The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-05
COST OF GOVERNMENT.
A Few items In the General Appropriation
Bill Which Give Some Idea Of National
Expenses.

A Few items In the General Appropriat ton
Bill Which Give Some Idea Of National
Expenses.
WASHINGTON, May 30.-People who
think it does not cost anything to run a
of economy and REFORM" should read an
appropriation bill or two and be undeceived.
The House Appropriations Committee is
struggling to make 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. II
shows that the salaries of Congressman,
taking both branches into the account, are
over two millions of dollar per year. At
least the bill appropriates this sum for sal
aries of members, $3.50, 600 being for salaries
of Senators, and 81 ,695. 600 Tor members of
the House For mileage the appropriation is
S143, O0G and salaries of officers and employees
of House and Senate almost three-quarters
Of a million. For the botanic garden, which
furnishes the members free bouquets, S21-
100 is appropriated. The sum allowed for
the civil service commission and its travel
ing expenses is S27, 800. The Department
of State is quite moderate in its demands,
the estimates being but S131,0O 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 50, 130,064. The War
Department, which is largely run by army
officers, whose pay is provided for by the
Al my bill, only costs in this bill 81 069, 900.
while Mr.. Chambers Navy Department,
with characteristic modeSty, only wants
S362, 900, and is cut down to S2S0,000. The
Interior Departments estimate is S4,12S,-
7S5; the sum allowed in this bill 3,S17, 779
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 81, 40 per year, or One-half more for
legs than for praying ability. To the
telegraph operator i'll the Senate it pays but
5000 per year, thus giving to skilled labor
but little to run with legs only. For re-
porting the debates i'll the Senate it allows
S25, 900, all of which is paid to one man.
Of course, he 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 S26 200, but di.
videS it among five men, the chief getting
$4,000, the others $1,000 each. Out of this
they pay their assistants, who write the re-
ports at "dictat;on' from these Steno-
sIaphers, 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 a rule,
the bill allows $4,000, paying them $3.50
per day. Under the head of executive" it
gives to the Presidents assistants the fol-
lowing: Private Secretary, 81, go per year;
two executive clerks, 81, 600 each: stenO-
grapher, 81 500; six clerks at salaries aver
aging about 81, 400 each: three usherS, who
get III all IS, 500; five messengers at 81, zoe
each; one steward at 81, 500 per year; two
dOorkeepers at 81, 200 each; one Waterman,
5000; one fireman, 1864. There is also
contingent fund of So. GOT 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.