Show CAPITOL GUI 4 J A w al n riv 0 0 ml 7 T PC RP wit W J I 1 R 4 adv V A ri q ca ir UNCLE SAM OR THE PUBLIC PAY FOR THE SERVICE 7 by JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN representative el DWARD T TAYLOR of colorado in the last congress raised fl a question which front from the viewpoint view point of mr air average american would seem to hf be worth the prompt attention of the sixty ninth shall the united states continue to permit penult olli cial capitol guides to collect fill 1111 authorized fee from froin the american people visiting their sent seat of government ever since I 1 first visited this building twenty years ago I 1 have felt that this magnificent building we are all so proud of this capitol building of the greatest nation on earth ought forever to be free to the american public to look at I 1 feel that there never should be a fixed charge to to go crough this th is building I 1 feel that a petty cas cash h fee charge ot of 25 cents to see this building Is beneath the dignity vt of our great free government find and of the congress of the united states there Is no reputable government in fit the world which authorizes ur r permits a 25 cent flat charge per lead head I 1 tor for seeing its capitol the way mr taylor puts it lie he Is a veteran who hns has been in tile house since 1909 lie he made n speech against tills this guide system sy ten years ngo ago iut but seems to have been alone in his its protest in ib hi ast congress he fie introduced a bill to establish 9 free guide service for the capitol building providing for one chief guide at VW a month and ten guides tit a month and for on an official capalto cul ItOl book the facts facto concerning the lie guides as brought forth in mr air taylors speech in the debate in the house and in committee hearings include these growth of system up to the time lime of tile the centennial rt nt philadelphia there was no guide system of any kind the crowds of visitors to tile the capitol that hat year were BO S 0 large that tigress CI gress caused the appointment ills aps of five guides find and allowed fill owed them to take tips lips for service the net of 1882 to regulate the use of the capitol grounds gro unda Is still in torce force it does not mention the word guide in any way the cabinet officers have charge of life hie government buildings of their respective spec tive departments and make their own rules concerning visitors guide service ja free in them the capitol building la Is under the control of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives find they delegate their authority to life ilie capitol police board composed of tile the sergeants at arms of tile the senate and the house and that board issues the rules and regulations for the control of the building sections 7 and 8 of the rules and regulations governing the capitol police are as follows 1 guides are permitted to charge 16 41 Q alev cents per hour and 26 25 cents for any additional part of an hour for each person parties not to i 25 per sons bons galdes must conduct nil fill parties to both floors to the seriate senate wing lower floor through the crypt to the house gallery and back to rotunda from which all part parties lef win will start 8 for school organizations 16 15 cents eacle a it person ve pe hour leour or additional part thereof 1 there here are new flow 14 guides one of them thell 11 recently appointed most alost if guides were appointed many ago IK benjamin T J andy ady hupf guide ins beell ln eai there 15 45 years enra albert daugherty 25 2 years M irs find I ld id d nid ard 20 years ira cid illy does docs no gulling pul dini ife he Is director atilt cashier tit alic other 13 I 1 gulde turn linn in ill to hill acry pcr night ali att the IK fees fea lie he deides allot arts 50 puts cents exten ln curdts ili do liot tup tinn in their tips I 1 in n 1023 ai it the laed fees collected in 11 11 galdes xiii dei tip tilled U and 33 1120 lit in 1924 by if 14 guides this indicates Indi rute if n 20 J per iier rent cent increase In creise in the total or of fees feea it and nil till tips Is over mer akk few visitors escape in ill addition there are nt lit least six Capi capitti axx ks on in stile lit fit prices rang ins ing froin 1 0 it in 25 cals the 1 lie guides urge ure tile lie pure linse of if ailiese cliot e find set get commet averaging li 15 cents mr arlor 1 in I 1 or si MIS these cokl Io lii hs kl fire writ ten to sell will illick 3 3 have little or no historical lii il iehle moreover Mi reer the file practice appears to have come into existence itsou it lou legal au all tho dhority rity in adIl addition tion there Is if 11 profitable a ble stile of of aoi c it sl lull here lie he noted that lint mr air taylor talor emphasizes tile the tint fact thit that he is attacking the gulde vote not the personnel of if the lite guides glides lie he if thinks inks they the are nil fill good fuel ife he says si they hey are doing what want they the I 1 arre allowed to to do h fly tile off iclal rules rilles and CUSt customs long ions in fore force and of course a n allor visitor can get et into tile the building nil and I 1 go about without a glidde it there I 1 ere must be wore more thlin if a million visitors a year nowadays nevertheless us its mr taylor tays after all these say sins s tile gulles guides years pot got tile hie guiding business to a flue art the people mum mufti enter fit at one of three doors the door on oil the house 6 side ide the door on the senate tide side or the door in the enter of the building the custom la Is that when hen people of those three doors enter any an one ne they hey are met lit at the door by a very courteous r and ad ue guIde looking im posing and wearing w darlng an officers officer s suit ault and cap and a large official metal badge the guide poll poli teli teh says io do you doe dee capital build building ing of the s alre 1 ir to see eee they very ery naturally nau rall answer c ourse course yes they do not curne come here to have to see BC their fortunes told they come the capi capitol capitillo till th guide hr ayt barsoi the law authorizes a nominal fee of 0 25 26 cents each fur for showing you over the building tho alio unsophisticated public look upon it as am nil an entrance fee which th thy dry y must pay or set get out and so go tacy jhc thc cough up the 26 25 cents apiece and then after they have been shown around a little find and conducted up to thene and inveigled into buying a bunch of books and pamphlets they do not want they go away in disgust feeling they have been frisked or gouged couf od find and they febi resentful toward congress for permitting what they think Is a scheme of petty pett y larceny and peculation and they wonder whom tile the guides are dividing ati all that money with another complaint made by a preat great many Is that too large a r of people TO go through nt lit one time ith fill one guide mid and ly anyone van n hear bear anything the guide says hut but when the bu eq dump or 1000 1 peu peo pie ant into 0 tills this capitol building within an hour and vach mil guide has to take or people through the build ing lie he of course cannot give them any se service alce taylor la Is lonesome it cannot be truly suld said that mr taylor received enthusiastic support front froni tiny any of the nn while ee sev end allowed active hostility it la IS a fair guess therefore that mr air taylor Is prepa prepared reI 10 0 to feel lonesome for lie wound ill up ills his speech thus I 1 know there here are a number of gentlemen he who are very much opposed to 0 I 1 in a any n y manner in interfering V er fering with th the e ancin monopoly 0 p 0 y of these guides guide a I 1 fully rea realize ze that there Is 1 trong strong and concerted opposition at both ends of this capitol to any interfering with this condition anybody who tries trie 11 to interfere with this marvelously rowing growing and and very profitable and entirely uncontrolled con strolled trolled and unregulated absolute mono monopoly poly la ia engaging on a very thankless and utterly unappreciated task nevertheless I 1 know that somehow Bome how t that hat some time some congress Is go ing to wipe out this blot on our capitol and let the word go out to the world that the people of all the earth may freely pass through tile the capitol of this great republic without being compelled to pay a fee for so BO doing nevertheless it Is not inconceivable that congress may take action sooner than mr taylor expects pot the undesirable d esi rable features of tile the continuous performance are very much in evidence as aa this writer will attest during sessions they the fire are an object lesson to every member of uie the senate and house who uses lila his eyes and ears and if something should happen to start a popular protest no arguments should be necesser necess itry nr to bring about the change I 1 to a more businesslike and dignified 8 system it hurts the feelings of mr average american who w ho sees it especially if lite ills forefathers tire are on exhibit in the capitol on calv canvas as and in stone atone |