked to
,ass on it.
Bunko Business Out of d. c.
Turning to representatives of the
oint citizens committee, Mr.. Seibold
aid: Il hope you gentlemen of the
itizens' committee will see the useless
less of your fight for the half-and- half
Ian, and will now join with me-
A. $. Worthington of the citizens
committee said. amld considerable
init" Mr.. Worthington explained.
however, that while the citizens would
tery much like to be relieved OF tax
=