Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-28

The Hotels Here Agreed to Make No Ad
vance In Rates

| The Hotels Here Agreed to Make No Ad.
| vance In Rates
MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
| STATEMENTS THAT ExToRrIcSATE PRICES
| WOULD PREVAIL HERE OFFICIALLY DENIED
| THE SUBSCRIPTIONS TO BE RUN UP TO 900 GOO
One of the principal things done last night by
the executive committee having in charge the
| arrangements for the G. A. X. national encamp-
ment was to set at rest, so far as assurances Of
| those Immediately concerned can do, a SANDER
that Grand Army men coming to the encamp-
| ment IN this city would be subjected to extor-
| ton by hotel men. Among those present al
| the meeting were: Chairman Edison, Secretary
Dingman. District Commissioners Douglass
and Ross L. E. Roessle. W G. Moore, George
Gibson, E. Southland Parker L. T. Wright.
Theo. w. Moves, Isadore Saks, Geo. W. Driver.
S. B. Hege. o. G. Staples, r. A. Parke. Law
renee Gardner, s. S. Burdett. j. NJ Pipes and
Beriah Wilkins.
! Col Wright stated that he had established
headqua- tiers Of the committee on accommcda-
| tions for the present in Secretary DinSman
! Office. where he had desk ard clerk in at
! tendance. They were receiving, he said, from
| eight to ten applications u day from Ii. A X.
! posts for quarters.
/ The secretary reed a letter from Col. Phis-
]
/ the Republic, stating that the commander-in-
chief and the executive committee of the ma
/ tIOnal council would meet at the Ebbitt House
I November IL at p. pl and suggesting that the
! citizens committee have ready for the COM
mittee the documentary evidence that the re-
! quirements Of the G A. II. concerning hotel
rates. DC, would be complied with.
The secretary also read n letter, Enclosed by
Adjt Gen Phisterer, from o. T. Smith of Kan
sas City, asking the appointment of an agent to
Il
cinity in time to be Of service &c them. The
letter stated that all the veterans there wanted
/ TO come to Washington.
Mr Parke, the chairman of the committee
on transportation, stated that his committee
would be ready by February to make COM
plete report on the subject Of transportation.
The secretary read statement Ill a recent
number of the New York Tribune in which it
was alleged that the hotels of this city had al
ready begun to demand extortionate rates,
commenting on what was termed the grasping
disposition of the Washington hotel men and
| suggesting that the location OF the encamp-
ment might still be changed and that the en-
| campment could be held i'll New York.
Chairman Edison said his attention had been
called to similar statements made Ill other news
papers
As far as he was informed the statements
made were groundless.
MR.. BoEssLE's VIGOROUS DENIAL.
Mr.. t. E. Roessle president of the Washing
ton Hotel Mems Association, as well as of the
National Association of Hotel Keepers. made
an emphatic denial of the statements and in
situations Of the Tribune article. Washington
hotels, he said. were empty In October. The
hotel men here were glad to have the q. A. X.
come at that time, and they did not intend to
increase make any change in prices. The
50 hotels would charge 50, the "a hotels 81
| the $3.50 hotels % 80, and so On. He had had
personal interviews with many members of the
association, and found that not one Of them
had any idea of increasing rates. In his
opinion they could take care of the Grand Army
here next October better than New York or any
other city. New York, he said, could not take
care of quarter Of them. At this season New
York hotels are crowded. Merchants from the
country and others 60 there in October and the
hotels are packed. One can hardly get room
unless he telegraphs in advance. There would
come here many men who could not afford to
pay the regular rates OF So "A or 80 at the bet
ter class Of hotels. but such men could find
plenty Of places where they could get COM
Portable accommodations for So even 81 a
day So far as his own house was concerned it
was their policy not to increase the number of
their beds at all Among the hotel men here
he had not heard a voice dissenting from the
general agreement not to increase rates. This
talk of extortion, he said. was simply idiotic.
Mr.. Roessle was satisfied that the kick came
from persons who wanted the encampment
elsewhere. He satisfied that they could
take care of them here.
He told the chairman tonight to advise those
posts that were making arrangements for quar-
tiers to go slow. There was no need of haste:
there was plenty OF accommodations here for
all. There were log hotels in Washington and
they could take care Of a crowd that would
| startle them.
As president of the National Association rep
| resenting 6l,O 600 hotels, he said he would have
/ the secretary write letter to all the members
stating emDhatlcally the t1OsitIOp of he Nos
ington hotel men, and this statement would 60
all over the country.
| Mr.. Roessle agreed, as president Of the local
| association, to have put in writing the assur-
ance that rates would not be increased, SO that
it could be presented to the G.. A. L. executive
committee.
Gen Burdett said he had heard it stated
| some weeks ago that there were parties going
about tine city trying to get a corner on TIE
| halls In the city.
| Col. Wright said he did not think tina. was so.
| There was some talk the subject of
| finances and Chairman Edison stated that Capt
Lemon. chairman of the finance committee,
had told him that he was going to have the
whole city recanvassed and to run the sub
! scriptions up to SlOO, 900. Mr.. Edson added
that the determination of Capt Lemon was
such that he had no doubt he would succeed.
COMMITTEEMAN APPOINTED.
Mr.. Driver, chairman Of the committee on
hall, submitted the following list Of appoint
nlents on his committee: Hon. John E. Kenna.
Hon. Archie Bliss, Levi Woodbury., A. L. Ruff.
| c. Maurice Smith, Gen. Daniel Macauley.
NJ Hamburger. Daniel Mccarthy, L. j.
O'Neill r. j. Kelleher, Jas. W Ea.clIffe. VIM.
| Dickson, Meyer Strasburger. Col Nj. L. Ureil,
| Gen. Jas. b. Colt. j. L. Mcylan. Samuel Biebe-.
Gen. Whitaker, Frank Ma,iigan Albert Glea..
son, James Lansburgh, Hamilton /. Gregory.
| Frank Schwartz, Ros A. Fish, DR.. A. r. Far
don, A. T. Hensey. Thos. i. Kabfus John Rutl-
| den, c. W. Weed Walter Hewctt, John p. Sousa.
! Chas b. Osborn, Edw. Gray, Capt. Harrison
S. Barbour, Chas. l.. Beatty, A. Z. Dinsmore.
J. II. Buscher, Geo. Brei.barth, Geo. W. Moss.
Chas W King. VIA. u. Mack.
| Mr. Lawrence Gardner, chairman of the
committee on fireworks, submitted the follow.
| ing as members OF his committee: Fred W.
Pratt William B. Gurley, George W. Fisher.
Frank = Soyes. VI. /. Weller. H. ~ Grlsyold.
| ii. A. Willard, James l. Norris, John l..
| Weaver, John A Hamilton, A 7. Fox Samuel
Maddox, DR.. 8 \. Bond, David l.. Moore, NJ.
Marean. Daniel F.asier, James p. Willett r. W.
| Fenwick.
Mr.. Driver, in the communication naming
his committee, said: Il can readily under
| stand that mach smaller committee might
answer the purpose If 1t we're only to obtain q
temporary hail, such - must be provided, IN
which to held the coming convention, and dc
not anticipate much difficulty in securing Q fa.
better hall here in every respect than that in
which the last convention was held But in
naming these gentlemen as members of this
committee had in mind the urgent need ana
| necessity in Wu.hinvtou for Iaraa owl nav