Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-16
FOR QUICK LUNCHES
Elliott Woods and the House
Restaurant.
CHANGES TO BE MADE
LAST SEASON THE CATERER SAYS
HE LOST MONEY.
Speaker Cannon Has Given Carte
Blanche for Such Arrangements
as May Be Necessary.
CHANGES TO BE MADE

A solution of the "quick-lunch" problem,
NOT tn meet the democratic taste of the or
binary mortal but to satisfy the fastidious
fancy of the members of the House OF
Representatives, the lower branch of the
great national legislature which meets on
the hill, is one of the numerous summer
tasks left by Congress to the ingenuity OF
Mr.. Elliott Woods, superintendent OF the
Capitol.
The members of the House decided dur
ing the last session that there should be
change In the manner and method OF con-
Quoting the House restaurant IL was
claimed that neither the service nor the
victuals came up to par. In order that
something definite in the way OF reform
might be accomplished the House appoint
ed committee of its members to inquire
into the matter and suggest scheme OF
betterment This committee met with
somewhat unexpected reception , IRON pm t dae
fensive and opposed to any change. the
committee got hearty reception Ihey
found that the caterer has been losing d
great deal of money under existing condl-
tions. and that far from opposing re-
form he was heart and soul In faVor OF
change. 1t made little difference 10 MIN
what the ultimate plan would De- he oc-
clared any old thing would be peter Imam
past.
Effect Of Prohibition.
The business of the restauranteur mas
known it's salad days at the Capitof since
the white ribbons won the fight and shut
off the sale of liquor in every form. Since
the advent of prohibition in the home OF
Congress there have been numerous rumors
of blind tigers here and there about the
building. Be that as it may, the bottles
r. q W
farer under the big white dome Is pre-
pared to say they have no existenee-are
of private ownership. The restaurant Is de-
prtved of what was formerly us man man
handy the restaurant had steady trade
throughout the congressional day. Under
existing conditions, with milk and lemon
ade only on draught there is no demah i,
for table space except at luncheon hour. II
is claimed that the MONDAY trade alone III
a restaurant conducted along the plan OF
the House establishment is not sufnclent 10
meet expenses.
AS a matter of fact, it is stated that the
books of the House caterer show balance
on the wrong side Of the ledger Inc loss
on the last session is estimated at So, 100.
When an establishment is conducted at
such a loss and then fails to meet the re-
guirements of pleasure of its patrons the
caterer agreed with the committee that the
time had come for change. Up to the
present time the restaurant has been con-
Quoted along precisely the same lines, with
regard to the food department, as before
the sale of liquor was stopped. The profit
from the gay cocktail and festive high
ball was sufficient in those days to offset
the loss on foodstuffs. Now, however,
there is nothing to help out. The House
restaurant, which is essentially place for
luncheon only, has been conducted with
the same elaborateness as to bill of fare
as the high-class modern hosiery. 1t is
seldom that any one Is found eating break
fast at the Capitol restaurant, and the din
ner trade exists only during the last two
or three days of a congressional session.
In the case of hotel restaurant the trade
not only extends through breakfast, lunch
con and dinner. but reaches far into the
night for the patronage Of theater-goers.