Evening star., 1901-03-12
ALL KINDS OF MONEY
HOW Ceremonial EVENTS AFFECT
THE GfRcrLATIoN.
The Amount of Money Spent in WASH
Sts9
ingf"n During sIna"guratfon Week
-PromOtins, business Activity.

|
while there WAS whole lot of all kinds
of good money floating around Washington
! during inauguration week, and people
| spent it freely,J there was not so much as
follows change, in the administration, nor
was it kept up SO long said treasury
official to a Star reporter.
You see, the offices are all filled when
an administration succeeds itself, and the
ofice-seeking hosts remain at home. The
big crowds We had this year were visitors
pure and simple, as distinguished from the
visitor and office-seeker combined This
latter class, however, brings quantity of
money into circulation. They must eat,
live, sleep and be sheltered, and they stay
until appointed to Office or as long as their
money lasts.
Through Three Channels.
During the Inauguration week money
flowed into the city In three great cham
nels; first, the visitors; second, the govern
ment semi-monthly salary payments, and,
third, the first quarterly payment of pen
sions.
The railroads brought into the city 109,-
GOO visitors, but it is probable that 125m0
Is approximately correct from all sources.
On basis of the latter number spending
an average of: $40 a day each for three
days, 1870 600 would be left In town by
them. Some visitors remained but two
days, others stayed week. Some spent
So a day, others $50. AT best only an esti-
mate can be arrived at, because individual
expenditures are not a matter of record.
The government paid it's employees at its
semi monthly payment, say, S2,OOooo0.
The first quarter of the yearly pension
payments became due on the 4th of
March, and as pensioners part with their
money, as rule, almost as soon it is
received. $35O.oO0 additional was at this
time put into active circulation.
The injecting into the arteries of the
normal circulation of a community of such
large sum of money must necessarily
cause 1t to bound and throb. In addition
the inaugural committee and contractors
dlsburSed many thousands of dollars,
which found their way directly into the
pockets of working men and artisans, all
OF whom received high wages.
Benefit to the Public.
Ceremonial events of this kind are of
the greatest benefit to the public at large
In stirring up the circulation of money.
Instead of being wasted, as the opposition
press in some cities have jealously criti-
cised, the money is taken from sources
where its loss is not felt and is distributed
In channels and among persons whom 1t
Immediately benefits From the man who
earned So day driving nails in the stands
to the dressmaker who made the million
aires wife's- dress for the inaugural ball,
all received their quota.
Handling money is my business and l
have always thought that the cry heard
in some quarters about the evil of the ex-
penditure of money, by the rich and in ex-
positions and ceremonial events was a
false one. It stimulates the circulation,
promotes business activity and takes peo-
pie away from home, which is Godsend
to some people. When the people who
have money to spend refuse to spend it,
those who have none or but little, living
as they do, practically from week to week
or day to day, are the very first to feel the
stringency.
"Of course. much of this criticism has
jealousy of our fair city for it's animus
1t is not only runkind, but untrue, to
charge that we utilize the inauguration for
the purpose Of making money Our people
are not actuated by any such motives.
This is the seat of government, and under
the law, every four years President must
be inducted in office. 1t is but meet that
such an important event should be attend
ed by thousands of visitors, as it is proper
that the ceremonies should be slightly
above the plane of county fair. People
who travel must, and expect to, spend
money, and that's one reason why they
travel, for money isn't worth anything un-
less you spend it. Money is only a medium
of purchase and in itself is substantially
va 1ua