The Portland daily press., 1894-04-12
AS TO SALARY.
Interesting Facts Regarding the Pay of
Congresmsen-Rulers Whose Income are
PrinceIy in Amount.
Washington Star.1

The House of Representatives in it's
eagerness to find way of keeping a
quorum in sight, without adopting the
quorum-counting rule of the Reed Con-
gress, has had under consideration sew
eral propositions in different forms to
fine mem bers who absent themselves or
refuse to vote on roll call. AT short
intervals reformers who are new to
House ways introduce propositions to
withhold the salaries of mem hers who
do not attend the meetings of the House.
But the older memb ers contend that if a
fine were imposed on recalcitrant MEM
bers it could not be collected. To get
at the mem ber's salary it would be neces-
sary to go back to one of the first laws
of Congress. The first members of Con-
gress did not have annual salaries. They
were paid like the members of certain
State legislatures-accordin to the num-
Der OF days they were called to serve.
Their per diem was S., and if they had
worked every day in the year except
Sundays on legislative business they
would have drawn much less than the
present member of the lower house
draw for working an average of six
months in year. Members of Congress
are now paid at the rate of $13. 50 day,
or following six months of actual work
in year, which is a good average) $27 a
day for the time they give to legislative
business. In addition to the number OF
days spent at Washington, each early
Congressman had an allowance of one
days pay for each twenty miles travelled
going to Washington or returning to
his home. In the beginning of the cen
tury it took something like six weeks
for a man to travel from Providence, r.
l., to the capital. Nowadays he can
make the trip in less than day. Mileage
now is figured at 10 cents mile by the
shortest route. The Senator who travels
in his special car without expense from
the Pacific coast to Washington receives
5000 for the expenses of his trip, just as
does the Senator who buys a railroad
ticket. In either case there is consid-
erabie profit. Mileage is one of the indi-
rect contri buttons OF the government to
the Congressman income: There are
others-for eXmple, the stationery allow
ance of $125 year, which may be drawn
in cash if the Congressman wishes, and
the allowance for "binding," under
which the mem Der frequently has private
| work done for him or his family. But
with all of these allowances the Senator
or member of the House is seldom able
to live within his congressional income.
Pay of Representatives High.
| We pay the mem bers of our lower
| house more than similar statesmen are
paid in any other country in the world.
But we pay our Senators less than the
senators of the Canadian Parliament re-
ceive; and our Cabinet officers draw
| beggarly salaries in comparison with the
| advisers Of foreign rulers AS to ou1
| President, although he usually saves
about 50 per cent. of his salary, he could
not support the extravagances Of the
| rulers of other great nations on ten times
| the amount.
| France, Austria, Holland and Portugal
| follow the American plan of paying theil
| legislators annual salaries. In France
| these salaries are equivalent to abou,
S1,Ts0 a year; in Austria, about the
| same; in Holland, members of the low.
| er house receive $3.50 year; in Portugal
both peers and deputies receive 1855 g
year. In Belgium singular system
prevails. Members of the chamber Of
representatives who live in Brussels re
ceive no pay; those who live elsewhere
receive ss4 a month. Virtually, there
fore, there is no salary attached to thu
position of representative. The $84 {
month is paid to out-of-town mem Der:
in lieu of su osistence AS an army Officer
would say.