The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-01
A COSTLY HONOR.
Few Perquisites, But Lots Of Work, for
REPRESENTATIVES.


There is more honor and glory than ease
and profit in the life OF foreign consul
in New York. Let the business man who
has vague ideas of sinecures and per-
quisites. and who considers such a place
a peu of roses, visit the consulstes If he
seeks proof of this statement. The ma
jority of the consulates in this country
are nothing more nor less than honorary
positions, for which the consul pays
god round sum. The British, German
and French agencies excepted, there Is
not consular office In New York in
which the yearly fees exceed the annual
expenses. The consul-generals are wealthy
men, and in the majority of cases they
employ substitutes, CALEB by courtesy
"consuls, TO perform the routine work
at regular clerical salaries. Usually an
assistant clerk, grandly termed "secre-
tary' or "chanceilor, is hired to keep
accounts straight, interpret interviews
and translate letters. for the latter duty
the "secre, ary" charges what he can and
is allowed to pocket all he gets.
The consul-genersl, or his substitute,
the consul, has the more onerous task.
Newly arrived immigrants, stranded sea-
men, and deadbr countrymen file into
the consulate in unbroken procession,
pouring into tired but not always cal
loused ears a never-ending tale of misery,
made up of all msnner of ills, for which
Doctor Consul must alone prescribe.
Scarcely day passes without visit from
an impecunious counsryman whose funds
have given out, and in no worthy case is
the unfortunate dismissed without
dollar or two. When foreign vessel is
stranded on the cosst, the consul Is reim-
bursed by his government for the relief
afforded, but in the multitude OF otner
cases that demand his care the relief ex-
penditure is one OF love, for which he
gets no return.
An attache OF one of the consulates
said yesterday LIVERY foreigner seems 10
think that his government has set apart
a fund for the relief OF its subjects or
citizens. IL he knew that his appeal for
aid was demsnd for money from the
Consul's private pocket he would stalk
into the Office less ofi1ciously. In Holland
and most other countries the candidate
for a consul's position has 10 submit to
rigid civil service Examination, and III he
passes that he has to serve an apprentice
ship under trained diplomatist before he
gets the coveted appointment. Then, III
he gets an important post such as this I'm
New York he can expect to spend on an
average $1,000 yeer for the privilege of
receiving about 5000 in fees and signing
his name TO sundry official documents.
For legalizing these documents and for
the clearance OF every vessel to his
country he receives a fee, but the smaller
the country represented, the smaller the
fee charged is tne rule, and the clearance
fees, excepting those of the British,
French and German consuls, ars not pro-
iitaple items On Saturday seven young
men-o'-war' 's-men are to be sent back to
Holland at their parents cabled request.
OF course the unset simply advances the
money In this case, but he profits only
by what commission is justly MS from the
steam ship company which secures his
coUntryuen as passengers. But in the
hundreds OF cases that daily come up the
commission derived, IL any, is practically
only discount, because II is the consul's
money that pays the way, and he never
sees II again and never expects TO. "
While this attache was talking the re-
porter saw a fresh arrival gesticulating at
the consul's desk. lie was gibherlng ex-
citedly. The attache explained that the
immigrant had got into trouble with his
landlady and that he had called to ask the
consul TO have his trunk removed TO
new lodging house.
"Tbis is an ordinary case" the atttcbe
said, "We have scores Of such callers every
week.