The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-23

we'll renovated. Mrs. Cleveland has had
an appropriation of $4,000. with which she
has made many improvements. But she
has not been able to add to the Presidents
table service. The last additions to that
were made by Mrs. Harrison few years
ago. when she purchased set of 496 pieces
of cut glass iof American makel for use in
the state dining room, and twenty four
dozen plates and five dozen coffee cups of a
special design for use on the Presidents
table. The glass cost $1,973.50 and the
china $685.. The china i'll common use at
state dinners, however, Is still the famous
set which was purchased by Mrs. Hayes
twenty years ago.
At the time Mrs. Hayes came into the Ex-
ecutive Mansion there was no adequate
table SERVICE. The original White House
china had been ordered by the Washing tons
from England, but it had Disappeared loae
before, and only an occasional piece in the
possession of collector remains to show
what it Was. After the time of Washington
the tableware was purchased as it was &C.
tually Leeded, and no attention was paid to
uniformity of design, so that when Mrs.
Hayes took possession of the Presidents
household there was simply "a supply of
dishes'' for table use. Mrs Hayes WIS
practical hosekeeper and she determined
to have her table better equipped. So she
got an appropriation from Congress, called
in artists and manufacturers. and spen1
three years perfecting what was undoubted-
u the finest set of china ever sent TO the
United States from France. Mrs. Hayes
found that II would be impossible to have
the set made in this country, though she
would have preferred American ware.
Mis-. Harrison had the same experience.
She had to send to France for the plates
ard cups which were bought few years
oga. But Mrs. Harrison made every con-
oession to the American feeling when she
had the chief rooms of the White House re-
decorated. All Of the silk with which the
walls of the blue room are decorated was
made in America. and, so far as possible,
Mrs. Harrison bought all of the other fur
nishings in this country. In doing this she
carried out the spirit of the law passed by
Congress for the guidance of the first Presi-
dent Harrison. The appropriation made by
Congress for the refurnishing of the
White House during that administration
was to be expended for furniture ''of Amer
lean manufacture, AS may be practical and
expedient.''
WHERE RED TAPE COMES IN.
There has been about S7O0,O0D expended
for the refurnishing Of the White House
ih hundred years, but. except as souvenirs
of the Presidents household, the belong
ings there today would not sell at auction
for more than $4,000. And it is doubtful if
they would command an added price as
souvenirs, for there is an auction each year
of White House furniture and fittings,
which attracts as little attention as the
auction Of cast-off furnishings from any
other Washington household. The treasury
benefits $500 or 5000 every year by this
auction.
The money which comes from the sale Of
old furniture from the White House was
used once in the purchase of new furniture.
Now il is turned into the treasury. Col.
Wilson cannot even exchange ain old boiler
for new one by paying bonus. He must
advertise the sale of the old boiler and
turn the money received for it into the
treasury. Then. from the appropriation
made by Congress-, he must pay for rhs new
BOILER. Under recent decision of the con-
trol1er of the treasury he cannot even pay
the cost of advertising tile old boiler out OF
the money received from the SALE The
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