Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-02-17
An Expensive Body of Legislators

The Senate of the United States is
the most extravagant body of men
legislative or otherwise, in the world
At the last session committee was
appointed with view of reducing
expenses. but it was only momentary
spasm of virtue and passed off with
out doing any damage to those who
are enjoying the Senatorial patronage
There are seventy-six Senators and
one Vice-P President at the north end
of the Capitol, with 234 men to wait
upon them-clerks, messengers, pages
etc. The Vice-President and each Of
the Senators thus have three men &c
assist them in the performance of their
labors. 1t costs the taxpayers $780,
900 a year for the salaries and $685.
900 for the travelling expenses in the
way of mileage. As every blessed
Senator has a pocket full of railroad
passes the mileage money is clear
steal. 1t costs 1921 1927 to pay the
salaries of the 234 men who wait on
the Senators. Among these are q
telegraph operator and telephone
operator, the former receiving 81 200
and the latter 1920 year and neither
of them working more than six hours
day for three months during the
short session and about six months
during the long session. The tele-
phone man has page for messages,
who is paid $3.50 day. 1t is diff
cult to sec why one man cannot at
tend to both instruments. Then there
is locksmith with a salary of 81 .440
a year, whose duties must be rather
peculiar to require the amount of
ability that such a salary will COM
mand. Then there is a storekeeper
who gets $1,000 a year. What he
does for a living is unknown, but he
probably watches something so that
it cannot get away. There are twen-
ty clerks to committees who get 50, 240
a year, and four Of them have assis-
tants Mt cost of 81 ,440 each TWEEN
ty-five clerks to committees who get
So day, and thirty-one clerks to
Senators who receive the same, with
eight messengers to committees, who
are paid 81 ,440 a year each. Here
are lightweight persons employed on
forty.four committees, about one-f fourth
of them meeting once week, and
the rest seldom, if ever. Then it
costs $4,000 a year to furnish the
Senators with stationery, which in
cludes opera glasses and fans for their
wives, and it costs the tax payers
$4,000 a year to get these opera
glasses and fans and newspapers into
the hands of the Senators, for on the
pay roll is n keeper Of stationery at
81 800, messenger ut 81 900 year.
1t costs $1,000 n year to fold and
wrap the Senator's speeches, $1,000
for fuel, $4,000. annually for new
and furniture, $3.50 for pack
ing boxes, $4,000 for expenses that
are miscellaneous" but unknown,
$4,000 to report the meetings of
committees, and $4,000 to report the
Senate debates.
But the most expensive feature of
the Senate organization is the Post
office. IL costs s17,2SS year to han
die the mail an average of five months
in the year, which is $500 month
for all, or about $50 a month for each
Senator, Notwithstanding the fact that
the free delivery system is maintained
in Washington as usual. 1t would be
cheaper if a special letter carrier
we're engaged for each State delega-
ton. The Senate has postmaster,
at S2,250 year, an assistant post
master, at S2,0S8, five mail-carriers at
81 200 each, four riding pages at $3.50
n day each, and $500 a year is paid
for the support of the horses engaged
in delivering the mails. 1t is difficult
to see how more expensive postal
system could be organized.
The total cost of the Senate is
about $4,000 annually. or an aver
age of 81 800 for each Senator
Inter-Ocean.