Evening star., 1949-01-16
inaugural
Continued From First Page.)

of Defense Transportation, and Mrs.
Charles F.. Brannan, Freedom Train
Committee chairman.
An invocation will be given by
the Rev. Father Joseph E. Gedron,
a prayer of rededication by Rabbi
Norman Gerstenfeld and the bene-
diction by DR.. Pruden.
The Howard University choir of
go voices. under the conductorship
of Warner Lawson, dean OF the
university's school of music, will
be heard from the north stands
opposite the White House. Seats
will be available without charge
in the parade reviewing stands on
the south side Of Pennsylvania ave-
due and a loud speaker system will
be in use. -
Workers to be Busy Today.
While these opening events for the
week are taking place, workers will
be busy all day today at inaugural
headquarters in the Tariff Building,
Seventh and E streets NV, COM
pleting the endless last minute prep
arations and mailing out the thou
sands of seat tickets not yet de-
livered for the big parade.
All the three major events for
which admission is charged are a
sellout: the parade with about 10000
seats, the gala with about $500 and
the ball, also with $500.
The inaugural committee had
planned to begin public sale of
tickets to the gala at noon tomor-
row but so many, people wrote In
for tickets that all were sold by
yesterday afternoon at prices rang
ing from $3.50 to $40. Bali tickets
at $40 each are available only to
those who are formally invited by
the committee to attend. About
1000 more invitations than there
are tickets have been mailed so the
only problem will be how to keep
from selling more tickets than fire
regulations at the Armory will per-
NIT.
Tax Problem Still Ponds.
Still to be Strengthened out, prob
ably tomorrow, is the matter Of
making the various ofiicial tickets
tax exempt and Of oficially pro-
claiming the four-day holiday.
House Democratic leaders said
last night bills for both purposes
will be called up on the House floor
tomorrow under suspension OF the
rules.
The bill, already approved by the
Senate, to make Thursday and Fri.
day a legal holiday for both Fed
eral and District employees is ex-
pected to be passed by the House
without change.
The measure exempting the pa
rade, gala and ball tickets from
Federal taxes, also is due to pass.
It will then go to the Senate for
approval. This bill does not, how
ever, exempt persons renting seats
from private building owners along
the parade route from paying the
Federal admissions tax. Admission
to any other event not officially
sponsored by the inaugural commit
tee also will remain taxable.
One Republican House member,
Representative Rees Of Kansas, said
last night it would be absurd" to
exempt any tickets from taxes.
1T is bad enough" Mr.. Rees said,
"to pay from So to $40 for seat to
witness the inaugural parade, but
to exempt such tickets from taxes
is unreasonable
Expected to Muster Votes.
Nonetheless, the Democratic ma
jority is expected to muster the
votes to both the measure through,
Capitol observers said last night.
Even the District Commissioners
got into the spirit Of the inaugural
last night. They issued proclama-
ton which called on District resi-
dents to show their patriotism by
displaying the American flag at
homes and Offices and otherwise
decorating the city. a move long
since begun in the business area.
Another inaugural item headed
toward a sell-out is the official pro-
.eram which costs rs cents. The
initial printing of $4,000 is already
half sold and orders are coming in
in batches of from 500 to 1000, Mr..
Hildreth said last night.
Warns Against Scalpers.
Mr. Hildreth warned against
scalpers and asked that any attempt
to sell the program for more than
rs cents be reported to the COM
mittee at once. Additional copies
probably will be printed early this
week, he added. De luxe, leather
bound editions are available at So
at the Tariff Building headquarters
Plans for the inaugural gala, to
take place at the Armory Wednes-
day night, are about complete with
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