Evening star., 1950-03-17
Guide Fee System in Capitol
Draws Fire at Heurinu

Representative Scrivner, Repub-
1ican, Of Kansas, has renewed his
attack on the guide fee practice
ut the Capitol.
Testimony before a House ap-
preparations subcommittee, made
public today. reveals Mr.. Scriv-
ner's continued irritation at the
fees charged for guided tours OF
the legislative halls.
1T seems absolutely absurd and
ridiculous that the people who
come here, who support this Ma
tion and this Nations Capital, have
to kick in to some professional
guides to be taken around the
Capitol" he said. 90 - AS much
ss I like economy in the Govern
ment, 1t would be more in keeping
with the dignity of the Nations
Capital to have these guides on
the payroll and let these people
who come here, the public, to see
the Capitol, go through absolute
ly free, because the Lord knows
they pay for 1t a thousand times
over"
The guide fee is Is cents for
adults and Is cents for children.
Joseph H. Callahan. House
sergeant-at-arms. told the sub
committee receipts of $111,97s
were divided among "a guides in
1949. with individual shares de-
pending on how much time each
guide spent conducting tours.
The average would amount to
about $4,000, he estimated.
Mr.. Scrivner said he saw no
sense to the fee requirement. Mr..
Callahan defended it:
Il think the present members
of the guide force have a much
stronger desire to do a good job
because they are, more or less,
working for themselves. They are
courteous. They understand that
the more courteous they are, the
more tourist trade they are 60
ing to receive, because people go
back home and talk about the
lovely trip they had through the
Capitol Building. -
"On the other hand, if you put
them under patronage. as you
would naturally have to do, on
a regular salary basis. I am not
quite so sure that you would get
the same courteous people as
guides that.you now have.
Members of the subcommittee
indicated they were inclined to
favor an $4,000 program for in
stallation of improved traffic sig
nails around the Capitol grounds.
But they emphasized they wanted
an adequate trial of an expert
mental installation at B street
and New Jersey avenue Sc. be-
fore committing themselves to the
overall plan suggested by Traf-
fic Director George E. Keneipp.
Representative Garfield, Repub-
iican, Of New Jersey suggested a
better arrangement could be
worked out for the signals encoun-
tered In travelling from Union
Station to the Capitol.
There are times when a men,
ber. leaving a train at Union Sta
ton, could run up to Capitol Hill
and get to the House of Repre-
sentatives chamber before he
could get there in a taxicab." Mr..
Garfield complained.
David Lynn, Architect of the
Capitol. said he was working with
MIR. Keneipp on the problem.
The crypt of the Capitol-under
the rotunda-is the. only suitable
place remaining for location of
additional statuary, according to
Mr.. Lynn. He asked the subcom-
mittee for $4,000 with which to
provide new lighting and do gen.
sral sprucing up in the crypt.
East State has been authorized
10 send two statues. not all of
which can be placed in Statuary
Hall because of structural limi-
tations. Mr.. Lynn recalled. So far
20 States have donated a total of
rs statues. leaving 81 to be ex-
pected. Oregon's two and one
from the State of Washington
are being sculpted now, Mr.. Lynn
informed the subcommittee.
Mr.. Garfield wants an eye in
the eagle in the skylight of the
House chamber.
He told Mr.. Lynn some of the
members didn't think so much of
the very modernized eagle"
which had been loaded into the
white glass skylight during the
reconstruction of the chamber
roof last fall.
Mr.. Lynn said the eagle would
be tinted during the next recess
OF Congress-
II hope, when you tint the
eagle, you will bring out the eye
of the eagle. because it is not
readily apparent from the floor
now" Mr.. Garfield commented.
And, frankly, you have to study
that picture to realize that 1t is
an eagle representation"