The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-18
MONDAY, JUNE Is, 1866.
The Mileage Of Members OF Congress.


rule by which distances were settled, and rates
per mile allowed, was merely an arbitrary one, to
be altered, increased or diminished at the whim
of the Chairman Of the Committee having the
matter in hand. We have read with astonish.
ment the rates set down as char gel by railroad
companies for conveying an individual from
Washington to his home. In some cases the
mileage amounts TO small fortune The MEM
Der from Washington gets S12,O50, from Cali
fornia S1o,692, and so on, while their salaries
only amount to $4,000 for the term. 1t would
seem as though the salary were a perquisite,
and the mileage their chief means OF support.
Not only is the sum thus paid enormous, but
there are evident discrepancies in the distrbu.
tion. Mr.. GARFIELD, of Ohio, called attention
to the fact when he gave notice of his Intention
to offer resolution directing the Committee on
Mileage to examine and report what discre
pancy there was between the amount OF mileage
received by members of the last Congress and
the amount claimed by them, and directing the
Committee to allow no more mileage in future to
a member than is claimed by him. He explained
the reason why he wished the resolution 70 be
adopted. On looking into Executive document
No. 1875, showing the pay and mileage Of men,
bers for the last Congress, he found himself set
down as being paid for 2740 miles OF travel,
being for 685 miles four times, whereas he ha2
only claimed, IN answer to the circular sent
him by the Chairman of the Committee on
Mileage, 565 miles as the distance from his
home to WASHINGTON; that, multiplied By four,
would make the number of miles for which he
should have been paid 22G0 so that he was paid
for 480 miles more than he had claimed He
found now, on inquiry, that other members from
Ohio, and perhaps from all parts OF the country,
had been allowed more mileage than they had
claimed. The gentleman from Cleveland (Mr.
SPAULDING) claimed for only $40 miles, and was
allowed 634; and his colleague (Mr ScHENCK)
claimed for only $50 miles. and was allowed for
Sl2. The letters in which they stated the num-
Der of miles travelled in reply to the circular of
the Chairman of the Committee OIL Mileage, he
found in the rooms of the Sergeant alarms, in
dorsed, with the increased number of miles, zap
proved, j. W. W."
It would thus seem as though the ratio Of dis
tances has sort of sliding scale, which could
be either elongated or diminished at pleasure.
sort OF invisible cap was applied by Mr.. r.WAITE,
and cities either repelled or attracted as though
he was gigantic loadstone. 1t is also notice
able that the members coming from the same
place do not receive the same pay. We suppose
that the distance from the depot may account
for the difference, as it would seem that every
square was carefully added in the count. Let us
instance a few cases. Senator ANTHONY, o.
Rhode Island, receives $720, while Mr.
DIXON gets but $640. 1t would thus seem
as though an expense of $50 was incurred in
travelling from Washington to Providence.
Again, W. D. KELLEY got $3.50, while G. F.
MILLER re ceives sos. We had no idea that the
Pennsylvania Railroad charged S47S to go from
our city TO the State capital. Mr. HUBBARD, of
Iowa, gets $500, Mr.. ALLISON S223S, and
Mr.. GRINNELL Sl42S, a considerable difference
for so small a State. Hon. JAMES BRooKEs, of
New York city, receives S37G, while Mr.. CHAN
LER gets S977'60 the extra dollar aud sixty cents
being probably allowed tor the street cars. L.
w. Ross, OF Illinois, gets $2265, while j. S. RoL-
LINs, of Missouri, who certainly lives further
from Washington than Mr.. Ross, but S2G65. Mr..
SAMUEL j. RANDALL receives 1924, and Mr..
CHARLES O'NEML $23O40 Probably the horse.
Car explanation accounts for the extra eXpend-
ture of S6'4O. But we could multiply instances
without number. There seems to be a total and
universal disregard for anything like uniformity.
What we now need is remedy. When we
lind figures set down as the necessary cost of
travelling such as the following, we require no
logic to expose the ialacy and fasity of the exist
ing law:-To 90 from Philadelphia to Washington
and return costs Sll5'20, or to 90 to Washington
S57'6O; to go from New York TO the capital
Sls2; from Boston, 1914; from Cincinnati, $500;
from st. Louis, SS77; from Chicago, S972; from
Racine, SlO56; from Sacramento, S5l94; and
from Idaho, S6l92.
We would suggest that the surest method of
being Just to both members and taxpayers is
to have an increase in the salary paid to Con.
gressmen, so these who live near and those who
live far away may all be allowed the same.
Then il $4,000 or even more, was to be the an
nual allowance, and mileage abolished, it would
save immensely to the Government, and at the
same time accommodate a large number OF
members. 1t is a radical error which has
prompted us to give our representatives pit
tance utterly insufficient to enable them 10 meet
the demands. Many men of rare merit are thus
debarred from endeavorng to succeed In the
political arena, and those of Strengthened means
who do accept, are compelled TO sustain them.
selves by means Of perquisites obviously se.
cured if not equiyocal in their character. We
throw out a causeless temptation to men in power
and do not seek to shield them from it by doing
them Justice.
Let us then have an increase of salary, and an
abolition of mileage As it at present exists it lis
most unfair. There is hardly any law which
will remedy 1t if it continues; and as it is a
Notorious fact that all the companies pass men,
bers free OF charge, we are at loss to see the
necessity for il under any circu instances Let