The Red Cloud chief., 1884-06-06
COST OF GOVERNMENT.
Q Pow Items In the General Appropriation
Bill Which Give Some Idea Of NAti0nal

q Pow Items In the General Appropriation
Hill which Give Some Idea Of National
Expenses.
WARRINGTON. May 3O.-Peopis who
think it does not cost anything 10 un .
great Government like this, even on . basis
of economy and REFORM" should read an
appropriation bill or two and be undeceived.
The House Appropriations Committee is
struggling to make a record in the way Of
economy. yet its appropriation bills, con-
sidered in detail or aggregate, are aStOnish-
ing. Take the Legislative, Executive and
Judicial bill, as reported, for instance 1t
shows that the salaries of Congressman,
taking both branches into the account, are
ever two millions of dollar per year. At
least the bill ~appropriates this sum for sal
cries of members, $3.50, 900 being for salaries
of Senators. and Sl,695. 900 for members of
lhe House. For mileage the appropriation is
S143,O 600 and salaries of officers and employees
of House and Senate almost three-Quarters
of q million. For the botanic garden, which
furnishes the members free bouquets, ST.
TOO Is appropriated. The sum allowed for
the civil service commission and its travel
ing expenses. is SGT 800. The Department
of State is quite moderate in its demands,
the estimates being but 1851, 900. The
Treasury Department makes up for This
lack of enterprise on the part of the State
Department by calling for So, 242, 600 to run
Its business and gets So, $50. O64. The War
Department which is largely run by army
officers, whose pay is provided for BY the
Army bill, only costs in this bill So, 069, 900,
obiln NJ ltopJlorpo Na~, no,or%,ax
with characteristic modeSty, only wants
1862. 600, and is cut down to $3.50, 900. The
Interior Departments estimate is S4,12S,-
TS5; the sum allowed in this bill S3,S17,7 79.
There are some curious features in the
bill. For instance, it allows the Chaplain
of the Senate but $500 per year, and
pays the messengers TO the committee
rooms Sl,440 per year, or One-half more for
aegs than for praying ability. To tbs
telegraph operator i'm the Senate it pays but
5000 per year, thus giving to skilled labor
but little to III with legs only. For re-
porting the debates in the Senate it allows
$3.50 10, all of which is paid to n man.
OF course, hu must pay something of it out
for help. but he is said to make about one
half of it 'clean net cash." For reporting
the House debates it allows $50, 900. but d.
vides it among five men, the ''chicf" getting
s 5000, the others $1,000 each. Out of this
they pay their assistants. who write the re-
ports at ''dictat:on" from these stenO-
g~raphers. taking it first in short hand, and
then writing it out IN foolscap paper in
broad lines 80 that the member, if he desires
to revise it, msy have plenty of room between
die lines for correction. For page" boys,
whose duty it Is to be Ut the House
and Senate and run at the call of members
on the most trif,ing duties, too, a . rule,
tho bill allows SIS, 900, paying them $3.50
per day. Under the head Of executive" it
gives to the Presidents assistants the fol-
lowing: Private Secretary. $3.50 per year;
two executive clerks, $4,000 each; stenO-
Grapher, $1,S00; six clerks at salaries aver
aging about 81. 400 each; three ushers, who
get in all $500; five messengers at $1,000
each; one steward at S1,S00 per year; two
dOorkeepers at 81 200 each; n Waterman,
5000; one fireman, SS64. There is also q
contingent" fund of $4,000 for miScella-
neOus expenses, while the 'sundry civil
bill makes allowances for the expense of
furnishing and keeping up the White House
from kitchen to Office and bedroom.