The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-13
TOO MUCH OPULENCE
CONGREssMEN CRITICIsING PREsI-
DENT ROOsEVELT's ENDLESS
CHAIN ENTERTAINMENT.
WITH A LAVISH HAND
HE HAS BEEN HOLDING HIGH CAR
NIVAL AT WHITE HOUSE.

AppropriatiOn for the Care, Repair
and Refurnishing of the Executive
Mansion More Than DOubIed-This
Caused Democrats to Make OBJ
servations in the HOuse-EXtrav-
agance in OmciaI Circles Growing.
White House Receptions Used to
be Simple AFairs-Attempt to Imi-
tate Court Circles Abroad.
Washington, Feb. 12.-The House
made slow progress with the sundry
civil bill to-day. covering only q
pages, and leaving 40 pages still to be
disposed of. The delays to-day were
occasioned by a rather protracted dis
cussion of the item in the bill for the
maintenance of the White House. and
considerable debate on the item appro-
priating SO ,00O0 900 for the relief of dis
tress in the Philippines.
Mr.. Gaines, Democratic of Tennessee,
and Mr.. Fitzgerald, Democrat of New
York, criticised the greatly increased
cost of maintaining the White House.
When the item appropriating $780,
900 for the care, repair and refurnish-
ing of the executive mansion, to be
expended as the President might de-
termine, was reached, Mr.. Gaines asked
why this appropriation had been in
creased from $4,000. Mr.. Cannon .e-
piled by calling attention to the en-
largement of the White House, and the
construction of the new executive Of
fees. These changes, he said, increas-
ed the expenses.
Endless Chain Entertainments.
MIR. Gaines read from the report of
Col. Bingham, superintendent of pub
lie building and grounds, extracts as
cribing the increase of expenses at the
White House to the large amount of
entertaining done by the President. MIR.
Gaines said he did not believe the peo-
pie should be taxed for these endless
chain entertainments. He said he was
sorry $500, 900 had been spent to remodel
the old White House.
Mr.. Cannon said he was glad the old
White House had been overhauled,' but
he confessed that the new executive Of
fees had disappointed him.
Il think" he said. I'VE were entitled
to a better building for the money"
Mr.. Cannon recalled the fact that
during the JacksonS administration the
landscape gardening. of the White
House grounds was a political issue. He
mentioned this. he said. to show how
the American people sometimes ran
amuck."
Mr.. Fitzgerald of New York referred
to a newspaper report that Col. Bling
hams transfer had been due to his
holding up. certain vouchers in connec-
tion with the White House improve
ments, and his opposition to the char
acter of these improvements. He also
criticised the language of the appro-
priation, 'for the care, repair and re-
furnishing which he did not think
actually described the purposes for
which the appropriation was made.
will not the gentleman state that
Col. Bingham says that he was trans
ferred at his own requeSt?" asked Mr..
Graham of Pennsylvania.
oh" replied Mr.. Fitzgerald, cit is
the common thing for officers, whose flu
ture is in the service, to make state
ments generating their superiors. But
in my opinion it reflects upon the Press
ident OF the United States. to have it
intimated that an officer is being CO.
creed into approving expenditures his
judgment does not sanction"
We Are Aping Europe.
NIL SOCIl oil VI hlSSOuIl JIOuSnI the
subject raised by the pending item was
well worthy of serious consideration.
He inveighed against the growing ex-
travagance in official circles, the con-
slant demand for increased salaries
and allowances. He described official
functions as an attempt to initiate
court circles abroad.
He said that fifty years ago the
White House receptions were very diff
ferent, and far simpler than they are
to-day. 1t was a fact, he said, that
poor men to-day could not accept po-
stions in the cabinet, or on the bench,
because of the social expenses entail
ed, and he thought that an argument
for a return to the simpler methods of
the olden days
Mr.. Cannon, replying to Mr.. Fitzger-
aid, said so far as he knew there was
no conflict between Col. Bingham and
the Secretary of War over the appro-
val of vouchers AS to the language of
the item under discussion, he thought
it proper. There was nothing, he said,
to prevent the President, at his own
expense entertaining as he chose.
Mr.. Simms of Tennessee, in critics.
ing the work of the architect who
made the White House Improvements,
denominated the executive office a
hen COOP" which would invite the at
tack of anarchists.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Gaines
to reduce the appropriation from $780,
GOO tn SAC 0O0-vua vOfad douyY1 without