The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-18
THE NJ. C.'S LETTERS
Uncle Sam Now Pays for the Writing
Of Them.
An Army of Secretaries Employed Under
the New Rule.

An Army of Secretaries Employed Under
the New Rule.
If people throughout the country who
write to Representatives at Washington
have noticed any improvement lately in
the promptness and despatch with which
their letters are answered, it is because
of a new plan Just introduced in the
! House. Since the extra session was con-
vened on August every congressman
needing clerk has had the privilege of
employing one at Uncle Sans expense,
and the average member of Congress has
FASTENED to avail himself OF the oppor-
| tunity. The good effects are already ap-
parent all over the country in the in
creased speed and precision with which
constituents letters are attended to, and
another phenomenon is visible here in
the shape of an extra, invasion OF spruce
young fellows and smart dansels expert
in stenography and typewrting, who,
keenly conscious of their own Importance
and deeply impressed with the wonders
of Washington, dance daily attendance
ON their distinguished patrons and add to
the throngs that block up the corridors
of the Capitol.
Under the new arrangemnt. any mem
Der OF delegate in the House who is not
chairman Of a committee, and on that
| account providedswith an amanuensls,
may certify to the clerk of the House on
the first day of each month during the
session of Congress, the amount he has
paid or agreed to pay, for clerk, hire
| No nr,la
charge of his duties in the previous
month, whereupon the amount certified
not exceeding 500, will be paid by the
clerk of the House to reimburse him.
This is the novel form of certificate which
| each member drawing clerk hire is re-
CURED to fill out and sign:
House OF Representatives, United States.
Hon.. James Kerr CLERK Of the House ta of
| Representatives.
Sir-This 10 to certify that / have paid, or
for clerk hire during the month ending the
was necessarily employed BY me I'M. the, dis
| duties; that I am not chairman 81 any com
mittee, entitled, under the rules, to clerk.
/ ............................
| Members of the Honse of Representatives
of the United States, ..... District, state Of
/ ...,..-...... .k.s..... 100
James Kerr clerk 81 the House 81 Repre- e
sentatives Of the United States.
dollars, in full for amount paid by me for
clerk hire, asper above certificate.
&5c ...... ..a.,.....-.-... ......s..
Placed on their Honor.
/ The statesmen are thus placed on their
honor to certify strictly the amount they
have expended for clerical help. Nobody
is compelled to incur any expenditure at
all unless he chooses, but everyone who
| is not chairman of a committee and pro-
| vided with committee clerk is at liberty
to employ assistance to the extent of 500
monthly. If the amount of his work re-
qires him to pay more, the excess must
come out of his own pocket. Most of
the members will find it convenient to
spend the full 500 per month, while
others who may happen to employ piece
workers will conscientiously certify for
only the exact sum paid out. To most
of them the new plan will afford much
needed relief, and will be especially well
coined as an unmixed blessing heretofore
by the necessity either of doing their
own clerical work for pecuniary reasons
or of having it done at their own person
al expose.
More, perhaps, than anything else, the
| daily mails determine the real character
| ington They either bind him down to
the grindstone of dull drudgery by their
heaviness, or else by their lightness per-
nit him to soar aloft in the clear en-
pyrean of legislative endeavor- Or again
! If only moderate, they will at least COM
pei him to divide his attention between
them and the more alluring lines of
statesmanlike activity Aside from a
Congressman's regular duties in COM
| mittee and on the floor of the House, his
correspondence hitherto has consumed the
| lions share of his time, directly or by
consequence. AS rule nearly every let
ter received by him entails the writing
of three letters on his part-frst, one
of acknowledgement; second, one OF in
quiry, addressed to some official in one
Of the departments, and third, one an
nouncirg the result to the constituent.
In addition the departments have to be
visited frequently in search>of informa-
tionand many other errands have to be
performed by the statesman who could
faithfully represent his people. The daily
mail of some of the leading congress
men, and even of some of the most OBJ
scure ones, often amounts to so, rs or
100 letters, chiefly Of an official nature.
If Representative undertook to answer
them himself and supply the wants ex-
pressed. in them by their writers, he found
it absolutely impossible to do anything
else. On the other hand, if he attempted
to perform his broader duties by partici-
pating in the discussions and legislation
of the day he had to leave his letters