The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-19
THE SALARIES OF KINGS.



"How much do a king get?" asked
one of Mark Twain's odd characters.
and the answer was not very satisfac-
tory. II we apply the title king" TO
each of the chief executives OF the
great nations, there is no wonder an
answer was difficult, FOR the pay OF
rulers varies greatly and is governed
by no apparent rule OF proportion. un-
less IL is that the pay increases with
the liability to assassination. The ex-
tremes of salary are illustrated by the
pay of the Czar of Russia and the
President Of Switzerland. The former
gets $4,000 a day, while the latter Is
happy and satisfied with 1872 each
twenty-four hours. These figures are
based on 1865 working days in the year.
for monarchs are supposed TO be al
ways working.
Now. these executives--of Russia and
Switzerland-are at the extremes OF
the rulers payroll. the first getting
So, 10000 a year and the other $4,000.
Between these extremes the other
eleven nations considered are scattered
in a haphazard manner, with no uni
form relation between the amount or
yearly salary and the number OF per-
sons who must pay II. The Emperor
of Austria, with his $43S0000 annually,
comes under the Gear of all the Rus
sias, while President Mckinley. with
his $50, 900, comes next above the Presi-
dent of little Switzerland. After Aus
tria comes Germany, which pays EN-
peror William So, 400, 900; then the King
of Italy, with $2,345, 900; Shah OF Persia.
81, 1885,, 900; Queen Victoria, $l,s70.O00:
King OF Belgium, $632,000; King of
| q. nf
the Netherlands, 1922. 900; King OF
Greece. y253,0O0, and the President of
France, $239, 900. President Faure re-
ceives but little more regular salary
than President Mckinley, but he has
fixed perquisites that bring his income
from the state to the amount given.
An idea of the relative proportion be-
tween these amounts can be gained IL
you consider one printed line In the
Herald as representing the salary OF
the Car, then period will represent
the stipend OF the President of Switzer-
land. and one-fourth of the letter m
the pay of President Mckinley. Half
of q line will be the amount the EN-
peror OF Austria receives. and a little
more than a fifth of a line what Great
Britain pays TO Queen Victoria.
The amounts OF the salaries OF these
honorled men and women bear very
odd relations to the number or persons
for whose benefit they are supposed TO
administer laws of their own or the
peoples making. Now, each subject OF
the Gar has to annually pay seven
and four-fifths cents to his ruler, and
stands eighth on the list; while the
Persians. each OF whom must yearly
pay to the Shah thirty and three-quaI-
ters cents. head II. Switzerland, with
the smallest population and salary,
does not pay the least per capita. Tor
the United States. with seven one-hun-
dredths of cent for each inhabftant, ,s
at the bottom of the list, Switzerland
being next above. with eight one hum
dredths Of n cent. Turkey, with twen-
ty cents for each subject, naturally
comes next below Persia. and Greece,
with eleven and two-fifths cents, comes
next Then, in the descending scale.
comes Austria, with ten and two-nfths
cents for each subject to pay TO the
ruler: Belgium. ten and one-ffth cents;
italy. nine cents: Norway and sweden.
! eight cents then Russia, then Ger
| many. six and one-ffth France, six,
| Great Britain, four and three-f1fths;
| and then Switzerland and the United
| States. .
Figures alone hardly convey to ordl-
| nary mortals an idea of the amounts OF
some OF these salaries. Take for In
stance the So. 766. 900 received annually
by the Czar. Put that amount In silver
dollars, and perhaps II will carry more
of a meaning. 1t would mean 214 tons
of silver and II the dollars were piled
I'm a single column they would reach
thirteen miles, or II placed edge to edge,
would extend 207 miles-one half of the
distance from st. Petersburg to Mos
COW.
put the annual salary of the Presi-
dent Of Switzerland into silver dollars: !:
place them edge to edge in single line
and they would reach over 362 feet:
while President McKinley's yearly pay
treated in the same manner. would
form a silver band a little less than one
mile and fifth In length.