McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-06-12
UNCLE SANS PAY ROLL.
What It Costs to Bun the Government and
Where the Money Coos.

People who think it does not cost
anything to run a great government
like this, even on basis of ECONOMY
and REFORM" should read an appropri-
alton bill or two to be undeceived. The
house appropriations committee is
struggling to make record in the way
OF economy, yet its appropriation bills,
considered in detail or aggregate, are
astonishing. Take the legislative, ex-
ecutive and judicial bill, as reported,
for instance. 1t shows that the sala-
ries of congressman, taking both
branches into account, are over two
millions of dollars per year. AT least
the bill appropriates this sum for sala-
ries of members, $38O,OO0 being for
salaries of senators, and 1885, ZOO for
members of the house. For mileage
the appropriation is S143,000 and for
salaries of officers and employees of the
house and senate almost three-quarters
of million. For the botanic garden,
which furnishes the members with free
bouquets, $21, ZOO is appropriated. The
sum allowed for the civil service COM
mission and its travelling expenses is
1921, 300. The department of state is
quite moderate in its demands, the es-
Inmates being but S131, ZOO. The treas
ury department makes up for this lack
of enterprise on the part OF the state
department by calling for SO, 242, 900 to
run its business, and gets S9,13O,O64.
The war department, which is largely
run by army officers, whose pay is pro-
vided for by the army bill, only costs
in this bill $4,000, 1000, while Mr..
Chandeliers navy department, with
oh aracteristic modesty, only wants
1862, 900, and is cut down to S282,O
The interior departments estimate is
81, 12S.785; the sum allowed in this
bill is S3,S17,779.
There are some curious features in
the bill. For instance, it allows the
chaplain of the senate but 5000 per
year, and pays the messengers to the
committee rooms $1,44O per year, or
one-half more for legs than for praying
ability. To the telegraph operator in
the senate it pays but 5000 per year, thus
giving to skilled labor but little to run
with legs only. For reporting the de-
bates in the senate it allows $25, 200, all
of which is paid to one man. OF course
he must pay something out of it for
help, but he is said to make about one
half of it "clean net cash." For report
ing the house debates it allows $4,000,
but it divides it among five men, the
"chief'' getting $4,000, the others
$4,000 each. Out of this they pay their
assistants who write the reports at
''dictation" from these stenographers,
taking it first in short hand, and then
writing it out on foolscap paper in
broad lines, so that the member, if he
desires to revise it may have plenty of
room between the lines for correction.
For ''page" boys, whose duty it is to
be at the house and senate and run at
the call of members, on the most
trifiing duties, too, as rule, the bill
allows SI5, 900, paying them $3.50 per
day. Under the head of ssexecutive"
it gives to the presidents assistants the
following: Private secretary, S3,250
peryear two executive clerks, $4,000
each; stenographer, $1,000; six clerks
at salaries averaging about $1,4O0
each; three ushers, who get in all
$500; five messengers at ST. 200 each,
one steward at $1,000 per year-think
of this. ye who pay your cook 800 per
year and the reluctant; two door-keep-
ers, at $1,000 each; one Waterman
5000; one fireman, 1864. There is
also ''contingent fund" of $4,000 for
miscellaneous expenses, while the ''sun-
dry civil" bill makes allowances for
the expense of furnishing and keeping
up the white house from kitchen to
Office and bed room.