Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-06-22
WITNESSES CAN BE
MADE TO TESTIFY
[Continued from First Page.1

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several of the residents. will have no
effect on the hearings City Solicitor
ID. s. Seitz said to-day. The rule is re-
turnable within ten days and the soli-
cttor will answer within that time. b.
r Mead, of Mead and Mead, attorneys
Tor the petitioners, didn't appear to-
day, however. as he declared his
clients do not recognize the commits
sion.
The only witnesses heard to-day
were Mr. and Mrs. James Dinger, 1899
North Fronts Oliver T. Lands. a wit
ness who testified before, and John
Yingst.
Attorney John C. Nissley attended
also and his expression of opinion
led the board of viewers through Paul
u. Smith, the president, to explain in
unmtstakable language that the board
was doing its best to get the facts and
resented any imputations that might
be cast to the contrary.
Mr.. and Mrs. Dinger think their
property is worth s2,S00 although the
former admitted his inability to recol-
lect any recent sales in the vicinity
Mr.. Dinger declared, however, that he
could get no witnesses to attend.
Can't Get Witnesses.
For some reason or other" added
senator John e. Fox. attorney for
testify"
well. the board wishes all the help
1t can obtain on this problem and If
we're not to get the assistance of the
witnesses who are acquainted with the
situation, how are we to get at the
facts?" asked President Paul G.. Smith
of the board. THE board would like
to help all it can, but it must be in
formed"
Anyway the people won't come and
you can't get 'em here. They seem
to be afraid said Dinger.
why should they be afraid to tell
the TRUTH" asked Karl Steward.
The people should look to the view
ers as the medium by which they will
get a square deal, not the medium
through which they might be cheated.
If you have witnesses in mind and
they won't come voluntarily why
there's a way to make them come.
You can get the board to subpoena
them"
''Um-um." suddenly smiled Mr..
Dinger, well. then there's Gus Wild
man and Mr.. Morrett.
IF you say so well get our sub
poenas for themI'
IAN, right, s'pose you do" agreed
Mr.. Dinger.
Seitz "CalIs" NissIey.
Has the board and the city solicitor
ever paused to think why the people
are afraid to come" asked Attorney
J. c. Nissley.
THAT is the second fling of the sort
you've taken at this board Mr. Mss
ley" quickly returned Mr.. Seitz, land
/ wish to say that 1t is surely unwar-
ranted. The first time you apologized.
What, would you say. Mr.. Nissley?"
Mr.. Nissley just smiled and shook
his head.
Then President Smith declared that
the board was appointed by the court
to sit and that it was bound to do so,
that it meant to consider the facts
fairly and impartially and that this it
mony on the subject that 1T can OBJ
tain. Naturally" concluded Mr..
Smith pointedly the board thinks
any imputations are unwarranted and
uncal1ed for"
Property Held ConditionaIIy.
In response to an inquiry of oliver
Z. Lands City Solicitor Seitz explained
that the title to all the properties of
the west side of Front street were held
conditionally, that is that the ground
| lying beween low water mark and
average high water mark belonged to
the public insofar as the fishing and
! boating privileges were concerned
This was the reason Mr.. Seitz pointed
out that the city got the quit claims
from the property owners when the
interceptor was put through the sec
ton.
DO you. mean that I can't build q
boat wharf on my water frontage un-
less I should give other people the
same chance to use the water there?''
asked Mr.. Lands.
THAT is the law. You could have
landing places, but you could not
maintain a wharf or landing to the
exclusion of the public" answered Mr.
Seitz.
why .there're lots of wharves UP
there now" said Mr.. Lands.
And every one of them is there in
violation of the law If the State
wished to do so it could have every
one of them removed"
As To Assessment.
Mr.. Lands also ventured a sug.
gestion about the possibility of as
SCISSORS keeping down property values
on the west side of Front street fol
| years with the "Hardscrabble" con.
demnation question in view. Ar
assessor he said once told him thai
'he wasn't allowed to raise the assess
ment."
"If any assessor told you that" said
Mr.. Seitz, 'he committed a deliberate
act of perjury because he is sworn tC
fix the values which are proper ano
just to the best of his knowledge an6
belief"
John Yingst's suggestion as tc
bringing in witnesses closed the ses.
sion. He declared that he had tried
again and again to get competent mer
but he couldn't. "They won't come
they say said Mr.. Yingst.
"We'll subpoena them If you say
and make them come" suggested Mr.
Steward. .
"Yes'n IL you make 'em come,
bluntly returned Mr.. Yingst ''they'l
go against you!"