The Washington times., 1902-08-30
National Officers Allege
EXtortionate Rates Are
Charged
AGENT ASKS $1,000 A WEEK
Same Building for Witch Demand Is
Made Ordinarily --fngs $500 a Month
applications for Quarters Grow
More Numerous-Situation Serious.

Difficulty has presented itself to the
rational officers of the Grand Army of
the Republic in the quartering of vet
Grams during the coming encampment.
Mr.. Harrison Dingman. who is the rep
rescrtative here of Col. Charles Bur.
fows, the quartermaster general of the
G. a. r., has been met on every hand
with Whit he considers the extortion =
ate demands Of the owners of the build
ings he is endcavoring to secure as free
quarters for the veterans.
As an instance of this inclination, 4
building which is regularly rented for
$40 a night is held at $500 for the week
hy those who nave charge of the prop
erty. This is more than double the
regular rental, and has seriously ham
Iered Mr.. Dingman in arranging for
the housing of those who are to be
provided fer by the city.
The thre.. floors OF the new Govern
ment Printing Office. which will be fin
ished in time for occupancy by the vet -
Grams will not accommodate more than
1000 people at the outside, and ac q.
,ording to the present calculations it
will remain 70, those n charge to Sc
cure quarters Tor at least 5000 more.
Prices Go Soaring.
The figures given above are not
speculative. bus are thoroughly repre-
sentative OF the situation. For a large
building on Pennsylvania Avenue. thai.
is ordinarily held at $500 a month, =
Is- nd ,,f fnv na &c
r'he agents justify themselves in the
cemand by the fact that if they hold the
building for the G. a. r. they may de-
prive themselves of a good and lasting
tenant, and by he further assertion that
extensive work is necessary upon the
buildings after they arc vacaled by SO
large a body D men.
Another serious difficulty in the Sc
lection of quarters is the limited toilet
facilities that are to be found in most
cf the buildings that are offered.
The public comfort committee also
has experienced some difficulty regard
ing rates, but through the diplomatic
efforts of Chairman NJ. l. Weller, all
such misunderstanding have been ami
cably adjusted and all contracts have
been made at figures that were salts
factory TO all concerned. Furthermore.
the tendency to overcharge is subsid
ing, and abundant quarters at reason
able figures are now on the books of
the committee.
The headquarters of the Department
of Oregon has been located in the Raj
ston Building, 612 Street northwest;
the Department of Tennessee at the St.
Louis Hotel, Fourteenth and H Streets
northwest, and the Department of Vir-
,fy,fa II Arfh limo rafc
Hall. corner of Eighth and D Streets
northwest.
A letter was received yesterday from
Mr.. G. f. Whitman. assistant adjutant
general of the Department of Georgia,
writing from Fitzgerald, Ga, stating
that the largest delegation which ever
left that place for an encampment will
come to Washington in October.
Many Applications Received.
Applications for quarters were re-
ceived yesterday from the following
posts: Maj. E. F. Fletcher Post, No. %,
of Milford, Mass. wants accommoda-
tions for forty members; the G. A. R.
Post of Fredonia, n. Y, desires accom-
No. 16, of Reading. Pa, which has al
ready secured quarters for 100 men, de-
sires accommodations for fifty addi-
tional; w. H. Lyttle Post, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, will bring thirty men; twenty-five
members of Judson Fitzpatrick Post. No
64 Of Elizabeth, n. j., desire quarters,
and Gen. Alexander Hayes Post, No. 3,
which has secured accommodations at
the Litchfield for eighty members, de-
sires accommodations for twenty-five
additional. Mr. w. T. Corcum, of North |
Adams, Mass. has written for accom-
modations for a party of excursionists |
which he is organizing. He expects to
bring about twenty-five people.
Capt. W. II. Green, assistant general |
manager of the Southern Railway, was a
caller at encampment headquarters yes |
terday. His purpose was to discuss |
the decoration of the large building oc-
cupied by the general offices of that |
read at the corner of Thirteenth Street |
and Pennsylvania Avenue northwest.
Captain Green stated that it was the
purpose OF his company TO handsomely
decorate the building. and that it de-
sired to ascertain the wishes of the
committee with regard to the nature of
the decorations.
Southern Railway Decorations.
" men lHlOi IitN vi llt general ScleTne
adopted by Chairman Cuno H. Rudolph.
of the committee on decorations, he was
much pleased. and intimated that the
would follow the same lines in
It's decorations. If this is done the entire
front of the large building will be hung
with large American flags. presenting a
most imposing aspect from any point Of
Siew.
The plan OF having every one Of the
thousands of veterans that will march
In the grand review before President
Roosevelt and Gen. Ell Torrance carry
a small American flag was discussed
with much enthusiasm by Mr. B. H.
Warner. of the executive committee
yesterday with several callers at head
quarters
similar plan is said to have been
ldopted at several previous encamp-
nents. with most satisfactory results.
rhe flags will be about the size OF
pocket handkerchief. and will be of good
Material. 1t is the belief OF Mr.. War
Ter that the picturesqueness of the
columns will be greatly en-
lanced by the use of these flags.
Posts to Bring Flags.
II Is believed that a number OF the
,osts will bring their own flags with
hem when they are acquainted with the
purpose OF the committee An effort will
e made to secure those flags that have
100, ,,..a In cfher cftgas nm similar ~. /