The Harrison times., 1917-02-17
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.

regularly rs the Inauguration itself, Il
row comes in congress over the gen
eral subject Of the pugeantry and the
expenses of the big event.
Congress if never at any other time
always is nOnpartiSan, TO a consider
able measure at any rate when 1t
discusses inaugural functions in ad-
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 it was the expressed in
tentiOn of the inaugural committee, of
which Robert \. Harper is the chief,
to give the parade feature of the day
something which would difIerentiate IL
from the parades of the past. So 1t
was decided to have a series of So
called floats picturing the history Of
the United States "and the great prog
ress that has been made in education,
commerce, art, the professions, finance
and the industries"
Senators Objected to "FIoats."
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 It's various
ramifiCations and cOllaterals runs into
hundreds of dfferentiatiOns For some
reason floats" suggested to some mem
berS of congress classical representa-
tiOns Of fair women, draped more or
less and reminiscent Of the days of
the empire of Rome. SO it 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 republic.
They are going to have the floats
and they will be representatively Amer
lean. and in fact already the animOslty
to them is dying away under the intlu-
ence of proper explanation.
Congress in addition to Objecting 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 a 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 1t 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 busl-
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 its
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 1t may be said
that generally speaking the price Is
as 1t always Is except that a man must
pay for bed what he ordinarily pays
for room.
Building National Pantheon.
Over In Arlington the resting
place of the nations soldiers and
sailors, there Is now under con-
structon great memorial amphlthe-
ater. Marble will wall in a 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 It's "chil-
dren unafraid."
Col. w. w. Harts, United States
corps of engineers, Is the executive
officer in charge Of construction Of the
amphitheater. The plans include the
construction Of chapel from which
Mt point in the marble wall enCir-
cling the field will run Il colonnnde
In which will be inches for the busts
of men who lost their lives In the de-
fense 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 last.
In the crypt under the chapel will
be placed the bodies Of some of the
more lllustrlous Americans Of the
armed services, for Arlington Is solely
A pauttnu ,,luna for thn mpn np fbn