The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-31
THE HALL OF THE HOUSE.
Abiding PIace-os Representatives
Not in Proper Sanitary Condition.

Abiding PIace-oE Representatives
Not in Proper Sanitary Condition.
II has long been admitted that some
thing should be done for the hall ef the
House Of Representatives, TO make it more
habitable. Many plans have been Propos-
ed from time to TING, and all have failed
Of adoption. Beautiful as the Capitol Vu-
doubtedly is from the outside. it would be
hard to conceive more unsanitaFy, badly
arranged building on the inside. This is
not strange, as the Capitol was not con-
strUcted for a Congress as large as the
present or for the needs of q nation Of
70. 00e, 600 people The ventilation has al
Wdys been 4 most troublesome question,
aud the process of solution has cost an
enormous amount OF money. The base
ment has many dark and cherries rooms,
almost unlighted and unyentiiated, the
restaurants are almost underneath the
ground and the House of Representatives
sits IN clese quarters. To remedy al the
numerous defects of the present building
at one time is manifestiy impossible, for
il would take so long te correct them
that Congress would be compelled TO sit
Ia torn-up building But one By one
they can be taken in hand and gradually
the Capitol can be brought to conform 10
!
Legislative body. Preliminary to other
changes il is proposed TO reconstruct the
House OF Representatives, and ChE 'rfrian
Prince, Of the Committee on Ventilation
and Acoustics, has introduced bill Ger
that purpose.
After considerable study and discussion
commission once prepared plans for the
remodeling Of the House. It is aiong the
lines OF this plan that il is proposed the
alterations shall be made. Briefly tkey
contemplate tie removal of the desks
from the chamber, the chairs 10 De re-
placed by benches The dimensions of
the chamber are TO be contracted and the
space about the sides 10 be utilized tcF
reading. writing and smoking rooms a
new sys EN- of 7entilating is contemgla ed.
Aside from the fact that the chamber
/ would thus be made more hsbitable, the
great argument from a popular point OF
view in favor of the proposed change is
that the business Of the House would be
greatly expedited. At present the mem
bers who attend the sessions devote most
Of their time IN the chamber 10 reading
and writing and conversation Ordinarily
little attention is paid to what is being
said or what business Is being transacted,
with the result that because Of the eo1fu-
sion much OF the time is wasted On the
other hand. an argument used against the
removal Of the desks is that II The mem
bers were to carry On their correspond
enee elsewhere and did not have the at
fractions CO q desk TO hold them ID the
House the greatest difficulty would be ex-
perieace6 in securing and maintaining a
quorum. Thirty members Of the House
OF Commons is q sufficient number TO
transact business. but a majority Of the
House of Representatives is requ red
An attempt was made Two years ago 10
pass q similar bill, but Speaker Reed de-
clined to let it come mp. largely on the
ground that IL would create too much IN
favorable comment TO the effect that the
House was pa1terniBg after the House OF
Commons The advocates OF the plan for
remodelfag the House are hopeful that the
bill will pass this year. as the WORK can be
done only during the long recess. and If
not done during the coming sumner two
years must elapse before sufficient time
v-{3f ~ rad