The Washington times., 1922-08-26
SHR|NERsRUsH'
HOUSING PLANS
OF CONVENTION
400, 900 Visitors Expected
Here for Annual Session
Next June.

Plans for the housing Of 400, 900
visitors during the week OF the an
nual Shrine convention here next
June are being pushed today by X. T.
Morey. chairman OF the A1mas Tenn
pie committee on hotels and housing.
Approximately 100000 Shripers
and fully 100000 members OF their
families. guests. and sightseers from
all parts OF the country are expected.
THE most encouraging feature of
my early survey OF the housing pos.
sibilities here is the splendid spirit
of cooperation am securing from
hotel managers" Mr.. Morey said.
THE imperial potentate Of North
America. with his official family will
require 700 rooms alone. and have
booked for them all the available
rooms in the New Willard and Wasd-
ington Hotels. ~ n
II am going to see II we can sc.
cure from the Government the use.
for week of all spare Government
buildings In which we can place cots
and so provide quarters for the va
rious bands, drill. teams. and drum
corps.
Provision for Boats.
Another problem is the provision
Of docking facilities ror boats. We
expect Pacific coast Shriners will
charter one or more steamers and
make the trip through the mama
canal. Boats are also expec,ed from
Boston. New York, and other At
lantic ports. All or these steamers
win have TO lie in the Washington
channel during the week Of the con-
vention, and We must make provision
for them.
Thousands viii come in chartered
Pullman cars, in which they will live
during their stay here. l am in
formed that the Pennsylvania rail.
road can furnish trackage In this
city to accommodate cars. for 5000
10 5000 persons, and that the Balti.
more and Ohio probably can take
care OF an equal number. This, how
ever, will not be nearly sufficient.
81 have been told by members OF
the Hotel Mems Association that
Washington. though outranked In
size by many cities in this country,
stands fourth in it's capability OF
;aking care Of visitors. This city is
going TO be taxed to its limit next
June. The largest crowds In it's his
iory will pour in for an entire week.
The inaugural crowds, while very
large. furnish no such serious prob
lem. as they stay here usually for
but day. the majority of them not
requiring sleeping quarters.
I'VE are already receiving many
offers of rooms and entire houses
from private owners. These viii be
taken care of by a special subcom.
mittee, which, with a number OF
other subcommittee, will probably be
ap s)inted within the next week or
ten days.
Autos Present Problem.
Another problem which faces us
is providing for incoming automo-
biles. San Francisco Shriners are
even now organizing a motor cara
van to bring more than 900, which
will include hundreds of cars. II that
number is coming all the way across
the continent you may imagine the
number which will come by automo-
bile from east OF the Mississippi,
where the majority of the Shriners
live. 'fsF.
"The problem Is the largest which
has faced this city yet, but the COM
mittee is beginning to function
smoothly, and, as we have ten
months in which to prepare. we 'ex-'
pect to be able to take care Of the
vast crowds without undue confu-
sion."
The finance committee is proceed.
ing steadily with the collection OF
cash pledged toward the entertain.
ment fund and expects soon to be
able to undertake the raising of the
fund of $3.50, 900, which is to be add,
ed to the 500 900 pledged.
Appointment Of chairmen of sew
eral new committees will be made by
Potentate l.. p. Steuart.. of Almas
Temple. by the beginning of next
week, so that they may begin with
out delay to organize their commit.
tees and outline their programs.