Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-12
NO PLACE FOR BALL
House Unwilling to Authorize
Use of Pension Building.
LAST HOPE NOT GONE YET
Representative Sims Leads Assault
on Provision.
SHARP DEBATE ON SUBJECT
Bill. Amended, Goes Over for Two
Weeks-Final Action Hoped to
Reverse Vote on Measure.
LAST HOPE NOT GONE YET
SHARP DEBATE ON SUBJECT

resolution authorizing the use of the
pension Office building for the inaugu-
raj ball and the grant of permits to the
committee on inaugural ceremonies
went over until next District day, two
weeks hence.
The provision relating to the use OF
the pension Office building caused the
trouble and finally was stricken out, an
| amendment being added forbiddinS the
extension of overhead wires into the
structure. The attendance in the House
when this action was taken was small.
1t is the hope of Chairman Smith and
others in charge of the mea sure that
the desired permission for the use of
the pension building will be granted
when the bill comes up for final re-
| cord vote in the House.
Sims Begins Attack.
Representative Sims of Tennessee.
senior democratic member of the House
District committee. led the fight on the
| resolution.
Lets not dance over the claims Of
the old soldiers he pleaded If, he said,
the ball really was in honor of the
President he would not make compla int.
but, he declared. 1T is dance to make
money.
He believed that President Taft
would feel pang of sorrow while IN
the ball room where ladies will exhibit
their beautiful forms and display mag
nficent pearl and diamond necklaces,
when he knows that possible fires may
destroy valuable records. He main
tanned that if there was to be ball IN
honor of the President it should be at
government expense.
Keifer Suggests Provision.
II am not going to oppose this BILL
said Representative keifer of Ohio.
though l am inclined to think it is not
very wise practice to take the pension
office every four years for a dance
Il want to come to the matter I think
we ought to be specific about, and that
is the matter of reserving the rooms in
this pension building now used and oc-
cupied by the pension agent in paying
pensions. There are five of these rooms,
as l understand it. on the first floor in
the southeast corner of the building.
They are absolutely essential to the
preservation of the records and to doing
the work of paying somewhere between
$1,000 and $4,000 pensioners. Pension day
March next. the day of the Inauguration
of the new President and the day Of the
inaugural ball
Some days prior to that to pay pension
ers would be lost in the matter Of making
preparation to pay pensioners. Pension
day, which of itself is an important one
for certain pensioners who get their pen
sion papers in the pension agents office
the morning of that day or early in the
day, would be lost, and the length of
time figured by the commissioner Of pen
sons that would be lost in the way Of
paying pensions would be at least twelve
days after the day OF paying pensions be-
gins.
Some estimate the time that will be
lost at twenty days, because in the matter
of readjusting the records and papers and
matters of that kind there would be a
great loss of time, to say nothing about
the loss of papers that has happened in
the past by the use of the pension office.
Now. it is said that there is provision
in this bill for the purpose of reserving
these rooms used by the pension agent.
There is no such provision in the bill and
the amendment suggested in that direc-
ton made by the gentleman in charge of
this bill is of doubtful construction"
Former Legislation.
Mr.. Sims next reviewed the history OF
inaugural legislation in Washington. and
said If the ball were not held it would be
no offense to anybody.
And I wish the members Of the House,
and especially those who have not been
here at any previous Inauguration" he
said. Ito disabuse their minds of the sup
posed fact that this is any part of Off
lutely nothing to do with it. If we should
not have it it would be no offense to any
body be discrimination to the great
man who has been elected President.
Il imagine he would feel a relief if he
did not have to go over there and show
himself that night in order to induce peo-
pie to pay S. for the opportunity of see
ing him-S5 for himself, s. for your wife
and IS for any other mans wife If you
take her. The inaugural ball is no part
Of the official ceremony; no part of the
inauguration, in fact"
Mr.. Sims said that in 1902 the usual leg
islation was had and some public prop
erty belonging to the United States was
destroyed by fire. as I remember it.
amounting to several thousand dollars
and the inaugural committee would not
pay one cent and did not pay one cent
for that damage
Promises Not Kept.
Mr.. Sims then quoted the bill passed in
1902 forbidding the use Of public build
ings. other than the Capitol and the
White House. for inaugural ceremonies.
But in two years afterward." he con-
tinued prior to the Inauguration to &C.
| cur in 1908. the inaugural committee, or
those representing them. came before the
House District committee and made the
plea that they had not had time in that
short period to provide a proper building,
which they had assured us, upon the
honor of gentlemen, they were able 10 do
and would do if given sufficient time.
We suspended the law passed in 1907
| on account of conditions which the in
augural committee could not control at
| that time. Here is the great Capital city,
| the home of millionaires. with six years
| since that law was passed, in 1902, In
which to build proper building in which
they could hold inaugural balls and all
other balls conventions and other meet
| ings. that bring thousands Of people to the
| District of Columbia, and which are a
great source of revenue to the people who
| live here and have business here. Yet
! here they come, six years after the act.
and say. Let us have it again
Now, what equity have they got 10
present this time? Absolutely nothing,
only they have not kept their word with
Congress.
Mr. Overstreet of Indiana wanted to
| made the promise.
II do not know that they are the same
identical men, replied Mr.. Sims. But
the same committee. or those representing
the inaugural committee, and l will state
further that l believe some Of the identical
gentlemen that made that statement ap-
| peared before the committee in favor o:
this resolution.
Profit or Patriotism.