Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-13

shall be granted for that purpose. The Dis
trict Commissioners approve of 1t, as does
the Secretary of War, but the Secretary of
the Interior raises the objection that such
use of the pension Office building will involve
more or less danger of fire to valuable doc
uments stored there; but in a personal letter
to me he states that II Congress will direct
him to do so he will cheerfuliy cooperate
to make the building safe from fire and so
forth. The inaugural committee have as
sured me personally that they will use the
utmost diligence in all these matters. They
will have firemen properly stationed. chem
lcal engines In convenient places for use and
Will do everything that can be done to see
that public property is safely guarded.
Il see no way in which we can bring about
the result desired except to grant the use
or the pension Office building for this pur-
pose. L Will say that prominent citizens of
this city have assured me that they expect
to construct a building before 1908 that can
be used for this and like purposes and this
Is probably the last time they will come to
congress to ask the use of the pension office
building or any other building. For these
reasons feel that we should grant the use
or this building and that no loss will result
to the United States on account of it,
Mr.. Bailey Wants to Know.
Senator Bailey asked If it were not true
that Congress had provided that no such
use be made of a public building He
wanted to know what good reason Congress
had had to pass that prohibition, and what
had occurred since passing it to make the
reason invalid now.
Senator Gallinger replied that the prohi-
billion was against the use of any public
building except by consent of Congress
Senator Bailey replied that he knew that
that prohibition had been made to meet
exactly this express purpose.
Il suppose. suggested Mr.. Bailey, "a
democrat is not entitled to have anything
to say about ceremony of that kind"
Senator Gallinger stated that he could
va he rna bod bod far
enacting that prohibition.
Mr.. Bailey said that his own impression
was that there was no good reason for
passing such a prohibition unless such use
of a public building should endanger the
government records accumulated there. He
did not know about this. He did know,
however. that such use of the building
would prevent work being done by the
clerical force there from three to five days
before the ceremony and for two or three
days after 1t. AS he took his seat he re-
marked that SO far as he was concerned
he had no objection il they wanted to use
the Capitol for the inaugural ball
There was no other comment on the reso-
luton. Senator German, Senator Cock
rell and half dozen other democrats of
the minority were present, but offered no
objection of any kind.
The joint resolution was then amended to
meet objections of the District Commits
sioners and the Secretaries of War and IN
terror so Tar as safeguarding public inter-
ests were concerned, and was passed with
out division.
Gen. Oliver Approves.
Acting Secretary Oliver of the War De-
partment today made a favorable report to
the House committee on the District of
Columbia, in regard to the resolution which
authorizes the granting of permits to the
Inauguration committee of 1905 for the
erection of stands and platforms on public
reservations and for the loan of flags. en-
signs, etc. He says that the provisions of
the bill pertaining to the staff departments
of the army We're approved by the quarter
master general. the surgeon general and
the chief of engineers.
The last named official suggested, how
ever. that the joint resolution be amended
so as to provide that "the reservations or
public spaces occupied by stands and other
structures shall be restored to their original
condition, and that the inaugural commit
tee shall indemnify the War Department