Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-09-14
KE[P|NGUP THE style
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BEING
PROVIDED WITH PALATlAL
OFFICES.
EVERY MEMBER NOW HAS
HIS PRIVATE QUARTERS
Fastidious Statesmen Difficult to Salts
fly on Matter of Personal Convent
ences-As They Hold tho Purse
Strings of Government, They Are
Getting What They Want.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Sept 14.-While mem
bers of congress are campaigning in
their respective districts Elliot Woods,
superintendent Of the capitol, one of
the most energetic officials in the gov
eminent employ, is directing small
army of men who are engaged in the
task of making the capitol of the ma
ton more beautiful and the private
offices of the statesmen more COM
Portable.
Up to a few years ago only the most
important committee chairmen We're
accommodated with office rooms IN
the capitol building. Now however,
each and every member of congress Is
provided With private offices. Most or
the members of the house have to
struggle along with one office in which
they work with their clerks. Senators,
however, are given at least Two offices
one for their clerks and an elaborate
ly furnished private office Each
branch of congress has beautiful
marble office building. In the old days
OF congress. the average statesman
kept his office under his hat. To-
day he is quite as well provided for
as a bank president and far better
than the average merchant.
Not Vet Satisfied
Visitors to these office buildings i'm
mediately gain the impression that
their representatives have been furn-
shed with the hest possible quarters
Should they come across Mr.. Woods
however they would discover that
nearly every member Of congress mas
left with him a letter outlining IN de-
tail the improvements he desires maze
during his absence from washington
These improvements cost the govern
nent MANY thousands OF dollars put
the statesmen believe they are entitled
10 the best in the land and as they are
the men who handle the purse strings
of Uncle Sans treasury and are in
position to dictate. they invariably
have their way.
An illustration Of the expense en-
countered during the summer months
s 10 be found in the telephone system
When the house office building was
COMPLETED the telephone instruments
were attached to the walls or each
room. The senate offices. which were
not occupied until some months later
were equipped with desk telephones.
The house members decided that they
were getting decidedly the worst OF the
bargain. Nearly every member OF the
house made application for a desk
telephone and as result corp or
electricians have been kept busy dur
ing the summer months ripping out
the old telephones, installing miles and
miles of wire, and setting up the more
convenient desk telephones.
Too Much Publicity.
Another scene of activity caused by
the whims OF the members of the mouse
is to be found in the carpenter shop
When a United States senator wants
privacy he goes into his private once
over in the house office building the
average member has but one room IN
the summer comfort demands that the
door remain open, thus giving the ever
present tourist an opportunity to stare
at the member busily engaged with ms
correspondence. One member resented
being an object of curiosity and called
for = folding screen to shield his desk
and the deck of his private secretary
from the gaze of visitors Now Mr.
Woods has acquisitions for scores OF
screens which are to be installed before
congress meets in December.
When the senators come back to
Washington they will find that the
basement rooms which were so unat-
ira ctive two months ago, have been
converted into offices quite as comfort
able as those on the upper floors. 1t is
not expected that these new offices will
be put into immediate and permanent
use Senators who were candidates for
Ire-election. found that the two rooms
assigned to them were inadequate TOR
the countless mail bags of public doc
.uments il was necessary to keep on
hand ana for the extra force of clerks
employed to supply their constituents
with speeches, bills, etc. These base
ment offices. therefore, will serve as
cannaicn HEADQUARTERS from time to
time.
Good AS Club House.
II Is in this basement. by the way,
that the senator's are provided with all
the conveniences Of modern club
house. Here are to be found Turkish
baths, swimming pools, hand ball
court, a barber shop, every known va
riey Of up-to-date shower baths, and.
in fact. every convenience which might
possibly tend to refresh statesman
who had been compelled to spend sew
eral hours in the poorly ventilated SEN
ate chamber Unfortunately the SEN
ators are compelled to get along with
out the services of masseurs. Some Of
the Younger senator's who wanted TO keep
themselves in the pink Of condition
and endeavored to get an appropria-
ton for the employment of skilled mas
sage artists were deprived Of that COM
fort by the older senators who frowned
on thes cheme.
A General overhauling.
1t is in the capitol building itself that
repairs are being made which will at