The National tribune., 1906-06-07

earth. We should not be stingy witt
regard to- the home of the President
We pay him little enough salary, good
ness knows. Congress Is asked to ap.
propriate s113,000 for expenses of the
White House, which is near twice a:
much as has been appropriated at any
| one time before. 1t is true, s25, 900 Of
/ this is for travelling expenses of the
| President and his guests, but there !:
also an appropriation of s55.000 foi
extraordinary repairs and furnishing
The $55, ,0e0 is to relieve the President
of the embarrassment of accepting free
trains from railway companies, and II
is all right that he should have it.
The furnishings of the White House
were new in 1903, and are now some
what worn. Col. c. B. Bromwell, Su-
perintendent of Public Buildings and
Grounds, in itemizing the need for ex-
traordinary repairs before the Appro-
Priations Committee of the House. said
with the appropriation requested IL
ls intended to practically refurnfsh. re-
paint and repair the whole first floor OF
the house. The public receptions and
the public passing through those rooms
have defaced them. and the tapestry
and furnishings have become soiled and
should be replaced
In the East Room Col ;BroInwell esti-
4
Ing with three coats of oil paint, and
things of that kind. $500 is necessary,
and for replacing draperies, regilding
cornices and mirrors, reupholstering
and regiIding furniture, $500 is neces-
sary. In the Blue Room. total of
's5, 100 is needed for the same purposes.
In the Red Room $4,000. In the Green
Room, for, ,,reupholstering, $500. In the
lobby. main halls and ushers' office,
zoe.
In addition $4,000 is asked for a new
tin roof on the entire house; also 81 500
to replace the pavement in the north
areaway and $4,000 to resurface the
roof of the east terrace.
Certain changes in the east terrace,
In order to make it more convenient to
handle large crowds at receptions, are
proposed, to cost $1,000.
A new tin roof for the White House
was provided for in the bill. but an es-
Innate for new White House stable
was refused.
One of the largest items of expense
connected with the Government Print
ing Office is that for paper, nearly
81, ,000,0 ,0e0 being spent for the 10000
tons used annually. 1t requires approx
imately 700 railroad cars to deliver this
material, which Is composed of nearly
100 different kinds OF printing and
other papers. Nearly $4,000 year is
realized from the sale OF the waste pa
spoiled in the varied processes of manu-
sacture. The big printery is well
equipped with mechanical testers. in
addition to the experts employed In the
paper warehouse, The Government
purchases printing paper at very rea-
sonabIe figure. 1t Is said, owing to the
immense quantities taken from one mill
when you can no longer keep up
with the procession. get out! Believ-
ing in this sentiment. Hon. Robert
Adams, Jr.. Representative of the Sec
ond Pennsylvania District in Congress,
a District comprising a portion of Phil
adelphIa, s'got out" In other words,
having had all the advantages afforded
by a fine education, fortune. political
ambition gratified and social station
above the usual, ne found that he had
drawn-yes, oyer-drawn-his account
in all these, and playing the part of a
man unable to meet the consequences
he shot himself Whether this act was
that of a brave man or a coward must
be settled by the individual. On the
face 1t looks the act of coward. be-
cause by getting out OF II, Mr. Adams
confessed that he was not brave enough
to face poverty. There was no dis
grace to face, for Mr.. Adams was a
gentleman in all that that implies. and
1t seems that he was, too much afraid
of the possible coldness that might meet
him from his official and society friends
when it was found that he was bank
rupt. IT was the old question, ITO be,
or not to be- and while Hamlet was
strong enough to live to clear his faith
er's name and send that of his uncle
down to obiiGuy "Bertie" Adams was
not strong enough TO face the world as
Just poor man.
Mr.. Adams was nearly so years Of
age, but he did not lock 40. He was
tall and slender. with clear, pink-and-
white complexion. thin brown hair and
clear blue eyes. He was always trinity
and fashionably dressed, but never be-
yond what a well-groomed man should
be. He was always a gallant man to
women, and gentleman among men;
always paid his debts. and was devo-
tee to his duties as a member of Con-
gress. where he had served his con-
stituents for seven consecutive terms.
Yet Mr.. Adams was not favorite
among men or women. He fell just a
little short of the measurement which
flied the bill with either. He spoke
well, his speeches were always thougnt-
fully prepared, though he seldom used
notes. and yet BERTHE Adams could emp
ty the House in five minutes, galleries
AID floor Nobody cared to listen 20
him. yet MS speeches always read much
better than half those that people
would sit for an hour to hear. His
hobby was the Diplomatic and Consular
Service. Once upon time in his earlier
political career he was Minister to Bra
I'll fog nearly year. and il was said
that this had spoiled him, an1 that he
believed that he knew more about the
Diplomatic Service than the man who
invented 1t. However this may be, he
took II and himself and his public ser
vice very seriously. indeed; so seriously
that ii bored his friends not a little, and
they used to poke sly fun at him on all
occasions
Mr.. Adams was g. bachelor. There
was never any suggestion that he de-
sired to change his condition. yet one OF
the very funny instances in his career
was his advocacy Of the wife beaters' -
| BILL which he introduced In Congress
President Roosevelt suggested such a
measure in one of his messages to Con-
gress early in the session, but the sug-
gestion found as its only supporter Ber-
| tie Adams, who made an impassioned
speech in support of his hill. So little
| did the members think of 1t. or of the
Presidents evident desire for such q
law, that when the vote was cast only
Mr. Adams supported ii among Repub.
| licans. Mr.. Adams had one vice. He
played bridge whist to the limit, and
| his losses were large. He also essayed
| sorays into Wall Street on occasion. bu
usually lost. A large fortune of $780,
n.