The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-11-25
GRAND INAUGURAL HALL,
WASHINGTON AGITATING EREC
TION BY CONGRESS OF MAG
NIFICENT BUILDING.
Plans Now Being Made for Great So.
Ciety Function OH March 4th-Gov-
ernmcnt Employees Also Working
for More Pay and Consequent In
crease I'm Expense Of Running the
Government.

suitable place in washington for
holding the inaugural ball next 4th Of
March may result in the erection Of
the finest auditorium in America
| which, it is suggested. shall be known
as the Hall Of the Presidents" Con-
gress will be asked to appropriate one
half the cost of such structure. A
committee OF wealthy residents Of the
national capital will undertake to raise
the other half and will make personal
appeal to other wealthy men in all
parts Of the country for funds. While
such structure would bring in more
or less revenue 1t is not believed the
money thus derived would more than
pay for the upkeep, so those who in
vested In the enterprise would have to
do 30 without hope Of dividends or re-
turn Of their capital.
It Is not proposed that the auditor
ium shall exceed all others in size, but
1t will be monumental in design and
built of marble or other enduring ma
terial. Although no plans have been
agreed upon, seating capacity Of
about $4,000 is desired. so that gath
erings as large as a national political
convention can be accommodated.
1t Is the hope Of the committee OF
Washington citizens that with such q
hall here 1t would become the estab-
iished custom to hold all national po-
litical conventions In the capital. but
there Is reason to doubt whether this
hope would be realized. Geographical
and political considerations both
would be against it. It would be q
long ways for the Pacific coast dele
gates to travel. though when they had
journeyed to Chicago the trip on to
Washington would not be Of serious
complaint. though, when the Republi-
can convention Of eight years ago was
held in Philadelphia.
The chief objection to holding con-
ventions in Washington, however,
would be the charge that the admins
tration and federal office-holders had
dominated those of the party in pow
er. Even as it is. the cry that office
holders are being used to control the
convention of the dominant party is
raised each fourth year, and were the
conventions held in Washington the
charge would have too large a color
ing OF probability.
When members of congress added
fifty per cent. to their own salaries
and increased the pay OF officers and
enlisted men in the army, navy, ma
rine corps and revenue cutter service,
1t was promised that the civilian clerks
in the various departments would get
it at the coming session Of congress-
But those who made the promise neg
lected to state just where the govern
ment clerks would get it, From pres
ent appearances he will get it where,
as the small boy would say, the
Thanksgiving turkey gets the axe
The salary of everybody else. from the
vice president TO the newest recruit in
the army having been raised, the
treasury cannot stand any further
strain and the government clerk will
have to wait.
The clerks had expected that the
president In his message and the heads
of the several departments in their
annual reports would recommend a
horizontal increase In pay. Were such
recommendation to be made congress
would be almost sure to grant the in
crease. as sentiment for 1t already is
very strong, but 1t Is announced Of
fcially that the president is opposed
to any general increase this year.
With the head Of the executive de-
partment taking that attitude, there 1.
no prospect Of action in congress fav-
Orable to the clerks.
It is hard on the government clerks.
OF course. not to get the increase in
pay they expected, but as q whole they
are not the down-trodden class one
might expect from their plant. There
are several classes OF government en-
ployes. however. who are genuinely
entitled to immediate sonsidera ton.
One OF tAea Ia the railway mail
clerks. The salary Of a railway mail
clerk ranges from $500 to $1,000 a
year, and they are allowed no expense
accounts. Their work takes them
away from home all the time and they
are compelled to pay for meals and
lodgings out OF their own pockets. All
other government employees while
travelling are allowed a certain amount