The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-06
FEEDER SALARIES.
Congressman Gardner's Struggle
for Justice fer Jersey
Officials.

WASHINGTON. March g., 1S95.2The sal
aries Of the United States District Attor-
neys and of the United States Marshals
have proven to be topics of exceptional
interest to the New Jersey congressman.
Congressman Gardner has been taking
part in the discussion of the bill SO far
as it affects the salary of the District
Attorney. The allowance to be made to
the Marshal is Congressman Loudenslag-
er's concern. because Pfeiffer, the present
Marshal, is in Mr.. Loudenslagsr's dis
trict But then the two questions are so
iaterminglea and the discussions of them
run SO much on the same lines as TO make
them practically one.
Congressman Gardner is opposed to the
fee system of compensation, but he Is
equally iasistent that, if the salary prin-
ciple is to be substituted, the stated al
lowances shorle be fixed upon equitable
lines. Re was particularly offended when
he saw the New Jersey courts reckoned
as of less account than even those of Ne
vada, n the State classed below its pro-
per standard, n a pittance OF $1,000 only
allowed to the District Attorney. When
he glanced at the figure as the compensa-
ton for the Marshal, he saw that it was
made upon the same illiberal lines. Not
that Mr.. Gardner cares a flip of his An
ger how much money Judge Rice or
George Pfeiffer makes, but the rating
given to New Jersey was an offense 20
his State pride.
He went to Congressman Updegraff 10
protest. Mr.. Updegraff referred him to
General Henderson as the committeeman
in charge of hat particular branch Of
the subject. Henderson waved his hand
grandly and with an imperious air.
you will have five minutes on the
floor, slr,' he said. ito move amendment
and ask the House to help you carry it"
That aroused the Second District, Con
made up his mind that he would just
improve that five minutes. And he did:
When the bill came up in Committee OF
the Whole, he moved an increase Of the
District Attorneys pay, Inc in his ar
gument in behalf of his motion, he scored
the committee as only ne can do 1t. He
sistent policy in liking the salaries in the
several districts; that there was no gen.
eral principle underlying the several al
l @Sn wface ana az ea ne t maus the comm'''ee-
1t was the committees time to get mad
now. They made up their mind that
they fought bitterly against his motion
and defeated it.
But, all the same, Mr.. Gardner has
created a situation that will force the
L Aolo1A1 ~
advocated and they will doubtless be made
when the bill gets into the Senate.
Then they chuckle, 'this sharp
tongued critic of ours cannot claim the
credit of the thing"
And. by way of Furnishing Congressman
Gardner for mis- ternerity, they may help
Mr.. Loudenslager to secure an Increase
of the MarshaIs allowance of $500 to
IS, 200 per year. Mr.. Loudenslager will
move the increase, and it is expected to
carry.
the committee had gone on mistaken lines
entirely in the treatment of the claims
of the New Jersey official. In the first
place, they had taken the earnings of
district Attorney Beekman last year as
the basis of their calculations. Beeknan
had earned only z triie beyond 81, 200 in
fees: But everybody knows that Mr.;
the discharge of his official functions.
When the late Mr.. Keasbey was District
Attorney it was understood that mis- an
nual earnings approached $4,000. It must
be admitted, however, that no successor
of his reached that mark in the matter
of compensation. In L~ippincotts and
Whites time the figure was about $4,000.
But the committee hadn't taken the
trouble to fortify themselves with any
statistics between the years 1879 and 1885.
They had made no allowance whatever
for 2eekman's inattention or for the dull
ness that marked all kinds OF business
sideration of New Jersey, tangled the
New Jersey line on the chart of court
business, which they prepared to facill-
tate them in their work, with the New
Hampshire line.
The net result of Mr.. Gardeners and
Mr.. Loudenslager's fight for better pay
will be that the salary of each will be
fxed at about $1,000 per year.