Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-02-16
ooNGREssMEN's MILEAGE.
Liberal sums Which They Get in
These Days OF Railroads.

Liberal sums Which They Get in
These Days OF Railroads.
There IS at least one thing that Con.
gress has succeeded in doing before the
holiday recess saws Washington cor.
respondent of The Boston Globe.
1t has drawn It's M lcage.
The members began TO draw their
salaries last March, nine months before
they took the oath of oil ce. ut the rate
of about $400 month. But the mil
cage was not collectable until they
entered on their duties in Washing
ton.
This allowance is more greatfully re-
cieved than ever, since the enactment
of the Interstate Commerce law I'm
ill the present session the Senators and
Representatives, with the exception of
an eccentric here and there. always
travelled on free passes. Under such
circumstances the allowance of mileage
money to member whose pockets
bulgcd W TIA dead-head paper was a
sham of the worst sort IL was dead
beat NC both the railroads and the Gov
eminent at the same time.
But when they passed the Inter State
bill the members did away with free
rides. Nearly all came to town this
winter on regular tickets. In the Cal
ifOrnia delegation, for instance, Leland
Stanford - the onlg man who did not
pay his fare on the trip 70 Washington.
Last winter there was only single
member Of this delegation that did pay
his way.
Senator Stanforn being railroad
official. is privileged under the law to
have his hat chnlked lie really had
his whole palace car chalked Still,
the extras" involved in II Journey
made in such fashion cost the Sem
ator Il larger sum than the total travel
ing expenses of all his colleagues in the
delegation.
furthermore he does not pocket his
mileage. He turns that neat little sum
in with his 50. 600 salary and $1,000
clerkship. and gives the entire pot to
his private secretary, bright news
paperman whom he found in Wash
ingtOn.
The rate of mileage is twenty cents
mile for the d stance by the nearest
route, between the members home and
Washington al the opening of each
session and buck to his homo ayain after
adjournment. Under the usual order
of things. when no extra session is call
cd. mileage is allowed for round trip
each year. Senators and Representatives
from California AID Oregon each re-
ceives about 81, 800 II year for mileage.
They never make more than round
TT p, but with this sum every one could
make three round trips W In as much
comfort rs possible and without spend
inc cent OF his regular salary.
A Congressman from the neighbor-
hood of Boston draws about $1S5 in
mileage for coming or going once. He
could afford to make tho round trip
four or five times on this allowance,
aud he generally does this very thing.
A member from Baltimore draws about
SIC 80, sum large enough to carry
him back and forth half dozen { mes.
But i'm spite of these figures the al
lowance of twenty cents mile is no
more than fair to member who
travels on n ticket, for most of the
Congressman do not come alone, and
a majority of them find it necessary to
make ut least one extra trip between
times.
The Senators draw total mileage
of S33, 900 every year. and the Repre-
sentatives and Delegates $4,000.