Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-09
YES, THEY HAD WINE
AT FOURTH DINNER
{ BUT NOT ON MENU
Champagne Was Served at
Patriotic Banquet at the
City's Expense, but
Difference to Brumbaugh
Called for Secrecy.

Philadelphia hoteInen, learning that
the expenses OF the recent municipal
Fourth Of July celebration exceeded
Councils $4,000 appropriation by $780,
Viewed with interest the following bill
listed as already paid;
ITO Hotel Adelphla, dinner and ban
quet s2ss75O"
An itemlzed statement OF the account
shows two items OF 1850 and S51 for q
luncheon and dinner served the Commit
tee on ARRANGEMENTS; the chief item Of
the bill, however was for the Inde-
pendsuos Day luncheon, held on July 5,
which cost t225s The luncheon was
served to 400 persons pt $3.50 a plate The
music and flowers cost f5s
The $3.50 luncheon menu was as follows:
It'd Bits, Liberty Bell
-, Tomato Fourth q! july.
Essenee Of capon. william Penn
Brock Trout, washinston. cueumbors
Independence Punch.
Romains Salad Pennsylvania.
p.,,,, R5atrioiie 5tio Ices
Demi-tasse.
CALLED EXCESSIVE.
Several Philadelphia hotelrnen ex-
pressed the opinion that the price OF $500
a plate for the above menu was excessive.
especially when as many as 400 persons
we're served. Estimates were asked in
several leading hotels for banquets with
a similar menu and the hotel estimates
ranged from $3.50 to ~ a plate.
One Of those to whom the menu was
submitted at the Hotel Walton said that
the hotels price for similar banquet
would be $3.50 a plate. ''The menu IN ,
undoubtedly choice one." he said but :
the Hotel Walton would serve It at the
price l have just mentioned. With do 9
niestic champagne the price would be IS
while with Imported champagne It would :
cost SO head"
The menu was submitted to n head =
walter at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel who q
was unaware II had been served at the Il
Hotel Adelphla. When asked to give an q
estimate for banquet with a similar Il
menu served, he said 1t would cost $3.50 =
a plate, and that IL more than $50 plates
were guaranteed the price might be :
only 50. l'
OTHER ESTIMATES. q
THAT menu would be served at "a n,
plate here" was reply made at the Belle a,
vue-Stratford. The head walter at the | ~
81. james made an a la carte estimate m
of from $3.50 to a. In explaining that 1t "a
might be trlhe more than s. he said n
the st. James could not accommodate 400 :,
persons In their banquet hall. He said .,
tno price might be less than the one he n,
mentioned when several hundred persons ~
were served.
"a hotel can afford to make better IN IN
prices for banquets," he said, "for the 90
same reason, perhaps, that department
ltores can sell goods cheaper than small sc
iealers. It is not only cheaper to sell Rl
n quantity, but banquets always bring ms
certain amount OF prestige to n hotel" suI
When asked II he considered $3.50 a .si, -,
late rather Steep for the above menu, ~
Ie replied that It was individually So
several hotelmen agreed In saying that la
was undoubtedly the duty of Councils 70
Fourth OF July Committee, to see that an del
and substantial banquet be ter
erved the clty's guests; and they we're dl
In saying that the menu which del
ad been served was an ideal one They ALI
howed surprise when they heard Of the | Or,
ost and they wondered II at least $1,000 IA
ould not have been saved IL bids had sno
cen submitted from the various leading n r.
otels
UT, THEN. LIQUOR WAS INCLUDED traI
The talk of "extravagance" on the int
lrt Of the committee and of "over- Tui
iarge' on the part of the Hotel Adel- II
ala was quieted today when 1t became p
lown that champagne and cocktails had zior
zen served at the Hotel Adephla lunch cor
N, One pint OF champagne was served tigl
each plate and each guest was given tag
rec cigars. bisc
John H. Baizley. chairman of the com port
ittee, explained that the wine had not dife
en- printed on the menu card out of che
ference to Governor Brumbaugh, who mig
IS one OF the honor guests Governor a c
recently banished wine from Atti
E executive mansion in Harrisburg. ana
I was readily admitted that the charge toflS 3sS
$3.50 a plate for the Hotel AdelphIa e nlne
nquet was undoubtedly reasonable. Sor,
ice wine had been served The esti- 80,
lte OF bill paid to the Hotel AdeIphla rar,S
uld not vary, to any great extent with andr
estimate made by other leading ho- sent
dive
'aVid b. ProVan, manager of the Hotel pale.
elphia, said that 400 persons had been Ie 81
sent IAN the records have been de- Vlslc
Dyed" he said. and, Furthermore, it's tato
the publies business" Malg
Then asked about the price, Mr. NINA
wan said; well the luncheon might gcorT
e been served cheaper elsewhere, but i III
with dignity" Pelo,
scen(
0IE mo Akt..I n..LIs n a. aInIl