National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-06

II will doubtless be gratifying to the many
officers In the Departments whose salaries
are inadequate ~ their decent support to
know that the President and the Secretary of
the Treasury have again called the attention
Of Congress to that subject.
The Secretary has presented the matter In
an earnest and forcible manner, and 1t seems
to us that the time has come when the whole
subject should receive that attention its i'm
pOrtance demands.
There are great inequalities In the salaries
of bureau officers IN the different Depart
ments. Some are well paid, and Others Of
same grade and Of as great responsibility are
lnadequately paid. This should not he the
case, and while 1t continues there will be dis
content, and a feeling of injustice among
those bureau officers whose salaries remain
at the sums fixed at the time of their crea-
ton In some cases, and In others, over half
century ago, while In other cases salaries have
been increased in that time, two, three aud
four times.
Contrast the salaries Of officers performing
bureau duty In the War and Navy Depart
ments with officers performing bureau duty
in the Treasury, Interior and Post ONCE De-
pATtments. For examples The PaymAsteT
Generals full pay Ia $3.50; the Surgeon Gen.
erals fun pay Il 90 800; the Commissioner Of
Indian Affairs Is o., 600 the Commissioner OF
the Land ONCE Is u, 1000; Assistant Secretary
Of the Treasury, S3, 500 Assistant Secretary oil
the Interior, $500; Assistant Postmaster
General, S3, 800; the auditors Of the Treasury,
each, S3,OOO; the First Comptroller Of the
Treasury had his salary increased In 1865
from 90, 800 to 5000 per annum; the Second
Comptroller had his salary increased last SEES
sion from 5000 to ~, 600; the Register Of the
Treasury and the Architect Of the Treasury
had theirs increased at the last session from
5000 10 $4,000 per aunum.
The bureaus created since the commence
msnt Of the war had fair salaries attached "a
them. The Commissioner Of Internal Revenue
has a very responsible and labOrious bureau,
and ut It's organization and for some few
years thereafter demanded q superior man Ia
conduct Its business, and an adequate salary
was provided, TO wit: s6,OOO The business
has greatly diminished, and 1t now may prop
erly be classed with other important bureaus.
Congress, In 1870, increased their pay from
- per day, which was equal to about 81 800
per Rnnum for the term, to 5000 per annum.
The country approved Of the increase. Again,
when the dollar In currency was worth hut
sixty cents, In 1850 they found the salary in
adequate, aud very properly increased It to
what II now Il, ShOOO There was no general
complaint on account Of this increase. Posi-
bly, those bureau officers who had 10 use the
Iame deprecated dollar In paying rent and
buying provisions could not sec why the same
relief should not have been extended to them
at that time Tho people require their busi-
ness, whsther In Congress- - In the De-
paTtmCnts, to bs well and faithfully d0ur and
are willing to pay capable Officers fair and
adequate salaries.
We learn from good authority that the
Committee of Civil Service Reform in the
House have bill well matured, which Tops
of some offices that can be dis pensed with.
and reduces the number OF clerks, and 50 rc-
organizes the bureaus rs TO prevent any ma
terial increase to the expenses Of the Depart.
mani. II this can he done and the pay Of
iupportanl Officers Of same grade be squaliEcd,
Il VIII b. q Inst and good act, which has
bssn delayed for many years, with the i'd
mlsslon o. its justice and proPriety but for
The oft-guoted saying, "oh, Il Is all right
hui this Is not the time
Oan any one justity the inequality that eI-
l,ts between tho salaries Of the Assistant Sec
rSta,ios Of the Treasury and Of the Interior, at