New-York tribune., 1873-02-10
WASHINGTON.
INCREASING GOVERNMENT SALARIES.
AN EXTRAORDINARY PROVISION IN GEN. But
LERis BuL-PAYING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
RoR WHAT THEY NEVER HAD.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSBI

WHAT THEY NEVER HAD
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNBl
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9-Gen Buffers salary bill. in ef
feet offers members of Congress bribe Of $1,000 each
70 vote for IT, The increased compensation of the Pres
dent. Cabinet Ministers and Judges of the Supreme
Court Is begin the Ah Of next March, but the SVV
year added 10 the salaries Of Congressman Is inue W
back the beginning of the present Congress- TWO
years ago. The object Of this extraordinary provision
Is 10 secure the votes of the outgoing members
The mover OF the bill makes no eoncealment OF
this There are nearly hundred members who
10 ont Of Office at the expiration OF the present Congress
Why should they vote raise the pay OF Their suCces
sors and of their lucky coeaguesi How easy ior
them To get cheap reputation FOR Vrtnous econ
amy by making a vehement opposition to the bill, II
,hey are not let in share OF the punder With
what a show of Indignation they would denOunce a
measure that pat no money into their pockets. The
Ehrewd members Of the Judiciary Committee under
stood this very wen They knew that their bill would
rot live an hour the House unless the increased pay
was given TO members Of the present Congress. With
this provision they count on securing every one OF the
members who 60 back to private life on the th Of March
Six thousand dollars apiece in greenbacks is no small
temptation TO these gentlemen, who are looking sorrow
fully forward 10 the approach OF the day when hey
are % be cut of from their hold the public treasury
With the solid vote OF these outgoing members the Dill
be passed without the support OF the more tmu OF
% reelected who want TO vote for it, but afraid Of
present salary OF a Congressman is munheent sum-
The increased pay OF the President Wce-President,
Judges and members of the Cabinet aggregates but a
ooluparatiyely small sum- but the proposed addition OF
5000 year 10 the salaries Of Senators and Representa-
tives Will increase the annual expense Of the Govern
iDent S952,00o
The Committee think that 100000. may be deducted
from this as a saving be effected by substituting Tor
the existing mileage allowance the payment of actual
travelling expenses and by aboshng the stationery and
newspaper perqmsites. That is probably an overest-
mate The principal for the Increased pay is the
abolition Of the franking privilege. Members are
making extravagant estimates OF the amount OF postage
they will have 70 pay their public documents and
correspondence but the most liberal calculations sup
pesiBg that just many documents VII! be
printed as heretofore, do not bring the postage
up TO $1,000 year. The average mileage Is
less than $780, and the stationery andsnewspaper allow
Ances amount 10 $50 year. To compensate for
an increased expense Of about 81 800 year. it is pro-
posed therefore to add 5000 to the salary The propos
non 10 make the so back two years utterly
lndefense The members have had the free use OF the
malls all that time and have drawn their mileage and
rerQnstes To take nearly two millions from the Treas
ury and divide among them account OF privileges
and perqustes to hereafter, would be nothing less
than public robbery