The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-07
SHAMEFUL FIGURES
The United States Senate
Has More Hangers-0n
Than Members.
SALARIES HALF A MILLION
No Pretence That There is Hon
est Work for Them -Chand-
ler's Revelations.
SALARIES HALF A MILLION

WASHINGTON, March 7, 1s96.-in sup
port of his resolution looking to the re-
trenchment of expenditures in the SEN
ate, Senator Chandler has sent letter
to Chairman Pritchard, of the Commit
tee on Civil Service and RetrencAnent.
and Senator Jones, Chairman of this Com
mittee on Contingent Expenses Of the
Senate, in which he calls attention ITO the
many extravagant expenditures 3f the
body he now seeks to have investigated.
Senator Chandler accompanied his let
ter with table of facts from which he
draws some very interesting conclusions.
He shows that the total number of en-
pfoyes under the Senate aggregates 353.
among whom are 121 clerks 81 rnessen-
gers, 81 laborers, % pages, IS folders and
10 policemen. The other departments are
much smaller, there being, for instance,
mail carriers, watchmen, 5 conduc-3
tors Of elevators. A messengers acting as
assistant doorkeepers, assistant engin-
eers, firemen. etc.
According to the figures submitted to
the committee by Mr.. Chandler, thes SEN
nually. Ihe annual pay roll laA in
creased from S3l7, ,931 in 1887, to $4Si zSO in
1880, ana was higher than this by $4,000
ana a. lssa ss5 l. Z ssss Increased s2e lsss
and increased agaln in 1892 by $44, 4,1sU, bllt
the following year they We're again in,
creased g sas S6lSs4-, A further increase Of
1887 was made in 1894, and last year
occurred areduction again of $12, 1881. The
total Increase since 1888 has been S2G6 214
ana the total reduction slo2.865. maklng
net increase OF $l63,S4S
The total expenses of the Senate, less
ine salaries and mileage of Senators
which amounts to about $3.50 900 annually.
has ranged from S447,232 in 1887 to s6ss, 1S9
in 1884. This year there was reduction
to $648. POI. The total increase In all
expenditures has been $41S,092 and the
crease of $200 26S.
1T 1T viii be seen by these figures Mr..
fdr 8mander lie, says that there are about
Senators. Deduct the policemen and
there still remain S3S persons engaged in
attendance upon Senators. 1t must be
manifest to you upon the briefest possi<
Die consideration given to the subject
that this force is excessive and extraya-
CANT. Deduct from the 12l clerks the
ninety secretaries of Senators and there
still remain 81 clerks. These might not be
in excess If it were not for the large sadtii-
tional forge described in the list. What
are hfty-flve messengers and fifty-two
they are usefully employed, giving full
service for the money received BY them.
the payroll Of the Senate employees Win
the expenses Of the Military Academy a.
West Point. That bill carries an appros
piidtlU VI s3oz-1,fo5 lOf Tie pdyfO1l dQO
current and ordinary expenses. including
the salary of 315 cadets at $50 year
The Naval Academy bill carries an ap-
preparation for like purposes of $685., ,ef9
These expenses, Mr. Chandler says, in
clude all the expenditures for the main
tenance of the schools, except the sala-
ries of the military and naval officers on
duty.
Continuing, he says:-'Into the details
of all the expenditures of the Senate,
which have grown SO enormously, I have
DGen Il
it necessary in order to justify me in
pressing the resolution which / have Of
fered. Those details should be investi-
gated by your two committees with
view to the dismissal of every surplus
employe, and the omission hereafter of
every needless expenditure.
1T is impossible that the police service
requires such outlays. The Senate wing
of the Capital in kept in repair by the
architect and guarded by the Capital po-
lice. For the comfort within the Senate
wing Of ninety Senators and to enable
them to perform their functions it can
not be possible that 1888 officers and en-
ployes, at an annual salary Of $3.50, 900, are
necessary, and in addition other ex-
penses amounting to $i65,000 There Is
fault in some one; / do not know whom;
there is extravaganza somewhere; I do
not pretend to know exactly in wha.
place. But in this crisis of diminishing
revenues and hard times for the poor.
retrenehment; and ] hope you will begin
the work by recommending the passage Of
the Two resolutions, and cheerfully and
efficiently labor under the authority of
the Senate for the promotion of much
needed economy and REFORM