The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
BETTER PAY FOR
SOME ATTACHES
Consular Salaries Also
Increased.
UNCLE SANS PARSIM0NY
ONLY RICH YOUNG MEN CAN BE
LEGATION SECRETARIES.
UNCLE SANS PARSIM0NY
An Interesting Debate in Which GAL
linger Calls Attention TO the
Compensation of United
States Senators.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S.-A spirited
debate was precipitated in the Senate
to-day while the diplomatic and con-
sular appropriation bill was under con-
sideration. The appropriations COM
mittee was sharply criticized for not
providing adequate salaries for some of
the consular officers and secretaries of
legations of this Government in foreign
countries, and the parsimony Of the
Government in this respect was de-
nounced as a disgrace.
GaIlinger said he desired to call at
tention TO the starvation wages paid
to the United States consular represen-
tatives abroad.
Hale, in charge of the bill, explained
that the appropriation committee had
not considered the compensation of
consular officers, and suggested that
the Committee on Foreign Relations
take up the question and make some
recommendation.
Have you ever known" inquired
Cockrell Of Missouri, any applicant for
consulships to object to the salaries be-
fore taking office?''
Replying to CockreIl Gallinger said
that his question was not in any sense
=
Senator's" said Gallinger, receive
$4,000 a year. Many others would take
the position for half that sum. Some
men in Montana and other States, judg
ing from accounts in the newspapers,
are willing to pay bonus for seat
in this body. But that is no reason why
Senators should not receive decent
salaries; nor is it reason why some
of the young men abroad should not be
paid proper salaries. Some of these
salaries are meanly inadequate. Our
consular service is verging in this re-
spect upon what l deem disgraceful.
Morgan of Alabama offered an
amendment increasing the salaries Of
the secretaries of legations in the Ar
gentiue Republic, Venezuela, Peru, LII
IBERIA and Korea from $500 to $500. Nor
gan spoke at length on his amendment.
He said that our consular service, in
South America particularly, was being
degraded and cut down. The positions
were taken by men who either them
selves or through their fathers had
private means with which TO support
the social elegancies-one of the feat
ures of Office holding in those coun-
tries. He sharply criticised the United
States Government for its parsimonious
policy, declaring that it was disgrace
to the country.
After further discussion the salaries
of secretaries of legation to the Argen-
tine Republic, Venezuela and Peru were
Increased from $500 to $500 and of the
consuls at La Guayama, Venezuela,
from $500 to $4,000, and at Pernambuco,
Brazil, from $1,000 to $250O The allow
ance for clerks at consulates was in
creased from $500 to $4,000.
The salaries of three third secretaries
of embassy, at London, Paris and Ber-
lin, were fixed at $500 each. The con-
suIate at Naples was placed in the
$25OO class; the consulate at Colling-
wood. Canada, in the $4,000 class and
the consulate at Niagara Falls in the
$500 class.
The bill as amended was then passed.
At ? o'clock the Senate took a recess
until 3:3O and on reassembling the Sem
ate. on motion of Davis, went immedi-
ately into executive session.