Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-25
GOVERNMENT TO BEAR COST
DISTRICT WOULD SHIFT Elk
PENsE OF INAUGURALS.
Statements Made Today by the Com
missioners Favored, But Congress
Regarded as Doubtful.

A movement is in progress to have the
national government bear the expenses in
cident to the Inauguration ceremonies.
which have heretofore been borne by the
citizens of the District The District Com
mssioncrs. who always prominently
Identified with the ceremonies. as the ex-
ccutivc heads Of the city. heartily favor It.
In nn interview today upon the subject
tommiHaloncr West said the Inauguration
or the President should be made national.
tho affair is one in which the entire
country IL interested. and while the past
celebrations have been admirably handled.
II" IL OF the opinion that the citizens % the
District should be relieved of the burden
and responsibilities involved.
He says they will, however heartily CO.
operate. as they have in the past. in help
Ing to make the event success, If Con-
gross takes hold of the matter. He called
particular attention to the need OF hall
I'm which to hold the inaugural ball. This
question should be decided upon as early
as possible. he said.
Mr.. Macfarland's View.
Commissioner Macfarland who also
favors the plan and advances some new
ideas in connection with the subject, said:
IF Congress would pay the whole ex-
pense of the inauguration I would be very
glad provided the citizens of the District
through inaugural committees. were al
lowed to continue the admirable work of
the past in helping to make the occasion
memorable and enjoyable to our visitors
But unless the minds of those who hold
the purse-strings at Congress have
changed. that Will not be done.
when Representative Sherman intro
duced his bill proposing 100000 appropri-
alton. to be expended under the direction of
congressional commission. 1 thought 1t
IN idnn aoG to- Tod IL, 70 yD,ly
for 1t for future inaugurations. upon the
theory that the congressional commission
would let the citizens committee do about
what 1t has done In the past. But found
at once that there was a determined unwil-
liTgness to favor any appropriation for
anything more, than the ceremonies at the
Capitol, for which Congress now pays. At
that time it seemed as though that unwil-
lingness could not be overcome, and l have
heard of no change since.
Aids the Movement, Conditionally.
but shall gladly engage in any new
effort to that end, provided always that 1t
would not deprive the citizens of Washing
ton of their time-honored privilege OF ar
ranging and directing the popular features.
such as ball and procession. We want all
tn. visitors possible. We want the oppor-
tunity of increasing their interest in the
National capital and of showing them that
they are welcome here. If there were no
inaugural ball or inaugural procession
many would remain away. If there is to be
a ball. of course there must be building
for 1t. Congress was apparently unwilling
to allow us to establish the convention hall
on practicable terms. so that 1t cannot we'll
refuse to permit the use of some suitable
public building for the inaugural ball, such
as the pension office.
1T seems to me that an admirable solu-
ton would be for Congress to provide the
armory building so necessary to the Ma
tional Guard and which could be used not
only for inaugural balls. but for other
civic functions of importance. We ought
to have a suitable armory, such as every
other city having two regiments and a
naval reserve has, and united efforts would
l believe. obtain 1t now that SO many Of
the other extraordinary projects of i'm
provement have been completed