Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-09
MCFARLAND THINKS so
Governors of Forty.Six States and
Territories Favorable.
CONGRESS LIKELY TO JOIN IN
Endorsement Of Proposed Constitu
tional Amendment Expected to
Be Given by Nation.

AS soon as congress cOnVeneS IN Decem-
Der the national committee on the pro-
posed change of Inauguration day. of
which Commissioner Macfarland is chair
man. will renew its fight to secure a
change in the Constitution providing for
the Inauguration of the President and
Vice President of the United States on the
last Thursday i'm April instead of on
March f.
Commissioner mcfarland sees bright
prospects Of victory during the coming
winter. Many members of both Senate
and House have expressed desire to see
Inauguration day characterized by other
than driven snow overhead and slush un-
der foot.
The governors of forty-six states and
territories have pledged their active sup
port and cooperation in the movement as
members of the national committee and
are using their influence to effect a change
| In their respective jurisdictions. And as a
result Of the work of the national COM
| mittee a general interest i'm the proposed
change Of Inauguration day has been
| aroused throughout the whole country.
Conditions to Be Shown.
Some heavy ammunition will be used
| in the fight during the coming session of
Congress by the national committee.
Commissioner Macfarland. as its chair
man. has a big pile of photographs taken
on last Inauguration day which will re-
call vividly the adverse weather condi-
tions which characterized the occasion.
The committee is in possession of some
records showing inauguration days toll
of deaths from pneumonia and other dis
eases brought on by exposure. The rec
ords of earlier inaugural days will also
be cited and the weather bureau has pre-
pared comparison for many years past
of weather conditions on March and
| the last Thursday in April.
The question of changing inauguration
day will be ready for the consideration of
the proper committees i'm both Senate
and House as soon as Congress convenes
Resolutions providing for the chang.
were introduced In the special session
last spring by Senator Depew of New
York and Representative Gaines of West
Virginia. They fix as Inauguration day
the last Thursday in April that day
being chosen by the national committee
on the proposed change because George
washington was first fnaugurated on the
last Thursday in April. and because. by
nxtng day of the week rather than a
day of the month, the danger of the
date Of inauguration falling on Sunday
Is avoided.
Congress Shows Compliance.
No action was taken at the extra ses-
sion because of the determination Of Con-
gress that there should be no general
legislation at that session except con-
sideration of the tariff legislation. But
favorable expressions were obtained from
Speaker Cannon and most Of the other
leaders OF the Senate and House which
encourage the committee to believe that
success VIII come at the coming session
OF congress. Representative Gaines who
introduced the resolution in the House
Is chairman Of the committee on election
or president and Vice President. and an
early and favorable report from that
committee is anticipated.
Meantime Mr.. Macfarland. as chair
Idh M OF the national committee, has been
carrying on correspondence with the
governors of the states and territories
eniisting the interest of those who have
come into Office since the last canvass
VI governors was made, and has Sc
cured as members of the national COM
mittee the governors of Alabama, Ar
kansas, Arizona. California, Colorado.
Delaware: Florida Hawaii. Idaho, I'LL
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachu-
setts, Michigan. Minnesota, Mississippi,
Missouri, Montana. Nebraska. Nevada,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mex
leo; New York. North Carolina. North
sylvania, Porto Rico, Rhode Island.
South Carolina, South Dakota. Tennes-
see, Texas. Utah. Vermont. Virginia.
West Virginia and Wisconsin.
All these executives have expressed
hearty interest in the proposed change
Those governors who were here on the
4th Of March and exposed to the rigors
and dangers of the occasion were par
tfcularly earnest in their commenda-
tions.
number of governors have spoken
or written to the senators and repre-
sentatives of their states. Some OF them
have stirred up the interest of the citi-
zens of their states.
They are ready to submit the matter
to the legislatures of their states in
the most favorable form if the resolu-
tion is adopted by Congress proposing
the amendment to the Constitution,
which Is regarded as necessary by the
constitutional lawyers in Congress.