Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-18
CHANGE URCEDON
BEHALF Of PUBLIC
Mr.. MacfarIand Argues in Fa-
vor of Postponing In
auguration Day.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
COMMON MARCH 4
Hearing by Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections.
FOR THE DEPEW RESOLUTION
Last Thursday in April Acceptable
to Forty-Eight Governors of
States and Territories.


For the safety of the public men OF this
and other countries and of the host OF
American citizens who come here for the
great national event and for making
proper provision for the witnessing of the
Inauguration of the President OF the
United States by the people who elected
him, Commissioner Macfarland urged a
change Of Inauguration day from March
to the last Thursday in April. at =
hearing before the Senate committee on
privileges and elections today.
Chairman Burrows and Senators ! :
pew. Johnston. Fletcher. Gamble and
frazier were present. and a majority OF
them expressed themselves in favor of
the adoption of resolution BY Congress
that will lead to the desired change.
In the course OF his argument Commits
sioner Macfarland took occasion TO praise
the work of the inaugural committees,
composed of Washingtonians, who act as
the hosts Of the nations people every
A0e1 SNoA - dha WllO strive TO see that ali
visitors are Hospitality received and cared
LOT az reasonable rates. 1t was regarded
as reply TO the attack on Washington
ians made by Representative Rucker a
lew days ago In the course of q hearing
before the House committee on election
of President and Vice President.
While waiting for other members of the
committee to arrive Commissioner Mac
farland handed to a couple Of the sena-
tors photographs of scenes at the last
Inauguration
DO they look natural?" he asked.
i don't think there is need to present
any portraits of that day before the
members of this committee" remarked
Senator Frazier
Expects Favorable Action.
Commissioner Macfarland told the COM
mittee that the resolution OF Senator De-
pew, a member OF the Senate committee.
to make the change to the last Thursday
in April was acceptable to the national
committee. composed OF forty-eight gov
ernors of states and territories and
twenty-one Washingtonians. He told the
committee that similar resolutions had
passed the Senate twice, but had failed
to receive action in the House.
Il believe, however, that the proposed
change will meet with favor in the House
this year" he added.
Mr.. Macfarland declared that he fully
believed that if a vote had been taken
In the extra session. just after the 4th
of March blizzard. the resolution would
have passed with the necessary two-thirds
majority in both houses. and would now
be under consideration by the legislatures.
three-fourths of which must assent to it
in order to change the Constitution.
The bareback of the last Inauguration was
pointed out as a striking example of the
changeable March weather. Mr.. Mac
farland said that hundreds had been
killed by il. thousands had been made
invaiids, and that on the day or the in
auguration the Capital city had almost
been cut off entirely from the rest OF
the United States. He pointed out-that
at some crisis serious complications might
result IL on Inauguration day Washington
should be isolated from the rest of the
world.
But" said Mr.. Macfarland, 1.-THE pres
ent and most pressing danger is that
which involves the lives and health OF
the people"
Mr.. Macfarland mentioned several men
of prominence who had died from the re-
suits of March 4 inaugural weather in
the past. He also said that II seemed
useless to talk of making the Inaugural
ton private ceremony as hundreds OF
thousands of people would come to Wash
ington on that day, they had the right
to come, and would come, and the only
question was whether they should be
obliged to come at time when they
would run the greatest risks from in
clement weather
Not a Local Question.
The people of Washington are not So
concerned in this as are the people from
hOr yalo thAxY a.
to expose themselves to the weather in
most cases. But they are concerned as
the hosts who have TO show In every
possible way the hospitality of tile
National Capital
Mr. Macfarland described the work or
the inaugural committee, and declared its
members did their full duty TO the rest
of the country at Inauguration time.
'"The question is not one of making
money for Washington ar of holiday max
ing for anybody, but of making proper
provision for the safety OF our public
men, of our own executive, judicial and
legislative branches. OF the diplomatic
corps and of American citizens from
every state and territory"
Mr.. Macfarland argued that there is
nothing sacred in March as a date, sim
ply because the First Congress came into
being on the first Wednesday In March,
which happened to be March 4. 1883. He
said that arrangements were not COM
pleted for the Inauguration of George
Washington until the last Thursday in
April, which happened to he April 20 Of
that year. and that was the reason for
the last Thursday in April for
future inaugurations. The plan also avoids
the possibility of having Inauguration Day
fall on a Sunday.
The national committee, he said, saw no
reason for complicating the question with
n
of Congress or the time of ending the
session The one proposition Is to get the
date changed. SO that the
health and comfort of a quarter of a mill
lion visitors would not be endangered.
Mr.. Macfarland read many letters from
governors on the subject OF the proposed
change, and showed pictures of snow
scenes taken on the morning of March
Of this year.
Senator Burrows interrupted the Com
missioner when he spoke of the many ~