The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-05
PROTEST ON PROPOSED CUT.
CLAIM THE TENDENCY OF WAGES
HAS ALMOST ALWAYS BEEN
UPWARD.
SOME BIG SALARIES ARE PAID.
As the Reward for Long ana Fntth-
full SerVice-Salary Grab
Recalled.
Special to the Globe.

much wrought up over TWO PROPOSE
lions. contained in resolutions OF sen
ator Chandler, of New Hampshire and
Representative Stokes, of South Car
olina. reducing salaries throughout the
government service all around. MI.
chandler means to have a reduction
of Is per cent apply to high and low
alike. If he can bring it about but 1t
is not at all likely that he can do any
thing in the direction proposed. II
he were attacking one branch OF the
service, he might have some hope OF
success. but the clerks have too much
influence with members of congress
to make the proposed general reductloh
a possibility. Mr.. Stokes is even less
likely to achieve cussecc, for ne pro-
poses to take 80 per cent on.
Mr.. Chandeliers idea is that the gov
ernment's employees should suffer the
same reduction that has come TO work
ers in other fields OF labor. Salaries
and wages everywhere have been re-
duced in accordance with the nara
times The government is suffering
from the hard times as much as any
one Why. then, should not the gov
eminent reduce the pay OF 4ls ehh
ployes? 1t is pretty sure that they
would not strike if there was re-
duction. and. if they did, there are al
ways people to take their places
PAY OF CLERKS AND LABORERS.
Mr.. Chambers position is logical.
hut he will not be able to sustain IL
in congress Mr.. Stokes will be equal
" impotent All the logic in the Worl1
is not going to affect the pull of the
government clerks.
There are 2O.OS3 government clerks and
Iaborers receiving 1920 year or less. oo
There are S,621 clerks receiving from SI2o
to $S40 .o,o l.. oooo
There are / ,667 receiving from $40 to $500
There are 1906 receiving from $Soo 10
H,Ot0. O., mn !.
There are GIL receiving from $1,000 to
There are 1863 receiving from $1,4OO to
There are 1861 receiving from $1,000 to
There are 1870 receiving from $500 to
There are 1,1SO receiving from $1,000 to
1880.
All these are in the classified service.
In the unclassifled service are about
1890 clerks in postoffices scattered
through the country Chiefly the little
offices of the fourth class 1888 work
men, 4.S15 presidential officers, 5,151
clerks receiving $500 or less and num-
Der of miscellaneous officers and en-
plcyees. The fourth class postmasters,
who number 66,725, would not be in
cluded in a reduction because they do
not receive fixed compensation.
The pap drawn by all the govern
nent employees and officers is $780, 900 =
OOO-in exact figures 500, 574, 1877. 2S. A
reduction of Is per cent as proposed by
Mr.Chandler, If applied to all branches
of the public service would save the
government at this time $4,000 Geo. or
about third the amount of the
IeR o;+ Ny, will
have to make up before the govern
ment is on a self-supporting basis. Mr.
Stokes plan would save $3O,00O,0OO.
The tendency of the government has
been almost always toward increase of
salaries rather than toward a reduc-
ton. Salaries in other fields Of in
duStry have increased too. Clerks ir
business houses today receive a great
deal more for their work than the
clerks of 100 years ago. We have Il
billion dollar country today, say the
men who defend the large appropria-
tons which congress makes every
year. Certainly Uncle Sam spends
money as though he were a Millionaire
The president of the United States
used to receive $4,000 a year. That
satisfied Washington and Jefferson
and Lincoln and all the other presi-
dents until 1873, during the term Of
Grant when the salary was raised to
$4,000 a year.
The vice president of the United
States received at first $1,000 a year.
rms was Increased to $4,000, to begin
with. the term of William King in 1852.
But Mr.. King, who took the oath of
pfnce In Cuba, where he was sojourr-
Ing for his health, died in April, 1853,
and his successor, in 1857, John c.
Breckenridge, was the first to get thu
oeneht of the increase in salary Then
game the notorious salary grab" hv
which congress increased the salaries
Oh congressman and others to take
effect March 4, 1873, which made the
vice presidents salary $4,000, but the
repeal Of that act in January folIowinp q.
made the vice presidents SALARY once
more $4,000, which 1t has remained.
1t is not generally known that con-
gress first called the department of
state the department for foreign af-
talrs. The change Of title was made
less than two months after the depart
ment was established Thomas Jef-
ferson, the first secretary of state.
received only $500 a year. In 17o9
the salary Of the office was increased
10 So,OOO; ten years later to $4,000 Ir.
1898, When there was general increase,
of salaries and reorganization Of tba
civil service, it was made $4,000. The
salary grab made 1t $4,000, but 1t was
reduced very quickly to $4,000 again.
There are hotel stewards today who
are better paid
PAY IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
The secretary of war received orig
inally $4,000, which is less than thu,
salary of a great many of the govern
mentS clerks today. The secretary of
the treasury received $500 at first
while Samuel Osgood as postmaster
general, received the beggarly salary
of $1,000, and that was the compensa
ton Of Edmund Randolph as attorney
general. The secretary Of the navy,
whose office for the first nine years was
merged in that of the secretary OF
war, received at the beginning S., 900
year. Since 1853 the salaries Of all
cabinet officers have been the same
me chief clerk of the war depart
ment receives $4,000 a year. He re-
-ceived at ope time-from 1884 to 1898
-$2,750 year. Thirty per cent taken
from his salary would reduce it t.
$1,750. No doubt he would feel ag.
grieved, yet prior to 1853 his pay was
not more than $1,000, and prior to ISL:
1t was never more than $1,000. At first
1t was $500 year. From 1892 to 1884,
1t was $500 a year, and after that 1.
was $1,000.
There is an assistant secretary OF
war who receives $4,000 a year. Prior
to 1861 there was no assistant sec
rotary. The Office was created Aug
8, 1861, at salary of So 900, and Charles
a. Dana filled it during the war pc
Rod. The salary was increased to
$500 in 1865, and two years later the
office was abolished. Since that time
there have been years when there was
an assistant secretary and years when
there was not, and the salary has been
$4,000 at times and at other times $780,
-