Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
Capital Sidelights


EVEIy IUuk yE010 tAlG NAA1sA AAfsAA MA VAAN
congressional committee on the inau-
gural ceremonies at the Capitol has a
hand-to-hand battle to fight regarding
seating and other details Of what goes
on at Capitol Hill March 4.
The grandstand on the east steps
of the Capitol win soon be constructed
"a stand for the Marine Band, a
stand for photographers-and, above all
IN importance, the great stage on which
the President stands when he takes the
oath administered by Chief Justice Taft
Eof the United States Supreme Court.
That stand win seat 5000 people, and
even then 1t Is nip and tuck to provide
anything like what Is requested by peo-
pie who have held official positions, or
organizations which have been Of great
value In el0cting Mr.. Hoover President.
Here are some of the ways In which,
by custom and rule, the 5000 seats are
disposed Of by the committee OF which,
this year. Senator Moses is chairman.
First of all, the PTesident-elect and
Vice President-elect have granted them
as many reservations as they ask for.
The retiring President and the Vice
President are accorded the same privi-
lege. The cabinet receives seats for it
self and families. So does the United
States Supreme Court and other high
judiciary bodies, the assistant Secre-
tarieS Of departments. the diplomatic
CORES, and as there are 81 nations repre-
sented here several hundred cards 60
cut to the diplomats; governors and
their stalls and councils and guests
must be seated. and usually nearly all
the 40 States are represented officially
ON that occasion. The national Repub-
e. H.
committee must be accorded q suitable
which come the President and the Vice
President are given double the usual
State allotment or even more Certain
commanders of the Army and admirals
of the Navy must be cared for, as the
President is cOmmander-in-chief of
both. This year the British embassy
has asked the courtesy of seats fer $50
naval cadets from Australia, who are
coming to witness the ceremony
These are but small part of neces-
sary reservations, however, for provid-
ing for Congress, under rules and Gus
tens that have existed many years
takes several thousand out of the 5000
available seats, and then doesn't provide
nearly all that are asked for. In fact
vials of wrath are emptied on the heads
| of the inaugural committee, the chair
man bearing the brunt.
Now do some reckoning for yourself
and see what happens:
Each Senator gets 10 seats-that
makes $50 out at one whack. Each
SenatOr-elect gets i've seats-that takes
out another couple Of hundred. Each
member of Congress receives five seats
and as there are 435 members of that
House another group of more than
5000 seats is cut off In a twinkling
Each Representative-elect gets two seats
and this year that cuts of more than
$50 more seats from the total.
Seats must be provided for the 3O(
members of the press gallery, whose re-
ports of the ceremony furnish all au-
thentic accounts sent out by telephone
telegraph and cable to all parts of tbs
world.
When all these demands are provided
for there are not even fragments left
out of the first 5000 seats, which
sounded big till divided.
And there are lot of the rank anG
| file who feel they are entitled to seats
and to whom seats would be given, il
there were any to give The old stage
| song, "A Policeman's Life Is Not 9
Happy One," doesn't hold a candle Il
| the life of chairmen of inaugural com
mittees, as any Of those now parcelins
out seats can testify.
Visitors to the Capitol Building ari
soon to be afforded resting place IL
the rotunda of the CapitOl-on histori'
benches. The big rotunda is the whirl
pool of the tourist traffic tide. Usual,
the visitors are footsore and weary wher
they reach there. There has been nj
place in the long central promenade
In the Capitol from House end to Sen
ate end where visitors could sit ane
rest for a few minutes. This lack q
, convenience Is to be corrected.
An estimate has been submitted Il
Congress by the Department of Justic,
for the cost of refurnisfing the Court ot
Claims, at Seventeenth street and Penn
Sylvania avenue, where it occupies tht
old Corcoran Art Gallery. This cour
has been getting along with some OLD
iron benches, made ON q radius, having
curved seat and back. These iror
benches were formerly In the Housl
chamber when the House occupied wha
is now Statuary Hall. They were latel
used In the old Supreme Court cham
Der. David Lynn. architect of the Capt.
toll, has now devised the scheme Of sal
vaging these benches when the Cour
Of Claims chamber is refurnished ant
bringing them back to their old home II
the Capitol. They are to be placed be-
tween the pilasters in the rotunda 81
that the weary sightseers may res
there for few minutes.
There are some men in Congress whit
always put a fowery touch to thei
speeches. One of these Is Representa-.
tive James O'Connor Of Louisiana. Ir
referring to the goodwill voyage o.
President-elect Hoover as q nationa
asset, he said:
"It Is more than that, It Is an inter.
national asset. Those who went II
search of the Golden Fleece brough
back with them something more valu
able-knowledge. Jason and his Argo'
nauts cemented ties that advanced
civilization, and his fabulous adventure!
enriched the classic literature of Thu
world. But the argosy win be looket
upon as but small contribution to thu
big work Of the earth when compared
with the wonders that win be coloreC
where they are not created by the grea
journey of an American master builder
Of inspiring hopes and splendid aspira.
tions.''
He predicted that 1t viii not be lon,
before the proposed highway linking
all the Americas win be realization
1T Is the seers who look with prophets
eye into the future" he said, land set
the glories Of the coming day. 1t 4
great, tall, sun-crowned men like Hoover
who see the Promised Land long ir
advance of their countrymen. A few
great souls come out In each generation
and march as torch-bearers In the van.
guard Of civilization"
4 \ y r
High tribute has been paid in tn,
Senate to Capt. Fried, Chief Office
Manning and the hfeboat crew ant
other officers and men of the s. s
America bv Senator Fletcher 0f Florida