The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-02-16
HAS REGULAR ROW
CONGRESS sTiRs UP TROUBLE
EVERY FOUR YEARS ABOUT
THE INAUGURATION.
PARADE CAUSES PROTESTS
Some Senators Object to Historical
Floats Until They Are Explained
Other Lawmakers Wall About the
Hotel Rates.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Wasnlngton.-Every four years, as
regularly as the Inauguration itself, u
row comes in congress over the gen
eral subject of the pageantry and the
expenses of the big event.
Congress If never at any other time
always is nonpartisan, to consider
able measure ct any rate, when II
discusses inaugural functions in adj
vance OF the event itself. Criticisms
and worse than criticisms have been
the order Of every late January and
early February every four years with
in the memory Of the oldest of the
Washington correspondents.
This year 1T was the expressed in
tention Of the inaugural committee, of
which Robert N. Harper Is the chief,
to give the parade feature of the day
something which would differentiate ii
from the parades of the past. SO II
called floats picturing the history of
the United States land the great prog
ress that has been made In education,
commerce, art the professions, finance
and the industries"
Senators Objected to "Floats."
Now floats" as used in parades are
of as many varieties as there are spe-
cies of sparrows in the United States
and the sparrow tribe in its various
ramifications and collaterals runs into
hundreds OF differentiations. For some
reason floats" suggested to some men,
bers Of congress classical representa-
tons of fair women, draped more or
less and reminiscent of the days of
the empire of Rome. So ii was that
in the upper house the scheme was
inveighed against by one or two men,
bers on the ground that floats were
more fitting for the coronation of a
king than for the simple swearing In
of the president of a republic.
They are going to have the floats
and they will be representatively Amer.
lean, and in fact already the animOsity
to them is dying away under the influ-
ence of proper explanation.
Congress in addition to Directing to
the floats has had something to say
about the expenses of the occasion.
The lawmakers appropriate nothing,
for the ceremonies of the day concern
simply the citizens of Washington who
look after the expenses of the parade
because of local pride reasons. Con
gress, however, Is expected to appro-
pirate money for the actual ceremonies
at the capitol.
Hotel Rates Worry Some.
The lawmakers, also, or some of
them at any rate, are disturbed over
the question of hotel rates. This sub
ject is brought up every four years
in Washington just as regularly as 1t
is brought up every four years in a
city which is to entertain the dele
gates to great national convention.
The hotels in Washington make money
during the Inauguration days and there
is no question about this. Congress
talked with a good deal of vim and a
good deal of venom about this mat
ter.
Now it is only fair to say that there
are two sides to this story. The hotels
for the main part, at any rate, do not
put up their prices materially except
for rooms which face the streets along
which the parade Is to pass. Any bust
ness man in Washington can get money
for the use on Inauguration day of an
office window that overlooks Pennsyl-
vania avenue. The hotel in renting it's
street rooms rents them not only for
sleeping purposes, but for show, pur-
poses. SO far as the other rooms In
the hotel are concerned it may be said
that generally speaking the price is
as 1t always is except that man must
pay for q bed what he ordinarily pays
Cor q room.
Building National Pantheon.
Over In Arlington, the resting
place Of the nations soldiers and
sailors, there is now under con-
struction great memorial amphithe-
alter. Marble will wall in big stretch
Of green sward and there in the enclos-
ure open to the sky will be held serv-
ices on those days when the country
commentaries the deeds of its "chil-
dren unafraid."
Col. w. w. Harris, United States
officer in charge Of construction Of the
amphitheater. The plans include the
construction of chapel from which
at point in the marble wall encir-
cling the field will run n colonnade
i'm which will be inches for the busts
of men who lost their lives in the de-
Tense Of their country, or who, dying
under the ordinary conditions of serv-
ice, had during their lifetime per-
formed deeds which will make their
memories lass.
In the crypt under the chapel will
be placed the bodies of some Of the
more illustrious Americans of the
armed services. for Arlington is solely
resting place for the men of the
t,t,tn oarvicpa Today Admiral Dpwpv'S