New-York tribune., 1891-12-28
CLERK HIRE IN HE HOrSE.
Mr. DICKERsoS'S SCHEME TO CrETNb TIN
NUMBER or CLERICAL ASSISTANTS.

Mr.. DICKERSON'S SCHEME TO tCRTNlb TN
NUMBER OF CLERICAL ASSISTANTS
Washington. Dec. 81 G,pcclni.-Mr Dicher.on. q
Kentucky, who succeeded Mr.. Carlisle in th" lloH'"
Of Representatives.. proposes 20 maze matiers n'"h'-
Portable for some of the men who appointed chair
men OF committees by Speaker Crisp. A. everybody
who IS familiar with Congress sona matters knows. the
attracveness and desrabllity Of committee Chairman
ship greatly enhanced by TIE fact that the incm
bent enjoys the benefit OF a clerks services which
are paid for by the Government. MANY Of III" com
mttees DO not hold dozen meetings during the life
time OF Congress, some OF them hold no regular
meetings whatever for there is business ior them to
do: but nearly every one Of them has clerk, whose
only duties attend TO the cspOndcncc OF the
chairman and art as his errand boy.
Now, Mr. Dictereon who and Is devoted
partisan OF Colonel Mills, is also a member Of the
Committee on Accounts which exercises jurisdiction
over all expenditures account Of committees in
Guiding clerkhire and he proposes 10 put an end 10
the practice Of employing and paving committee clerks
virtually the private secretaries Of the men
who are fortunate enough to obtain chairman,hipe.
Mr.. UcRerson. IL IL observed. is not chairman
and therefore will encounter selfish obstacle In his
great work OF retrenclment economy and reform. His
duty very clear to him, will appear from the
following remarks which he made TO a reporter last
! night:
I'm going TO see that these ornamental committee cs
which DON'T meet and have no business To
do are not aowod clerks. There lot OF such
mt~cs which apparently organized for 10 oth,r
purpose than 10 provide charmanshps for certain mSri
give little patronage % distribute the form
~ clrrkships These clerks Oriam' nta III the
do nothing at all but draw their salaries eSc thev
merely otter the private correspondence and dcrt
nent business OF the chaiIm6n. I'm going 70 let uie
country about these things and I'm going do what
| 1 can have the abuse stopped.
Among the charIncn and committees which are
the objects Of Rcfomer DickersOn's crusade are sup
| IL f,ll,. l,ff
hollc Liquor Traffic; Chairman Lester, Expenditures
State Department Chairman BrclIner Expenditures
Treasury Department Chairman Montgomery, Expend.
lures War Department; Chairman Oates. Expenditures
Po,toiiice Department; Chairman owens, Expenditure
Interior Department Chairman Allen, Expenditure
| Department Of Jus Ice; Chairman Edmund,, EX-
penditlires Department Of Agriculture; Chairman
Yunans, Expenditures Public buildings Chair
man Cummings. Library Chairman stahlnecker. Ven.
tilation and Acoustics; Chairman Wilson, Pensions
and Chairman Ells Revision OF the Laws.
| 1t happens that tho chnrmen Of these thirteen
committees were all supporters Of Judge Crisp. will
the exception Of Mr. Bricxner Of Expenditures IN the
Treasury Department, but under the circumstance
Mr. Dickers0n may MT regard that q matter foi
poignant rogre'. Chairman Gate, may be expected
10 lend his aid TO Reforner DcckeBOn, for he has
| repeatedly inveighcd In previous Congresses against
the extIaviganoe Of the House in matters OF th
| s)r.
1t Is q fact however, which Is recognized ty nearl,
every body who knows how much OF the tame and
strength OF n Representative expended IN WOg1
which Hes entirely outside the range OF his leglsla v'
duties but which he cannot afford 10 neglect Or rest
10 dowork IN behalf Of his constituents which IS o
a legitimate nature, and for which tlc Government
ought TO provide him with clerical asSis ahce. The
senate had the courage ~ do this number Of wear
ago and no sensible, wellnforined person complains
although there Is M doubt that the practice has no
been wholly free from abuse. The salary OF n Repre-
sentative Is not large enough 10 allow him to divert
one fifth Of n to clerk hire f,r the dGng OF w0rl
(which while IL does not strictly pertain To his cgis
latlvc duties, is Of such nature That lie must dc
II himself or hire somebody to d. II. There arr
members OF the Ieuse who cxpcnd ~ 300 Ia Al, 80;
| n year for clerk hire Tut comparatively few cal
afford W.: and II is fact within the personal kn9wl
edge OF the writer Of this paragraph thai more thar
| ono Representative has sunk under the burden %
outside1 work imposed upon him by his cons iuent>