Evening star., 1917-01-26
.M'CUMBER WOULD
!. FIX HOTEL CHARGES
North Dakota Senator Makes
Attack on "Extortionate"
Inauguration Rates.
FUNDS FOR CEREMONIES

Congress permitting the District Com
missioners to limit the charges that
may be made by hotels and restaurants
during the inauguration ceremonies.
I'VE should do something to protect
the people of the United States who are
invited to come to Washington to at
tehd the Inauguration of the President
and Vice President" said Senator NC
i Cumber.
IF we enacted law imposing a fine
on any hotel proprietor who MADE
charges during the inaugural period IN
excess of the regular charges OF that
hotel during the remainder OF the year
| it would have the desired effect he
said.
Difficult to Pass Law.
1T will be very difficult to pass such
a law" said Senator Borah of Idaho.
II, for one, am not ready for the gov
ernment of the United States to enter
into the business OF fixing hotel
prices"
The discussion arose when resolutions
were introduced bv Senator OVerman
acting chairman of the appropriations
committee. and chairman of the Joint
committee of Congress in charge of the
inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol.
| asking an appropriation of $35,oo0 TO
, make the necessary arrangements at
the Capitol, etc, and by Senator Smith
of Maryland. giving the District Com
missioners $4,000 to protect the people
during the inaugural period. and $4,000
to provide public convenience stations.
THE people who need protection are
the people who come here to attend the
inaugural ceremonies. and the protec-
tion they need is against extortion.
suggested Senator McCumber: He told
Of an experience he himself had In an
Iof fInY10 HrNr
a friend at reasonable rates during
former inauguration.
Senator Borah said that it could
hardly be called extortion when a man
goes into a hotel of his own free will
and registers.
Senator McCumber replied that the
government has made laws providing
against extortionate interest charges
on money lent, and II 1t could do that
he saw no reason why it could not pro-
Suggests People Act.
II haven't noticed any effort on tie
part of the people here or the press to
protect the people Of the United States
against extortionate charges during
the Inauguration" said Senator Mel
son Of Minnesota. Before we give them
all the facilities they ought to do some
thing along this line.
Senator Overman suggested that his
resolution cared only for the cere-
monies at the Capitol and had nothing
to do with the District of Columbia
Il wish to enter my protest against
any such expenditure of public money"
said Senator Works Of California.
These inaugural ceremonies are
commercial. I would like to see one
President Of the United States inaugu-
rated with simple ceremonies and with
out all this pomp. We have a corona
ton every four years. 1t is un-Ameri-
can and undemocratic. / would like to
see the President himself protest He
has. j know, done some things to make
the ceremonies more esirnple. But the
expenditure of $25,000 for the cere-
monies at the Capitol is absurd
Senator Thomas Adds Protest.
Senator Thomas of Colorado said that
he sympathized with the views of both
Senator McCumber and Senator Works.
The buccaneers of old must turn
over in their graves" said Senator
Thomas, when they realize what their
modern successors. the hotel keepers,
are doing"
He said that the people of the Dis
trict were a unit in seeking to get
money from the Treasury: that the peo-
pie here were behind the movement to
get increases in pay for the govern
ment clerks. which some of the mem
bers of the Senate were resisting be-
cause of the deficit in the Treasury
81 think there should be a different
system of taxation in the District, since
these things are so.' said Senator
Thomas. Il have been in favor of the
half -and-half system OF appropriating
for the District ever since L have been
here believing il to be fair. But / am
about to cross the Rubicon and advo-
cate that the entire expenses of the
District be paid out of the revenues of
the District"
Cites Chance for Provision.
Senator McCumber read that part of
the Smith resolution which authorizes
the District Commissioners to make
regulations fix .ng the charges that may
be made by public conveyances during
the inauguration. He suggested that
by adding hotels and restaurants ii
would be possible to protect the vis-
itors against high charges.
Senator Borah said that no one would
come to Washington for the inaugura-
who did not expect to spend 1t and SO
let the people of the District share II.
They know before they come what
they must expect" said Senator Borah.
II hope this will be given enough
publicity" said Senator Sherman of IL
linois. 80 that none of my constituents
who come to Washington for the inau-
guration will have to borrow money
from me to get home"
The Overman resolution was passed
without further opposition. and the
Smith resolution was referred to the
appropriations committee. The Smith
resolution would have the money ap-
propriated under the half-and-ha plan.
The Overman resolution follows:
ITO enable the secretary of the SEN
ate and clerk of the House to pay the
necessary expenses of the inaugural
ceremonies of the President OF the
United States March 5. 1917, in ac-
cordance with such program as may be
adopted by the joint committee of the
Senate and House Of Representatives
appointed under concurrent resolution
Of the two houses, including the pay
for extra policemen for three days. at
SO per day. there is hereby appropriated
out of any money not otherwise appro-
priated $35.000. or so much thereof as
may be necessary, the same to be i'm
mediately available. payment to be
~l<..