The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-04-08
WASHINGTON NOTES.

either mousse Oh OVnSreSs WIN VIII cOh- /
fess that his official salary enables him
| N more than cover expenses. What Is
| n that they are all to enjoy after they
have won the goal? First of all, the
annual salary Of $4,000. For Repre-.
sentatives add $1,000, allowed yearly
for clerical services, but whose expend
,ture need not be accounted for to any
one. For members Of both houses add !
s125 n year, allowed for stationery, the
balance to be drawn Mt the end Of each
session, II not all used. 1t seldom hap
pens that more than $50 Of this allow
ance is expended.
There ts no reason why thrifty
man, even one accustomed to the nice
ties of life. should not save near two
thousand dollars during each term In
the House. 1t Is hardly possible for n
Senator to save, however, since he has
TO spend great deal Of money to keep
M with his greater social duties In the
Millionaires' Club.
The truth Of the matter is that many
representatives and few Senators do
manage to save a little. The richer
the man in the Washington official set,
the more Is required of him. Over n
third of the men who sat In the Sen
ate during the last Congress econo-
mized by living at hotels or In apart
ment houses. One-half of the Repre-
sentatives cut down expenses In the
same manner. They thus avoided the
unnecessary cost Of maintaining
house. rented or leased, between ses-
sions. To the millionaire member of
Congress the annual official SALARY Is
merely ornamental. 1t Is the heavy
swell thing for the legislator of this
brand to turn over his Ave thousand n
year to his private secretary, who gen
orally has his employers private inter
csts to attend to in addition. A nun-
ber have done this already, and 1t Is
said that Hanna not only gives his sec
retary his whole annual salary, but n
thousand in addition. Brice is said to
have given his whole Senatorial salary
to his secretary, while his social pilot
probably receives even more-some
say $4,000. But good things like Cal
win seldom blow into the Senate, ex-
cept from Ohio.
During the past week new members
of both houses have been pounced
upon by swarms Of young men clamor-
ing for private secretaryships and
clerkships. Under the old order Of
things Senators secretaries who re-
ceived six dollars day during session
would now be toppling over with mirth
and happiness because Of the extra
session.
But now, those who have become
ripe in the business are making wry
faces and tearing their hair. The sal
ary of the Senatorial secretary was
changed to $1,000 year, to be re-
ceived in monthly payments, regard
less Of sessions or adjournments. 1t
was figured that under the new rule
each secretary would receive about as
much per Congress as he did before.
but extra sessions were not included
In this reckoning.
The president Of the last Senate ap-
pointed his son as his private secre-
tary, and so did the Speaker of the
Fifty-third Congress. Senators who
are chairmen Of committees are at lib
erty to appoint whom they please as
clerks to their committees. The clerk
to the Senate Committee on Appropri-
ations receives $1,000 a year. and has
an assistant clerk, who gets $4,000.
The clerk to the Committee on III
70 .
incumbent is the son Of the chairman
of the Committee on Finance.
In the last Senate altogether eight
chairmen appointed their sons as
their committee clerks. There Is no
reason why Senators sons should not
make good clerks, but it frequently
happens that clerks to these commit
tees are mere figureheads, functiona-
res blueboOked as assistant clerks OF
messengers doing all Of the actual
work.
There was one case, few years
back, where the son of a Senator was
nominally clerk to one Of the most i'm.
portant committees Of the Senate
while In reality he was attending col.
lege in distant city.
The Senators on the Republican
Side will be able to dispense q great
deal Of pastry If their body finds that
1t can be reOrganized, and there will
be no civil service obstacle In the pas
sage leading to the counter. Stats
tics show that there are about -four
employees In the Senate to every Sena
tor
The Senates extravaganza, com
pared with that Of the House, has
long been proverbial. The House
costs the government only about
twice as much as the Senate, al
though its membership is four times
as great as that Of the latter. The
men who watch the doors TO the Sen
ate galleries get $1,440 a year, ant
those who lift Senators from floor tC
noor in the elevators get $1,000. Mer
Who fold Senate documents get $1,00t
year. The Senate firemen get $1,09,
and the Senate locksmith and uphOl
sterer 81 ,440.
On the House side salaries are