The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-06-08
PAY OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
INTERESTING FACTS REGARDING
SALARIES OF CoNGRESSMEN.
Pay Of Members in the Early Days
The Matter of Undergraduates OF
Foreign Representatives.

IN IN
Nj the early days of the Re-
1N public did L, not have annual
salaries. They were paid
like the members of certain State Leg
islatures according to the number of
days they were called to service. Their
per diem was So, and if they had
worked every day in the year except
Sunday on legislative business they
would have drawn much less than the
present members of the Lower House
draw for working an average OF six
months in year. Members of Con
gress are now paid at the rate of
$3.50 a day, or following six months
of actual work in a year, which is
good average) 1927 day for the time
they give to legislative business. In
addition to the number of days spent
at Washington, each early Congress
man had on allowance of one days pay
for each twenty miles travelled going
to Washington or returning to his
home. In the beginning of the CEN
fury it took something like six weeks
for man to travel from Providence,
r. l., to the Capital. Nowadays he
can make the trip in less than g day.
Mileage now is figured at ten cents a
mile by the shortest route. The SEN
ator who travels in his special car with
out expense from the Pacific coast to
Washington receives $500 for the ex-
penses of his trip, just as does the
Senator who buys railroad ticket.
In either case there is a considerable
profit Mileage is one of the indirect
contributions of the Government to
the Congressman's income. There are
others-for example, the stationary
allowance of $l25 year, which may
be drawn in cash if the Congressman
wishes, and the allowance for "bind-
ing" under which the member fire.
quently has private work done for
him or his family. But with all of
these allowances the Senator or mem.
Der of the House is seldom able to
live within his Congressional income.
We pay the members 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 receive; and our Cabinet
officers draw beggarly salaries IN COM
parison with the advisers Of foreign
rulers. AS to our President, although
he usually saves about fifty 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 Por-
tugal follow the American plan of pay
ing their legislators annual salaries.
In France these salaries are equivalent
to about $1780 a year in Austria,
about the same; in Holland, members
OF the Lower House receive $3.50 q
year; In Portugal, both Peers and
Deputies receive 1855 year. In Bel
GUM singular system prevails.
Members of the Chamber of Repre-
sentatives who live in Brussels receive
no pay; those who live elsewhere re.
ceive $S4 month. Virtually, there.
fore, there is no salary attached to the
position of Representative. The $Si
a month is paid to out-of-town mem
bers in lieu of subsistence, as an army
officer would say.
Great Britain and Italy pay their
legislators nothing; but the Italian
legislators are entitled to free trans
portation and they receive other con
cessions in the matter of taxation anC
patronage.
In Switzerland and Denmark tn,
per diem pay of the early United
States Congress prevails. In Switzer
land members of the National Coun
Gil receive $3.50 year, and member
of the State Council, $3.50 to $3.50
day.
Perhaps the most thoroughly over
paid national legislature Gf it can b.
t be called SOY is the legislature of Cana
> Ola. 1t has ffty-six more legislator
3 than England. There are 215 mem
; bers of the Chamber of Deputies VIII
draw $1,000 each for each session o
Parliament; and there are eight,
members of the Senate who receiv
$40, 900 per year each. The Speaker
of the two Houses receive $4,000 pc
year each. That is just the amour
paid to the President of the Senate O
the United States and the Speaker o
. our House of Representatives. Wash
i ington Star.