Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-17
PLACE FOR THU! BALL HIS WORK IS CUT OUT
House district COMMITTEE Kellogg Not Likely to Be Next
Favors Pension Building Attorney General.
faction NOT YET TAKEN OIL TRUST HIS AFFAIR
as to inaugural Calls White House Today
Festivities Expected Tomorrow Mr. Roosevelt
COST OF THE GOVERNMENT BROWNE TALKS To PRESIDENT
Commissioner
employees Will Be Idle Tor ~ Fourth Coming
$o5,474 E.nos,+on
ACTION NOT YET TAKEN
Recommendations as to Inaugural
Festivities Expected Tomorrow.
COST OF THE GOVERNMENT
Commissioner Warner Says That
Employees Will Be Idle for 90
Days, Salaries $05, 474.

The joint reAolution authorizing the use
OF the pension Office for the inaugural ball
of 1909 and providing for other matters
in connection with those ceremonies was
considered for couple Of hours by the
House District committee today. No con-
cius1on was reached and the committee
will meet at half-past 10 o'clock tomor-
row morning, and formally recommend
to the House that the resolution be adopt
ed.
Adds B. Browne. B. H. Warner, Gen.
George H. Harries and Hopewell OAR
nellie made statements, the former ex-
day. but only Messrs. Browne and OAR
nellie made statements the former ex-
planning why 1t was essential that the use
OF the pension office be granted and the
latter telling the reasons for the increase
asked In the special fund for protection
of the inaugural crowds and policing Of
the city. ETC., from $4,000 to SO, eco
Chairman Smith Posts Himself.
committee spent some time with Pension
Commissioners Warner this morning, 60
ing over the big building and obtaining
rangements would be necessary in order
to make the pension Office ready for the
hig quadrenn1al event. Consequently he
was primed to tell his colleagues on the
committee all about the subject. and as
there is little or no opposition in the COM
mittee to the use of the pension office for
the purpose in question, it was not con-
s1dered necessary to hear all the gentle
men who had appeared to urge favorable
action on the resolution.
immediately after the HNnSa hnu.
ever. and the report of the Perkins spe-
cial committee had been acted upon, Rep
resentative Sims of Tennessee, senior
democratic member Of the committee,
arose and moved that the joint resolution
be taken out of the hands Of the Dis
trict committee and referred to the ap-
preparations committee, on the ground
that it authorized direct appropriation,
acted upon by the latter body The
Speaker ruled that such a motion was
not in order at this time. Chairman
Tawney of the appropriations committee
appeared relieved
Payment q Pensions.
During the committee meeting today
Chairman Smith read letter from the
Secretary Of the Interior incosing a COM
munication from the commissioner OF
pensions. both being in reply to re-
quest by Mr.. Smith for an opinion upon
the joint inaugural resolution.
In his letter Secretary Garfield said:
Neither Commissioner Warner nor 1
desire to raise any unnecessary question
regarding this proposal, as we both ap-
preciate the difficulty the inaugural COM
mittee has In obtaining a suitable build
ing. but before Congress directs such use
the conditions should be thoroughly I'M
derstood.
IF the committee determines that the
pension office shall be used. I call partic-
ular attention to the need Of providing
for the use of the portion OF the building
occupied by the pension agency so that
pensions can be promptly paid"
Cost of Using Building.
In his communication Commissioner
Warner throws cold water on the pro-
posal. He says:
while the resolution contemplates the
exclusive use of the building by the COM
mittee for the purpose indicated, it does
not specify for what length of time, and
in making this report l assume the oc-
cupancy and treatment of the building
and the disposition of it's present contents
by the committee will be substantially
that of similar committees on like occa
sionS in the past.
while the committee may not have
exclusive possession of the building .or
more than ten days. its possession of the
building in removing desks. file cases.
records and furniture from the rooms and
in arranging decorations, platforms.
stands, electric light wires fixtures, etc,
and in attempting to restore the building
and its contents to the condition in which
the committee found them, will, SO far s
carrying on the business Of the pension
bureau is concerned. amount In effect to
the exclusive use of the building by the
committee for twenty days, and during
that time the business of the pension
bureau and the agency for the payment
of pension, therein would be practically
entirely suspended.
There are at present 1.24S employees in
the pension bureau building. the total of
their daily salaries being 81, 20. and the
sum total of their salaries for the twenty
days will be $95,474. which will be paid
them as they will be in enforced idlenesS
during that time.
the substantial effect will be the cost in
money to the government of So, 414.
IF the resolution is amended SO to
stop the payment of the employees in the
pension building during their enforced
idleness it will substantially compel the
employees to donate to the committee that
amount, and if the purpose of the resolu-
ton is to enable the committee to rem-
burse itself or to provide means to pay
the expenses of the unofficial inaugural
ceremonies it would be much better for
the government to appropriate and give
the committee that amount outright, in
stead of turning over to the committee the
pension bureau during that time.
Would Delay Pension Payments.
"Since the last inaugural ceremonies
there has been located in the building an
agency for the payment of pensions. The
agency pays between 5000 and "a 600
pensioners and the next payment by that
agency commences on the 4th day of
March. 1909. If the building is surren-
dered to the committee. as contemplated
by the resolution, the payments due
March 4 will be delayed at least two
weeks. and it is not necessary to suggest
what such a delay will mean to those
who confidently expect that their pen
sions will be paid promptly when due as
they have been in the past.
There are in the building 1.433 desks,
154 tables. $40 file cases. with their con
tents, each one weighing when full
900 pounds, and when empty SOB
pounds and many other articles of Of
flee furniture and books of record, and
these would have to be removed before
the ceremonies and afterward replaced.
The files contain cases, and are not sup
piled with locks
1T would be necessary to remove all