Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-17
A RADICAL CHANGE
Innovation Provided by a
Joint Resolution.
Mr.. SHERMAN'S PLAN
CONTROL OF INAUGURAL DAY
ARRANGEMENTS
Proposed That Committee of Six From
Both Houses Shall Perform Work
Now Done by the Citizens.


the inauguration of the President of the
United States shall be conducted by conf
mittee composed of three members of the
House of Representatives and three senators
was introduced in the House today by Mr..
Sherman of New York. 1t is looked upon
as the outcome of the recent discussion
over the of the pension Office building
for the inaugural ball. in which it was urged
by members of Congress that such use
would be injurious to the structure and by
members of the present inaugural commit
tee that the ball was necessary to pay the
expenses of the inauguration. The resolu-
ton is bound to arouse considerable inter-
est, as it takes away from the residents of
the District the control of inaugural ar
rangements, provides for a permanent in
augural fund and for the detail of depart
ment clerks to do the work of the commit
tee without extra compensation.
Proposed Congressional Committee.
The measure, which was referred to the
District committee provides in detail:
THAT joint committee of six on the in
auguration of the President of the United
States shall be appointed, three by the
President of the Senate, who shall be men,
bers of that body. and three by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, who shall
be members Of that body.
THE duties of said committee shall be to
hereafter arrange for the Inauguration of
the President of the United States, and it
shall have power to provide for such suit
able ceremonies and functions as 1t may,
in it's wisdom deem proper and fitting. 1t
shall have authority to name one or more
persons, resident in the District of Coum
bia, to act in CONJUNCTION with it, but no
compensation shall be paid such persons for
any duties they may perform in an advisory
capacity.
Detail of Department Clerks.
Said committee is also hereby given
power to request the detail, and there shall
be detailed three clerks from each depart
ment, or so many thereof as may be neces-
sary, to perform clerical labor during the
season of preparation for the inaugural of
the President, and such clerks shall be al
lowed no compensation while on said detail
except that paid them by the department
from whence they are detailed.
"'All funds derived from the sale of privi-
leges or from other sources by said commit
tee shall be covered into the treasury of
the United States, to be credited to the in
augural fund.- for which fund S1GO,OOO or so
much thereof as may be necessary, is here
by appropriated out of moneys in the treas
ury not otherwise appropriated, and said
appropriation shall not be available until
January 1, 1907
Object Of the Resolution.
Mr.. Sherman and others at the Capitol
consider that the passage of this resolu-
ion would solve many of the problems Incl
dental to the quadrennial preparations for
the inaugurations. The large amount of
work necessary to collect and arrange the
subscriptions to the citizens guaranty fund
and the necessity of giving a ball or having
some other means of raising money with
which to defray the actual expenses would,
of course, be entirely done away with. AS
for the question of place for the inaugu-
raj ball under the proposed arrangement,
that would be entirely in the hands of
Congress, and the District, it is asserted,
need feel no modification should that func-
ton be omitted. On the other hand, it is
urged, 1t would be within the limits Of pos
sibility for Congress to appropriate enough
money to build structure in which an in
augural ball could be held.
Indeed, there Is some talk at the Capitol
of introducing before very long bill ap-
propriating about three million dollars to
build new White House, which would in
clude a ball room of ample proportions for
the largest inaugural ball.
Many think that the federal government
should have taken this action long ago, as
they claim that the Inauguration is distinct
IL an affair for government control. Con-
gress, as the body representing the people
OF the land it is declared, is the proper
body to attend to the ceremonies of the in
auguration of the President, elected by the
whole people
Not a Reflection on the District.
1t is a question whether the measure will
receive more than casual consideration by
the House at this session. 1t may, however,
be pushed to the front on some District
day. and then it will doubtless arouse
little interest.
The introduction of the resolution does
not cast any reflections on the District for
the manner i'm which former inaugurations
have been conducted or the way the present
arrangements are progressing. 1t is intend
ed more than anything else to relieve the