The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-09

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of employment.
The whole subject Of employees and sal
aries is aRitated every session when the
Legislative, executive and judiciary bill is
taken up and considered successfully by
the two houses. Il is always expected that
the two houses will disagree, to some ex-
tent, as to the amounts which each regards
the other entitled to appropriate. The
house is always more careful than the
senate. If the house appropriations COM
mittee did as the majority of its members
and majority Of the members of the
able, it would provide for each member a
clerk, as the senate has done. It is because
of the friction that 10 created by the disin-
clination of the house to consent to the
extravagant appropriations of the senate
that any publicity is given to the disputes
over the always augmenting senate expendi-
lures.
All around the senate swarm the employees
who are interested in the proposed in
Creases. Many ofithem are at once the en-
ployes of the senate and the correspondents
of newspapers. In such an emergency as
this their usefulness as correspondents is
impaired, for reasons that need no e1plana-
ton. They cannot criticise, and they
would be more than human if they became
active opponents of increased salaries.
During the debate in the house Saturday
on the conference report, and while the dis
agreement of the conferees on the items
under discussion, Mr.. Cannon illustrated
the matter with some comparative figures.
He found that the senate provides for 291
officers and employees, exclusive of the re-
porters of debates, at salaries aggregating
1885. giving an average of more than
three official assistants to each senator at an
average salary of 81 ,451. The cost of keep
ing an average senator in order struck
the Sucker representative as disparaging to
the representative or discreditable to the
senate ser. He H aid io. not say Just that but he
for 800 officers, exclusive of reporters of
debates, at salaries aggregating 1885,, lib.
This was an average of less than one en-
ploye to each member, and an average sala-
~ to each employe of only $1,116 Mr..
Cannon might have added that, while it
costs 81 1853 to run senator, it cost but
81, JIG to keep representative in working
order.
When the "smelling committee" that is
to look into the matter Of senate employees
goes to work it will no doubt find some
thing that will enable the senate to save
some Of the money that was wasted BY the
other smelling committee" that Mr.. Dolph
set up to find out how the newspapers learn
what is done in executive sessions. The
cost of that farcical inquiry has not yet
been made known, but Secretary McCook
may be depended upon to lay it before the
readers of his annual report, along with
the record of the senate expenditures for
Appollinaris wator, lemons, and ''soc. hyg.
SOAP"
The inquiry was probably suggested by
the effort of Senator Harris to get into the
appropriation bill an officer who was to be
called the superintendent of the senate
stables" As senator Hale thought that
there would be then three employees to each
horse in the senate stables, the superinten-
dent was not created. But curiosity
about the senate stables was aroused, and
it snot yet extinct. It appears that the
senators do not all know what the senate
stablea'' are. From all that can be learned
there is reason to believe. when it comes to
be generally known at both ends of the
capitol what these stables may be, that the
next time there is a motion made to create
q superintendent he will be called the
superintendent Of the stables of the con-
position toward the coordinate branches"
The senate stables are at Delaware avenue
and G street north, only block or 80 from
the capitol In it are nine ''senate horses"
or horses in the service of the senate. Five
are used to draw wagons of different sizes
messages that cannot be sent by telephone
or the mails. But there are other horses in
the ''senate stables"
There are thirteen of them. Six are the
property of senators and two belong to a
representative. The rest are attributed to
different capitol officers. These thirteen,
not senate horses" are not fed out of the
senate contingent fund, out of which SO
much is fed. They are supported in part
BY their senatorial and representative own
era. They are boarders. For each horse
bestowed in the stable along with the ''sen-
Ito the postmaster of the senate. This
pays for the animals board alone. For
attention that these guests of the senate
stables receive there is no charge. The at
tendance and quarters are of the best. The
brushes, currycom 9. cloths, and labor are
al taken care of on the senate nav roll.
When senator or the representative who
boards his horse in this very economical
for him-stable wants attention he presses
q button. The people do the rest.'' This
IS very pretty arrangement for those who
have got onto it." The livery stable
ought. In all the livery stables in the city.
in which the government does not foot the
bills for labor, it costs senators and repre-
sentatives and other independent American
citizens who have not heard of this govern
ment competition in the livery business,
and care of their horses. The care of the
horses at the senate stables includes also
the care-oost included-in the $12 Of such
wagons and carriages as go with the horses.
That means that they are kept out of the
weather and washed and polished and
creased as there is need or request.
It IL perfectly PLAIN that the man who is
privileged to keep his horses in this stable
can save the price of pretty good horse
say e10O-in . year by patronizing the
stable maintained BY Uncle Sam in prefer
ence to one Of the stables conducted by the
ordinary stable keeper.
In order that the senate investigation
committee may not go entirely blind into
the investigation into the senate horse
boarding house. it might be suggested to
the committee that an inquiry be made to
ASCERTAIN If Senator Pettigrew does not
have one horse in the stable az boarder at
$l2 month. Senator Harris, who was a
very dilligent member of the Dolph smell
ing committee" would not have much diff
Guilty in bringing ont the fact that he has
ono horse among the boarders. Senators
Butler and Hampton will probably admit
st oncs that they have each one horse in the
boafders' stalls, and Senator Vest may
tell the committee that the horse which
he did havs there il now out at
pasture. Ths only Tsussssntative Who has
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