Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-27

Government Money Spent I'm Maintain
ing Capitol Barber Shop.

Washington Correspondence New York Herald.
The star chamber. popularity known as the
United States Senate, has n barber shop, main.
tanned at the public expense; bathrooms with
hot water heated by government coal and
rumor declares that n steam laundry, with
mangling machinery, for doing up the Senator
iai linen, is about to be added. Not q little
scandal has been evoked by the declaration of
Senator Riddieberger that many of the private
secretaries of the Senators did not receive their
salaries, but transferred them to mysterious
third parties, whose name and affiliations are
susceptible of imagination rather than proof
But of all the features of this star chamber
body the secret of the barber shop has been the
best kept. Those who have known of its exist
ence have supposed that Senators paid for
,tonsorial'' work as they did for their clothes.
shop 'are not permitted to receive any fees or
gratuities."
HIGH-PRICED SHAVING.
The salary of the head barber, John Hick-
man, Is at the rate of 81 900 per year. and his
assistant, Beverly HudneI, is paid $50 per
month. The cleaning of senatorial faces costs,
therefore. S1,720 per year. When one thinks
OF the Gargantuan size of some of the chins that
pave 10 De shaved the sum appears small
civilization. should the government pay for the
shaving and bathing of United States Senators?
Can 1T be possible that such a high dignitary
suffers no humiliation or parts with no self
respect when he loses his days growth of beard
at the nations expense? When the laundry is
added will he smuggle his wife's white clothes
into the senatorial wash as he has been known
TO send his children To the free barber to get
their hair cut for nothing? \ cobbIer will
doubtless be added to the contingent expense
account In the natural progressed deadheadfsm
and the half-soed Senators will stump about on
CLASS DISTINCTION.
These humiliating facts have become public
in curious way. 1t appears that the private
secretaries OF Senator's, clerks OF committees
and other officers of the Senate have been in
the habit of getting tree shaving in the sena-
torial barber shop. But recently sturdy kick
was made by several Senators, and since that
time the services of the BARRIERS have been re-
stricted to the more dignifed dead beats" A
room down in the crypt almost under the sena-
torial stationary warehouse. has been fitted up
with chair and mirror, and the clerks are
compelled to go there. n barber has been
added by the sergeant-at-arms to the contin-
gent account under the title OF ''laborer.'' and
at the rate OF $50 per month, to scrub the
lower caste chfDS. Naturally the clerks resent
this class distinction, and swear by the beard
OF the Prophet that they will hereafter insist
One OF them, who has patroniZed the senatorial
barber for six years, assured me this afternoon
that it was very humiiating spectacle to see
Senators waiting in a row tor free shave. He
ought to know, and accept his statement as
true.
STANDING UP BARBER BILLS.
Walking over to the House before the morn
ing hour I found the congressional BARRIERS
shop running like a thrashing machine. 1t is
one of the prime inducements to the contrac-
tor. Mr.. Stewart, that he has the privilege of
shaving all corners until twelve O'Clock. He
makes hay. or lather. to speak more accurately,
while the forenoon lasts. The congressman are
expected to pay for their shaving, though o
small amount is allowed the boss barber for
keeping clean towels and soap for soiled
humanity. 1t IS sad to say that all patrons OF
the shop do not observe the rules of the estab-
Hshment regarding ayment, buJ "stand up
the barber shop for their bill. Many OF these
impecunious gentlemen thOughtlessly go away
without paying their bills. The professional
borrower is not a new type of the bunkum con
gresham, but the man who can ',do the bar
Der is almost as sorry spectacle as the United
States Senator who pays nothing on principle.
The congressional conscience may perhaps be
quoted by the thought that its owner only Sc
cures by fraud what the Senator takes by
divine right.