Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-07

At short intervals reformers who are new
to House ways introduce propositions to
withhold the salaries Of members who do
not attend the meetings of the House. But
he older members contend that IL a fine
were imposed on recalcitrant members 1t
could not be collected. To get at the mem
ter's salary it would be necessary to go
lack to one of the first laws of Congress
The first members OF Congress did not have
annual salaries. They were paid like the
members Of certain state legislatures-ac-
cording to the number of days they were
called to serve. Their per diem was S. and
II they had worked every day in the year
except Sundays on legislative business they
would have drawn much less than the pres
ent members of the lower house draw for
working an average Of six months in a
year. Members of Congress are now paid
at the rate of $3.50 a day. or (allowing
six months OF actual work In a year, which
Is good average) s2I day for the time
they give to legislative business. In addi-
ton to the number Of days spent at Wash
fngton, each early Congressman had an
allowance Of one days pay for each twenty
miles travelled going to Washington or re-
turning to his home. In the beginning Of
the century 1t took something like six
weeks for a man to travel from Providence.
make the trip in less than a day. Mileage
now Is figured at 10 cents a mile by the
shortest route. The Senator who travels
In his special car without expense from the
Pacific coast to Washing one receives $500
for the expenses Of his trip. just as does
the Senator who buys a railroad ticket. In
either case there is a considerable profit.
Mileage Is one Of the indirect contributions
of the government to the Consressman's
income. There are others-for example, the
stationery allowance of S125 year, which
may be drawn in cash II the Congressman
wishes, and the allowance for binding"
under which the member frequently has
private work done for him his family.
But with all Of these allowances the Sena-
tor or member of the House is seldom able
to live within his congressional income.
Pay Of Representatives High.
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 i'll
comparison with the advisers OF foreign
rulers As to our President. although he
usually saves about 80 per cent Of his sal
airy, 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 their
legislators annual salaries. In France these
salaries equivalent to about sl.ISO
year In Austria. about the same; in Hol-
land, members of the lowe- house receive
$500 n year. in Portugal, both peers and
deputies receive 500 a year. In Belgium
singular system prevails. Members OF the
chamber of representatives who live In
Brussels receive no pay: those who live
elsewhere receive SSi a month. Virtually,
therefore. there is no salary attached to
the position of representative The $S4
month is paid to out-of-town members IL
lieu of subsistencc,as an army officer would
say.
Great Britain and Italy pay their legis-
ators nothing; but the ltahan legislators
are entitled to free transportation and they
receive other concessions in the matter of
taxation and patronage.
In Switzerland AMI Denmark the per
diem pay of the early United states Con-
gress prevails. In Switzerland. members
of the national council receive $3.50 day,
and members Of the state council, sl.JO to
$50 day.
Perhaps the most thoroughly overpaid
national legislature Off 1t can be called sol
Is the legislature of Canada 1t has So more
legislators than England. There are 215
members of the chamber of deputies who
draw $1,000 each for each session Of the
parliament; and there are 50 members Of
the senate who receive $4,000 per year
each. The speakers of the two houses re-
ceive 5000 per year each. That IS just the
amount paid to the President of the Senate
of the United States and the Speaker of
our House of Representatives.
Canadian Legislative Salaries.
The amazing discrepancies in The salaries
of Canadian legislative officials are to lie
found in other governments. The United
States pays it's Senators and Representa-
tives alike 5000 a year each; AMI to the
presiding officers of the two Houses 1t pays
5000 a year each Canada pays 1000 to
one class of legislators; $4,000 TO another
and 5000 each TO the presiding officers
England pays nothing to the members Of
the house of lords or the house of commons,
but the speaker of the commons has a SAL
airy equivalent to $4,000. and a house;
while the lord chancellor draws a salary of
$50 OOsb-eQual to that of President Cleve-
land-of which $4,000 is his salary as
speaker of the house of lords, and SO, 900
is his salary as a judge; and the retiring
pension of the lord chancellor Is 5000 a
year.
Other English salaries are equally amaz-
ing compared with those which are paid to
similar officials under this government.
There is the chief justice of the supreme
court, for example. In England ne has $40-
600 a year. Chief Justice Fuller OF our Su-
preme Court has salary of s10.5O0 a year.
The judges of the higher court Of justice
In England receive SIS, Coo each; the asso-
ciate justices of our Supreme Court receive
$4,000 each The attorney general of Eng
land has $4,000 year, and his fees scme-
times amount to $1,000 year more. The
first lord Of the treasury receives S25 COZ a
year: the first lord of the admiralty, SD 500
a year. Attorney General Olney, Secretary
Carlisle and Secretary Herbert have to set
along with $1,000 year each, and horse
md carriage.
Pay of Rulers.
Our President does not draw the smallest
salary paid to the head Of nation. but he
comes within a very few Of doing So The
president Of Switzerland receives 5000 a
year and the president Of the Argentine
Republic only $4,000. President Cleveland
draws $4,000 year; and, as 1 have said,
probably saves half Of that sum. 1t IL said
TO nave been point OF honor with some of
the president OF the French republic that
tAey would not save any part of their sal
aries, because they believed that the money
Hes INTENDED 10 be used in supporting the
dignity or TIE Office. No President Of the
United States has had any such idea AMI
most or them who have served a fuu -arr,
nave taken nice little nest-egxs away viii
tnen The salary Of the president Of tba
french republic is $40 900 a wear Nano
leon III received 100000 wear. but bs
had 10 bear many of the expenses ~ Ar
government such as the maintenance oS
palaces. subsidizing theaters, &c The ~. %
ent mead OF the French republic has nnna
OF these expenses, and he can leave onica %
ricn man II he serves a term Of fair Iany+b
our President has a house given biro 80