The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-05

sistant till 1861, and then only for eight
years. In 1882 the office was revived,
to be abolished in 1889 and revived
again in 1890 with a salary of $4,000.
The chief clerk of the navy depart
ment received at first $500 a year. He
now draws 50, 500 year.
One of the most remarkable in the
line of official appointments is that or
treasurer of the United States. Not
long ago some sheets of paper cur
rency, representing a value of $500,
were stolen from the treasury. The
treasurer of the United States was re-
sponsible for their disappearance, and
he had to make good the 5000 to the
government. In the same way the
treasurer is responsible for all the
millions of money handled in his part
of the treasury department every day.
and if any of this money disappeared
he would have to make 1t good
The law creating the office Of treas
urer provided that he should give
$150,000 bond for the faithful per-
Torrance of his duties and for the
safety of the moneys intrusted to him,
yet the salary of his office originally
was $4,000. To be sure, there was not
much money to handle The secretary
of the treasury at first was borrowing
government and pledging the customs
receipts for its repayment, but the re-
sponsibility soon became greater and
the risk has grown greater every year.
In 1892 the salary of the treasurer was
increased to $2,400 In 1899 1t was
made $4,000. SiXty-three years later it
was increased to $4,000 Today it is
$4,000, and there is no rush of appli-
capts for the place when a new adj
ADMINISTRATION comes in. The treasurer's
chief clerk receives today $500 a year
mere than the treasurer received at
first, but when the treasurer's salary
was $4,000 his was 5000.
INCREASING BY EASY STAGES.
The register of the treasury, whose
signature Is so necessary to the valid
ity of the governments securities, re-
ceiVes less pay than the treasurer, and
his responsibility is less. He drew
originally $1,250-there are only two
clerks in his office today who receive
less-but his salary mounted by easy
stages to $4,000, which is the amount
he receives today.
The director of the mint was one of
the first officials found necessary by
the government, and he was provided
for in a law passed in 1892 which fixed
his salary at $1,000. He was as i'm
portant a person then as the treasurer.
He has dwindled a little by compari-
son since, and his salary now is $4,000.
1t is amusing, by the way in these
days of civil service reform to find
that the director of the mint in 1892
was authorized to employ las many
clerks, Workmen and servants as he
shall from time to time find necessary,
subject to the appreciation of the presi-
dent Of the United States"
1t was not thought necessary to ap-
Ai,of oh al rly 70, hn Roo
department until 1918, and then the
salary fixed for the office was $1700,
5000 more than the first salary of the
postmaster general. Now he draws
So 800 The first assistant postmaster
general was appointed by the post
master general at first, and he re-
ceived 900 a year. Now he is APP
pointed by the president and his salary
is Sd 600. Besides there are three other
assistants now, each appointed by the
president and each drawing $4,000.
CONGRESSMAN STOKES PLAN.
The government has always been
foe to high special salaries. For many
years the bureau of engraving and
printing pegged along with a lot of
hack engravers. A good engraver
would not stay in the service, because
he could command twice as much pay
persuaded congress that this was poor
policy, and today the bureau employs
some Of the finest engravers in the
country at very high salaries-higher
than the pay of a congressman. Pos
sibly most Of the government salaries
would bear cutting, now that food and
clothing are so cheap, but how does
Mr.. Stokes expect to persuade con-
| gress of the fact? You must remember
! that his proposed reduction would take
| $4,000 a year from the salary of Presi-
dent Mckinley, and 81, 500 a year from
| that of every congressman.
How many congressman does Mr..
| Stokes expect to vote to take money
out of their own pockets? There are
not fifty men in the house of repre-
! sentatives today who would vote for
| the proposition if they thought there
was any danger it would become d
law. People who keep an eye on the
business of congress have not for
| gotten how the house voted its mem
bers a special Stationery" allowance
| and eXorbitant mileage for a special
session not long ago, or how, from
| time to time, congressman have been
| caught selling the seeds and public
| documents intended for their constit-
| uents, or how the Thanking privilege
was renewed not long ago to cover
! a fund already supposed to be filled
by the STATIONERY" allowance, or how
| congressman voted themselves salaries
for private secretaries and in many
| cases put the secretaries salaries in
| their own pockets.
What? congressman vote to return
$1,000 of his annual salary to the gov
| eminent? 1t is to laugh indeed.
AS to the clerks, they wouldn't stand
any such nonsense for a minute and
| the congressman know it. Among
| these clerks are men who act as the
| campaign managers of congressman.