The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-29
LIBERAL WITH ITSELF.
The United States Senate Law
ish In Its Expenditures.
COSTS OVER A MILLION A YEAR.

The Item of Salaries Is "A ComparatiyeIy
Small one-Miieage, Employees and the
Contingent Fund Each Senator Costs
$4,000 Year-Is He Worth 1t?
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-lSpecial Tho
United States senate Is not a parsimonious |
concern when 1t comes To expenditures for |
itself. have seen good deal Of the par
liamentary bodies Of the world, and there
is nothing I'm Europe that equals our SEN
ate for genuine, lavish righteousness. The
senate occupies greater number of |
rooms, with larger aggregate floor space, |
and employs greater number OF clerks |
and assistants than any other legislative |
body in the world approximating it in
size 1t is remarkable fact that the sal
aries of senator's form only little more
than ono-thiId of the actual expense.
The cost OF running the senate during
the last fiscal year was just 81, ri 1, 1923. 80.
OF this sum only $4,000 was paid out
| for salaries of the senator's themselves.
What became Of the remainder, the snug
sum of $40, 600, or more than 81, 600 day
for every day in the year, Sundays includ-
edi
! Inc MdtJer oi AiledBt'
For answer to this interesting question
turn to the official figures on file in the
Office of the secretary of the senate. From
there it is learned that $4,000 was paid
out for mileage of senators, or almost s. 900
to each senator, under the absurd old law
which allows each of them 10 cents mile
for transfer to and from Washington. This
allowance is given for each session of con
gress and as the present congress Will
have three sessions that means six trips Tor
each senator, at 10 cents mile, from his
home to the national capital, although a
majority of the statesmen ride on railway
passes.
Other items of expense in the grand TO-
tai are Salary of the vice president, So
; 600: salaries of officers, clerks. ETC., S45S,
935, one months extra pay to officers ana
employees (how generous the senate ISL
S47, O27; salaries of capitol police, s26,Ol l.
and contingent expenses, Sl4S, 33o
In other words each senator costs the
n people in round figures as follows pei
year
His salary. 80 ~
:, His travel TO and fro i'ou
= ae,!"',,o,, 60 nerd him ....... 80
His miscellaneous expenses as senator lo1
| AAAs
Total cost Of each senator .......,....''''sio'o'
- Whether or not the senators are wort
!; what they cost is for the people who hir
y them to say My opinion is that some
y them are worth great deal more Una
NJ they cost and some of them great uei
"a less.
.e II may seem surprising that it requlr'
= almost IS. 600 a week the year throuH
le whether the senate is in session or not
as nav the salaries of the officers ana clerl
o. and emplovees Of the senate. But iook
u the number D. them
hS senate Employees.
'ts TIC attend to the aflairs, of the sena
there are employed secretary, VII
clerk. principal clerk, hnahciai cicr
a minute and journal clerk. an enroil
Ig- clerk. ms assistant financial clerk, a req
ia mo ,lcrk. librarian, an assistant I'D
He ZION II clerks not classified Keeper
all the stationery. with two assistants, q ;
ed retorv and messenger to the president
tho senate. a telegraph operator, te
granh mage. q chaplain, a clerk TO printi
rocnrds n sergeant at arms, his CLERK
assistant doorkeeper. his assistant ~
master. his assistant, man c"iii.i
;, ,. riding pages, with horses, superlh'o'
.ne ont nj documents, with assistants,
~, norintendent of folding room, WIN =
ned sistonts. chief engineer ana assisU
mi | oroineers. 3 elevator conductors
Der, chinists. an upholsterer and iocksiiliVi
Try, carnenters, 2 telephone operators, a hee
ned of the bath, q keeper oil the slap'o''
Der, j. ,,-ouop master
neu This is only a start There are 90 oie
airy, n,,,,n;ttees and 3 assistant clerks
med to committees az" oo senators are t
her, as few of the 81 or W senaV ''' 80 ar
airy, left without commlttee vio.N a.,rs
TO their personal affairs ~ sona tho
cry, proyided with personal oirtn tharo
resh nense of the government lnen ono
ock' messengers to committees anu iaoo ~
eys' folders and firemen galore pes'ues VI
e enS or 90 bright page boys VINO hlo ao >, es
,ois. floor of the senate. 30 II Is no. - g.
80 Goa where the S505,OOo year luz
ployees goes TO-
90 Contingent Expenses.
day, And how does the senate inanae
for srend $4,000 week in coneineen y.
for ,1pnsosY Easily enough. Last year ~
and r,ore than s22, 900 to provide tne sen'
hip nj stationery and similar SUPP
&c L L,ta
'ipts y W. and wagons cost $4,000 fu.
3. 90 h no the senate cost 1000. purc ,
fair rsnairing and cleaning furniture . uos'
lium 600 600 To fold the documents, ,, o,ts'
.oO@ SOec designed for consciousness l.
.sog more than $4,000. The packing XIII 90
p4.Oo which are made like trunks oy ,ne GO oa
exas tsrs down in the basement oil .ne , Sa
ne the and which the statesmen use IN sn ~
"a s GO hooks and other things TO tne'r TIN ~
and and o oovN 81 600 for material alone. I'm
usnses of special committees wn ,n nn =
p baking Investigations were sio, au"
90 ,sar It costs $50 700 year to re slS;
ON. yyuoceedings of the senate stenoerapn,
I. Y, last March the senate TOOK oha' an J
here; ; los, ceremonies for which on nas
cars; nr;ation of $4,000 was MADE. Se'
sales Closely the calculation was n'a ''.h,no
$3.50 o octuaI expense-when eyerytn ,hs
ana ai,, counted o up and the bills all pa'' '"'
TO-, 'uS With all its lavishness OF eApen.
ye" .,ss affairs of the senate III