The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-04

Special to Atlanta Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.-Now ths
the memhers Of the House and Senat
are talking so loudly of economy i
public expenditures, it may be In
teresting to look over the bill that az
propriates money for the salaries
clerk hire and contingent fees of tn
Senators ana Representatives..
1t costs Uncle Sam So, 1854 ,42l yea
to have his laws made, and when W,
take into consideration the laws ht
gets and especially those he don't ge
for this enormous outlay, it seems like
bad bargain. 1t takes $3.50, 600 to pay
the salary OF the Senators ana 81 SOB,
OOO to pay members and delegates tt
the House OF Representatives., includ
Ing the Speaker. Mileage for Senators
amounts to $45, 900 year and for Re-
presentatives Sl30, 900, and rs much
more for every extra session. This
year the amount will be twice as much
as usual, as the members always vote
themselves mileage for the extra
sessions.
The vice-president spends as presi-
dent of the Senate, and exclusive of
his salary, So AGO.
The chaplain of the Senate gets
5000 per annum for bcnediction of
three minutes length delivered on the
average five times week about FIVE
months out OF the year. Congress ap
prOpriates annually for the Office of
The Secretary OF the Senate for clerk
hire only $66,074. For clerks and mes
sengers to committees the Senate is
allowed $l02, ,220. The former receives
from So, 600 TO $4,000, while the latter,
whose duties are in some cases also
clerical, but in most cases merely
menial, receive from 81 440 per annum
up. Each Senator, not a chairman Of
committee, is provided with u clerk,
whom he appoints from among his
family as rule, or If he has no reia-
tive who wants the position it gen
orally goes IT, some ward heeler or
politician from his home state. These
positions Of messenger and private
Secretary Tor clerk are much coveted
They are sinecures OF the first water.
The incum bents are paid by the annum
and work about five months out of the
year or the average. There are q
number OF ex members of the House
who are and have been messengers
and clerks.
The Senator'S clerks are paid 81 500
per annum, and as there are ninety
Senators and only fifty-five committees,
thirty-tive are provided, and an appro-
priation Of $4,000 to pay them is an
nually made.
Chairmen of committees are sup
posed to use the clerk or one OF the
provided their committees
for private clerks. The sergeant-at-
arms Of the Senate gets an appropra'
tion of 1925, 224 for his office, includ.
ing salary of $4,000 per annum for
himself.
The postmaster of the Senate, for
the Senate and house each have q
separate postofllce, has $l7 $50 at his
yearly, and the superinten-
dent of the document room, besides
SO, 600 as his own salary, is provided
with assistants that cost Uncle Sam
S. ,920 additional
Twenty-six thousand nine hundred
aud twenty dollars is appropriated for
the folding room Of the Senate, where
Senators, II they have more than one
member of the family who want to
work for Uncle Sam, can find place
for him.
Twenty-Five additional clerks to
small committees at 81, 800 are provid-
ed, for fear that Senators may, in the
absence of regular CLERKS, have to
write letter themselves, or even, in
the extreme cases, address their own
envelopes. This takes $45, 900 moro out
CT tha treasury. Sixteen thousand two
hundred dollars are allowed for con-
tingent expenses of the comm ttees
and officers of the Senate. One hun
dred and seventy-fve dollars is allowed
for postage stamps, in spite Of the
fact that all official matter OF any
nature is frankable and needs no
stamps. For carrying the mails Of the
Senators $1,000 is provided. For
t.. g.,
pamphlets, whafsyer that may mean,
congress, in it8AAnnificence, has al
lowed the Senate folding room $1,000.
For fuel and cotton waste 5000 is al
lowed, enough it would seem to buy
great deal, especially when 1t is, as
this Is exclusive of larbOr.
For the purchase of new furniture
an annual appropriation OF 81 900 is
made, while $1,000 Of the public money
Is allowed for the repairing OF the old
furniture exclusive OF labor, two extra
thousand of dollars being provided for
the latter. For packing boxes, al
though the bill does not state what
they are to be used for, presumably to
pack Senator'S furniture when they go
honey, 1910 are allowed. Twenty-Five
lowed for miscellaneous items ex.
clusively of labor, and SIG, $40 is provid-
ed for rent OF the Malthy building,
directly across from the capitol, which
is used for private office rooms for
Senators exclusively. One thousand
dollars are allowed for repairs to the
building. When the owners OF the
building had private tenant who
paid q great deal less than Uncle Sam
pays, they were forced to do their own
repai ing. Twenty thousand dollars
are Ihowed for the expenses OF con-
duGtInG inquiries by the Senate com
mittees. This does not include the ex-
penses for the little junketing trips
that the Senate committees take oc'
casionally. These are provided for by
special appropriations. Twenty five
Thousand dollars for reporting the de-
bates OF the Senate, and 81 300 for the
rent of q warehouse for the storage o.
Senate documents, ends the list o
appropriations for the Senate.
While the House is not so munif
cent as to the liberal salaries paid it,
so-called employees, the aggregate o
appropriations Is much greater thar
that OF the Senate. While the tota
expenses of the Senate are 81, 112, l54
the House spends annually 81, 842 267
This is o small amount compared will
the Senate when we remember tina
the House has four times rs great
membership as the Senate and wher
there is one man In the Senate VIII
must be provided with fat juicy job
for his friends, there are four in tn
House.
The list OF appropriations for tn
of nj M xUi N "a a A