Daily Kennebec journal., 1883-08-01
Washington Correspondence.
PRESIDENT ARTHUR TAKING VACATION
SMALL SALARIES OF GovERNMESr CLERKS.


SMALL SALARIES OF GovERNMEsr CLERKS.
WAsHISGTos, ID. c., July 80 1888.
President Arthur shook of the dust of
Washington from his patent feathers last week
and visited some-of the seaside resorts for a
change of air before starting on his Western
trip. He returned to this city last Saturday
and left Sunday night and does not expect to
return until Sept. 18th. He went first to the
Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs in vir-
ginia, and from there he goes to Louisville,
ny, and will open the exposition Wednesday
He will go from Louisville, Ky, to Chicago,
where he will be taken in hand by General
Sheridan for the trip to the Yellowstone re-
gion. We of this city as well as the rest of
our country will have to keep posted on the
daily doings of our Executive by telegraph
The telegraph, by the way, is a
very unreliable means of commun-
cation, but notwithstanding this it is
to be hoped that the striking operators
will hold out until the Western Union monop
oily accede TO their terms. The operators at
work in this city are largely incompetent and
the correspondents of the daily papers find it
very difficult to get their messages telegraph
ed. Business dependent on telegraph CON-
munication is badly demoralized, but no one
thinks Of censuring the operators, but the
company gets its full share of condemnation
Money is being subscribed here in the de
partments to help the operators during the
strike.
Uncle Sans clerks are spending large
portion Of their spare time anathe hematizing
the man by whose suggestion the hours of
department labor during the heated term were
heightened one hour. Congress, as a body
10 strangely inconsistent in many things. At
the close Of the war Congress realized that
the cost of living had increased very much
IN this city, and they increased their salaries
from IS, 200 per year to 81. 200 to meet this
increased expense, and decreased the salaries
of the clerks, Of c 'urse in the interests of
economy. They provided for a class of clerks
at 81, 900 per year, and increased the number
Of places in the 81 200 and 81 400 grade, and
reduced the 81, 900 and Sl,S00 grade. A
clerk in Washington, who has q wife and one
or two children has to be very good man.
ager to make both ends meet on salary of
1890 q year, and Sl400 clerk does not want
much sickness during the year or he will
come out in debt. A respectable house will
cost about $50 month and clerks on salaries
Of $1,000 and el400. can live by renting out
all the best rooms in the house and perhaps
take boaruer or two. and when they do this
they have deprived themselves of many of
the comforts of home, and are in many
cases unable even then to spare the money
for vacation in the summer to obtain a
much needed rest A person with family
cannot board and rent rooms any cheaper
than they can keep house. Business men,
real estate agents and boarding house keep
ers are not doing business simply for their
health, or to accommodate clerks, but are try
ing to lay up an honest penny for rainy day.
II Congressman who is here only six or
eight months in year, cannot get along on
less than 5000, how is it that a clerk
can live on so much less? I don't
know that congressman are obliged to live in
90 much better style than other people. They
are mostly men Of means and have other bus
mess which they do not neglect to a great
extent while in Congress and of course they
do not seek the position for the salary. The
fact however remains that $4,000 is given
them ~ slight remuneration for their ardu
ous labors, while s5 per cent of the clerks.
who work faithfully all the year, are getting
less than $1,000. One very good proof of the
poverty OF government clerks who have fami-
hes to support, is that every little while the
erks are called upon to subscri be money