Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-29
The Congressional Bank.

The bank in the Capitol where the
members of Congress receive their sal
aries is an interesting place. and lsPent
an hour in it to-day watching the MEN,
bers come in with their checks ana go
away with handfuls Of fresh, new
greenbacks. Members of Congress are
always paid in new money, when Is
brought here fresh from the printing
presses, and none Of which has ever
been used. The Sergeant-at-Arms Is
the President of this bank, and lie has
entire charge of all money payments to
Congressman. 1t is located IN the
north side of the House wing, just next
to Speaker Carlisle's private room, and
its appearance is much like that OF an
ordinary banking room. 1t is long,
hall-like room, with high, vaulted
ceiling and walls caIcimined IN light
pink As the door opens you step into
a carpeted space like that in front Of a
narrow bank, and at your right is the
counter, with its high wire network
and its little dog-hole spaces through
which the teller and the cashier do
their business On the left Of this, OPP
posite the counter, are desk shelves fas-
tened up against the wall, on which
the racks holding checks in blank di-
recting the Sergeant-at-Arms, United
States House of Representatives, to pay
to bearer - dollars and charge to
the account of -, Congressman.
Back of the counter is the bank safe,
which usually holds from $4,000 to
$4,000 in greenbacks aud which pays
out from Sl0,0O to Sll,000 every day.
During the year it contains about S3,-
100000, and many of the members use
it as place of deposit. Washburn, of
Minnesota, used to have at times as
much as $4,000 in that safe. Now
that so many of the Washington banks
are failing, Congressman prefer to leave
their money here and check on the Ser
geant-at-Arms.
This bank of the Capitol does q regu-
lar banking business as far as the
members are concerned. 1t deals with
no Others. A Congressman can check
on it and it will cash his drafts and re-
ceive his deposits. His salary is due
him in monthly payments. and he can
not overdraw. Every month S4l6. 66is
put to his credit here, and this is pret-
ty rapidly checked out. Some MEM
berS check their money out as fast as it
comes in. Others take it in S. bills,
and bill at time. Some draw but
little, and instances have been known
of congressman taking nothing until
the close of the year. None so far have
refused to take their salaries. Ii q
Congressman dies, his salary stops at
his death, but it is now the custom of
Congress to vote his widow q years ex-
ira pay. As to mileage, each Congress-
| man gets 40 cents mile each session
for the distance from his home to the
Capitol, and this pay ranges all the
way from So 80 to 1000, according to
the distance. Mr.. Oury, the Territori-
al Delegate from Arizona, gets 1900
year mileage in addition to his sal
ary. When it is remembered that this
is enough to pay one passage around
New York to San Francisco for less
than one-eighth of it, it seems a good
deal. Congressman are allowed S125
| year for stationery. The Sergeant
| at-Arms' Bank also attends to this.
| Most of the members do not use all Of
this and they are entitled to draw out
| the balance. This bank must keep
their accounts of this as of other things.
1t does SO carefully, and has complete
| set of books which must be balanced
every morning-journal. ledger and
cash-book. If cent is wrong, the
whole must be gone over with, and
good business men are needed for the
work. The money used is brought up
from the Treasury in bag, $4,000 at
| time. A policeman accompanies tho
messenger, and the bank is so carefully
guarded that, as far as the present
clerks remember, they have never heard
of a burglary being attempted.-Clsus-
| land Leader.