Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-03-09
THE COST OF CONGRESS.
RUNNING EXPENSES OF SEN.
ATE AND HOUSE.
Uncle Sam Pays %, ese. oee.to In
Salaries 20 Members and cmp's ~.
%. Eighty. eight Senators WaItso
On By 2io Persons.


When Utah's two senators take
their seats the Senate will number 80,
while the House Of Representatives at
present has 1856 members. Each Of
these receives yearly salary OF $5,-
600. The amount paid in salaries,
including those of the two new senn-
tors, will therefore be ~. 28O, 900
yearly. Congress usually sits from
December to June, and has duly ses-
sions from IL noon till G o'clock.
For six months work of six hours
daily 5000 is very fair payment.
But these salaries IRE small part Of
the personal cost OF congressman.
The employees and their annual
salaries are as follows: In the SEN
ate--Secretary, Is, 896; secretary TO
president OF the Senate, ~, 22O,
chaplain, 5000; nineteen clerks. at an
average Of ~, 873. O5 each, Us, OS8;
librarian. ~, 22O; assistant librarian,
81, 44O; keeper Of stationery, ~. 1O2. 40
assistant keeper OF stationery, ~ 800;
assistant keeper Of stationery, 81 900;
thirty.one messengers. at LAO;
each, $l4,64O; twenty.one labor
ers ut e72O each. $15, 100;
one female laborer, $500;
eight skilled laborers ut 81 900 each,
$S,OOO; five pages ut 1912 80 each,
a, 562.5O; thirty.two clerks to
various officials and committees, at
an average Of ~, 458. 48a each, $751;
$40; eighteen messengers to various
committees and officials, Mt an average
OF 81. 4S6.66 2.3 each, $26. go; telo-
graph operator, $1,000; sergeant
ut arms, $500; assistant door.
keeper, ~, O02; acting assistant door
keeper, ~, SOP; postmaster, ~, $50;
five mail carriers, at y POO each,
&c. 900
Superintendent OF document room,
~, 600; two assistants to superin-
tendent Of document room, ut 81 .44O
each, ~, $50; one assistant to super
intendent Of document room, 81, 700;
superintendent OF folding room. g.
100; assistant to superintendent OF
folding room, $l,2OO; foreman In
folding room, 81, 200; six folders. at
$3.50 each, $5,63i; chief engineer,
~, 100; three assistant engineers, ut
II, 4iO each, $500; two elevator
conductors, ut 81, 200 each, ", 400;
assistant elevator conductor, ~ 900;
two firemen, ut lob each, ~, 100;
upholsterer and locksmith, 81 44O;
two carpenters, at 1900 each. 1890;
one vnrnisher. 81, 500; two janitors,
Mt 5000 each, 1880; telephone
operator, $3.50; attendant in toilet
room, $40; one stablcman, 5000; ;
one stableman, S72O; two stablemen,
Mt $40 each, Sl,OSO.
1t will be seen that tho eighty
eight gentlemen comprising the Sem
ate require n force Of 2l0 persons to
wait upon them. Mt an annual cost Of
$29S, $1,000 to the public treasury
Add 10 this tho salaries OF eighty
eight senators at $1,000 each, and
there IL a grand total OF $13S, $40. %.
Tho employees OF tho House IRE ono
chaplain, 5000; private secretary to
the speaker, ~, lO2. 10; thirty-fvo
clerks. at an average Of ~, 20i. 58 81
each, W., S5S. so; fifty messengers ut
an average OF 81, l42.56 each, $751;.
l2S; twenty-five clerks to various
committees, ut an average OF g.
OlS.lS Pill each. ~, 400; two
messengers to committees ut
$1,000 each, $4,000; depart
ment messenger, $4,000; three
pages, Mt 1920 each, ~, 100; ono page
ut $500; twenty.four laborers, ut an
average Of $7O0. is 2.3 each, 81, 900 |;
librarian. $1,000; two assistants, at
81, 500 each, $B, 900; bookkeeper.
~, 600; locksmith, 81, 40; assistant
files clerk, 5000; telegraph operator.
$500; sergeant ut arms, u, 800;
deputy sergeant ut arms. ~, 600 |;
cashier, ~, 600; paying teller, ~, 900 !;
bookkeeper, $500; postmaster,
~, 500; assistant postmaster, ~, 900 /;
doorkseper. $3, 500; assistant door,
keeper, $4,000; ianitor, II, 200; SUI
perintendent document room, ~, 900 |;
assistant superintendent document
room, $4,000; special employee.
800; two chief pages at 5000
Q CHI, $500; attendant in ladies'
room, 5000; superintendent OF fold
ing r0om, $4,000; foreman OF tho
folding room, 1880; one folder,
7 200; ten folders, ut 1900 each,
$1,000; five folders. ut $40 each,
"a, 200; fifteen folders, ut 1920 each,
$40, 500; driver. 5000; watchman,
5000; chief engineer, $l,7O0; two
assistant engineers, at 81, 200 each,
81, 400; four elevator conductors. at
81, 100 each, ~, 400; five firemen, at
1900 each, ~. 500; electrician, 3d.
200; nhief official reporter on de-
bates, $1,000; four assistants, at
Us, 900 each, $4,000; two stenogra-
pliers TO committees, at ~, 900 each,
| 5000: chief indexer to Journal Of
Congress, $4,000; eight assistant
indexers, Mt an average OF 1000
each. $4,000.
Ths list shows that the members OF
the: House require 227 persons to wait
upon them, or only eight moro than
are required by tho much smaller num-
Der of senators, and the cost OF this
House force Is $837, 500. 20, or about
W9, 900 more than the Senate en-
ployes receive. Add to this tho
salaries Of the 1855 Representatives
at VI, 600 each, and there Is a grand
total Of ~, III, 500. 20 paid annually
by Uncle Sam to his hired people in
the House. Then add to this tho
S73S, 5000 spent on tho Senate, and
~, $50, 1856. 10 is the total payroll Of
Congress.
But it must be borne in mind that
| this enormous OUTLAY is far from