Evening star., 1936-11-28

put it succinctly, was not so good.
It was not so good because said
Offices in Senate and House once
Buildings were not, like the Capitol
chambers, air conditioned. And rush.
ing from the cool Senate or House to
an Office that still sweltered with the
heat of high noon and whose air con-
ditioning was limited to the feebls
gyrati0ns of an inadequate electric
fan or two was too much of a tax on
the health and tempers of legislators.
They took frequent colds; they were
caught between periods Of perspira.
tion and chill. Something had to be
done about it-either the Senate and
House had to be deprived of its air
conditioning system or a similar sys.
tenn had to be installed in the Offices.
Everybody was in favor of extend.
ing the system, and the first s2,oo0,o0o
was speedily appropriated.
The installation of suitable mech
anism will not be so costly as may be
supposed, for the original unit, used
in conditioning the Senate chambers,
already stands in the basement of the
Capitol. Additional units will simply
be constructed in connection to take
care of the extension of the system.
But activities up on the Hill, in
preparation for the new Congress, ex-
tend even beyond the installation Of
the cooling system. There is general
overhauling under way that includes
new electrical work for the rotunda
of the Capitol and the Supreme Court
section and new feeder and electrical
equipment for the House side Of the
Capitol.
For one thing, they are completely
modernizinz the kitchens that take
care of the restaurants on the House
side. Everything will be bright, shin
ing and efficient in the culinary re-
gions when the Representatives and
Senators get back in town. Electrical
equipment and electric ranges are
being installed and long needed i'm
provements are under way.
Any one who has attempted to con-
verse across table in the House restau-
rant in other years will remember
vividly the difficulties attending con-
versation in that room. The clatter
of every dish, the shuttle of every
foot, the reverberation of every voice
was exaggerated, taken up and echoed
again in what was perhaps the noisest
corner of all Washington during meal
| time.
All that will be corrected in the
very near funture. And for those who
may be shocked by the sudden silence
which will seem to have descended
upon the clamorous spot of yesteryear.
explanation is given. Acoustical tile
is being laid along the walls, across
the ceiling, so that one may be as
sured of dining or conversing in quiet
and comfort once Congress convenes
again.
lOTHER modern improvements,
tending to reduce the fire haz-
ard in the Capitol, are under way, too.
Old electrical feeders that were here
tofore installed in wooden holdings
+ are being replaced by new ones
housed in steel conduits. Electrical
equipment high-tension switching
equipments being introduced into
the Senate Office Building substation,
the Capitol substation and the old
House ONCE Building, controlling tho
circuits.
Committee rooms are being redec-
Grated, new pieces Of furniture are
being moved in or reupholstered old
furniture is being placed in q fresh
setting Rugs are coming in from Q
thorough cleaning operation, silver 10
being polished, glassware is beginning
to emerge from cheesecloth hats and
chandeliers are being unsheathed for
q final inspection before being tied
up again, so to remain until January
and a final busting and polishing Lib.
crates them for another season.
In the rotunda and down in the
colder, clammier regions Of the Capi-
tol Building workmen are whistling and
splashing, having q fine time Of 1t while
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