The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-29
THE CONSULAR AND
DIPLOMATIC BILL
Senator Gallinger Favors Pay
ing Higher Salaries.
Some Change Made in The Consular
Service.
pleasure Passes the Senate. Though
Hale and Morgan object 10 Any
Increase of Compensation.

After some debate the consular and dip
lomatic appropriation bill was passed by
the Senate yesterday. Several increases in
salary, however, were made while the bill
was under discussion.
The bill as it passed the House provid-
ed sl.7O5, 533. The Senate Committee on
Appropriations increased that amount by
$1,000 TO provide 1or a catalogue of scien-
tific literature.
Mr.. Galiinger entered his protest against
the low salaries paid by this Government
10 its representatives abroad, especially
referring to the consuiates at Pernambuco,
LaGuayra, and Milan. He spoke of the
consul at LaGuayTa as an accomplished
French and German scholar who had de-
sired Government position where his ac-
cOmplishmcnts would be valuable, but had
been sent to country where nothing but
Spanish was spoken. This was a point TO
which he wanted to call the attention OF
theh Civil Service Commission.
Mr. Hale admitted that consular salaries
we're small, but they were the same as
when the places were accepted by the pres
ent incumbents, and he predicted that the
service would never Lack for applicants.
IL was 4 wonder TO him. he continued, why
it was so many men had the mania TO get
into that underpaid service.
r
had ever known any applicant 10 object 10
The salary before taking the office. Mr..
Hale replied that he had not; nor had he
ever known of any resignation from the
service because the salary was inadequate
Mr. GaIlinger asserted that this was not Il
fair argument There are hundreds OF
men" he continued, willing TO serve as
United States Senators for half our COM
pensation and there are some men in Mon
rtpr- StAtE
willing 10 pay a bonus for the place, but
that is no reason why Senators should not
receive decent salaries nor is it reason
why fair compensation should not be paid
TO consuls because young. ambitious men
are willing TO take the Offices. He wished
10 go on record for the fourth time as say
ing that in his opinion the United States
consular service was disgraceful in the
matter of salaries.
Mr. Morgan here Joined in the discus
sion and criticised severely the Appropria-
tlons Committee for its action in the mat
ter of consular salaries. He said those
salaries were kept low because the men
who llled them were not sons of impoT-
tant and distinguished politicians, as
proved by the fact that in the case wnere
those positions were held by the sons of
politicians there was found no difficulty
IN getting the salaries increased. He
charged that there was uniform practice
of showing fayoritism in this matter,
which he said would lead to bad results to
all concerned. He wanted the country 10
know who Was responsible for this condi-
tion OF affairs.
Mr.. Morgan remarked that there were
Senators who had not attended the ses-
sions Of the Senate for twenty-five days at
time. and that he had no doubt there
were thousand men in Alabama VINO
could discharge his duties, and who would
be glad TO 30 so for $1,000 year.
On his motion, which had been recon
mended by the Foreign Relations Commit
lee, the salaries of the secretaries Of .ega-
tons in the Argentine Republic, Peru aud
Venezuela were increased from $500 a
year to ST. SdG. On motion of Mr.. Gal
linger the salary OF the consul at La
Cuayra was raised from $3.50 to $, 900
and al Pernambuco. Brazil. from $1,000 &c
$2.5O0. The allowance for clerks for con-
sUlates was raised from 81 600 TO $3,20G
The salaries of the three secretaries oi
embassies, recommended by the committee
for London, Paris and Berlin. was fixed al
81 GOO. The consulate at Naples was put il
the $500 class; the consulate at Colling-
wood in the 81 900 class. and the consu at.
at Niagara Falls in the $500 class. tn,
bill was then passed.