New-York tribune., 1906-08-23
rApITOL CAFES DIRTY.
p,s,au,unts Where LasomGhers Eat
To Be Cleaned Up.
rr-om ne Tribune Bureau. ]

TF-orn me Tribune Bureau.
.-.S,,r.on. Aug. 22-That food has been pre-
- sor United States Senator'S and Repre-
p.,i,es sn the restaurants OF the Capitol
F'ns,,v under conditions rivalling those OF the
80 .e.c,;ng establishments OF Chicago has
- disclosed by preparations now in progress
fhorOugh Overhauling OF the kitchens OF
..sse restaurants
-. os men prominent in public life have
:, the habit OF eating at these places daily
- - ,be sessions OF Congress. For years
- ,ss been complaint. sometimes mild and
-, more vigorous. among the nations law
ss,.-s as 20 the character OF the food furnished
-. One Of the standing Jokes at the Capitol
-. ,sn,ark OF q Senator. who, when a con-
-. with a somewhat obscure utterance
-. b,vo Cor a copy OF the poor food BILL"
go pure food bill. replied facetiOusly. Oh.
.asy 20 get VIII send for the Senate
..r-ant menu"
-z,Teh the Capitol fare has been the cause Of
=. -e-turbation among the lawmakers. and
r,,t. OF many jokes. It has never been known
p-..,ore that they were eating food which was
hD-.a in the midst OF dirt and in surround
NOS, unsanitary IN character. For the
-, - ~ the true conditions and the under
60. ~ a reform credit must be given TO Eli
:. foods. superintendent OF the Capitol. who
Nefore the Senate Committee on Rules and
...,e- n the House last session armed
ITS ana figures which caused those off,
- - authorize Alr. Woods to undertake inn
-.-.-oents that Will make tremendous differ
rhe- Congress gets 70 work next De-
rsnber. 60 r,,,,o. ro,n-
AZ a. annropriation OF $1,000 with which
=, ahead and make OF the Senate Kitchen
"a rss,aurant a cleanly and sanitary place.
=" .lso got from the powers that be in the
--.,ss permission 20 spend tidy sum for the
IT,. l-s.rI,np Of the House kitchen ana its en-
,.-veu,ent 10 twice its present size
~ woods came from his conference with the
H. 1overs Of the Senate and House with
- authorities conferred upon him. He is to
:. .,a general manager Of the Capitors eating
.,..as hereafter. or at least he is empowered
: % s,,nervise the management that it will go
,.-s with those who conduct them if they are
=, kent sootIessly clean. Mr. Woods has de-
r-.s5 ina, there shall be thorough inspection
,,s examination OF both restaurants and
lsr,hens not less than every two days.
sorne idea of the conditions under which the
senate cooks prepared the viands may be given
vbsn il is stated that the Senate kitchen was
,se7Iar paradise for rats. They held confer
s,oe there burrowed in the floors scampered
sbou, IN the crevices Of the walls and, in fact.
we're Tree and unconhned. The Senate kitchen
sin dingy endorsement of the Capitol, and
ordinary efforts TO get rid Of the rats have
been Intellectual
Vow il has been decreed that the rats must
60 To accomplish this new floor. composed
q broken glass. a sprinkling of lime and over
that four inches Of cement and tiling. will be
aid. No rat i is calculated. could bore through
ihe combination The plumbing and sewerage
viii also he done over. There will be a cold
stnrage room built. ten feet square. and in this
al the perishable supplies for the restaurant
wiz he kept. This will result in doing away
with all the ola wooden refrigerators which It
has been found impossible TO keep in a salts
factory condition for SO large an establishment
In connection with the cold storage room an
Toe plant will be installed with a capacity OF
TWO tons. This will be the first ice making plant
Installed IN the Capitol. ard will add the duty
d manufacturing ice TO the many other activi-
dss Of the Capitol caretakers. II will also
pFesage the building of a still larger ice plant
for chilling the air circulated in the House and
Senate chambers through ventilating shafts. Big
EE-foot ventilating faIs will tring fresh air
into the kitchens An important addition will
be a bakeshop in which fresh bread and pastry
nay be cooked every day under government su-
peFyision
II is in The equipment and paraphernalia Of
the kitchen that decided innovations will be
made which would seem TO indicate that les
s0ns have been learned as a result OF the govern
meHt inspection OF the Chicago meat packing
pants and the changes made in them for greater
cleanliEess. II will be required that in the Sen
ate and House kitchens only steel tables shall
be used and that the actual preparation Of the
food must be done on marble topped counters.
Heretofore wooden tables have been used en-
rrely in the Capitol kitchens. and II was the
condition Of these tables which attracted Mr.
NOodss attention He has decreed that only for
The actual chopping Of near can q wooden block
be used.
Of the Supreme Court take their meals in the
restaurant Of the Senate daily, and the place is
well latronized in the winter months for at
least three hours of the day. The running OF
me place Is Jet out by contract but the margin
o. profit has not been large. because OF the short
tine IN which the restaurant Is parronized- The
government does not furnish any OF the para
phernalia for the Senate restaurant. but gives
The location, light and fuel free Of charge.
In the Of the House Testa urant the United
states furnishes everything 20 the keeper except
1000 and the heIp employed. When the govern
ment stopped the sale Of liquor at the Capitol,
tauTant fell OF. that year the place was
actually conducted AZ a loss Of $1,000. Last
year the patronage was better. The policy in
aae House restaurant IS 70 ensure quickness OF
service. Members who have only a few minutes
1or luncheon are accODmodated by an arrange
Hent 50 that orders II a simple character can
se filed Immediately.