The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-10-16
The Expensive Senate,

1ne United States senate has been
popularly dubbed 1.-The millionaire club"
1t is the cheapest club in the world for
the poor man to join. Its perquisites,
daily increasing, are too numerous for
reckoning. The newly prepared report
OF this dignified body reveals some anus
ing facts, which are related by the Chi
cago Times Herald. 1t shows, for in
stance, that local drug firm received in
the last fiscal year more than s17OO for
medicines and toilet articles These
were supplied to the senators for their
individual use and paid for out of the
generous pocket of Uncle Sam, No
small item of this expenditure was 1000
doses of bromo seltzer and bromo caff-
cine. Three dozen of caffeine powders,
four cases of lithia water, two bottles of
promo lithia and $2.7O worth of lithia
tablets further contributed to keep the
senatorial system in good repair. Twelve
pounds of soda mint tablets we're pur
chased for the alleviation of that dark
brown taste" and the extravagant sum
OF ~ cents was exchanged for tabules for
indigestion.
10 each member there are four EN-.
ployes in various capacities. The smaller
body OF congress has come to cost Uncle
Sam twice as much per member per an
mum as the house. Almost all of the
sixty messengers receive $14OO year
each, whereas the old blind chaplain is
considered to be worth only $500. Yet
ne IS dependent upon someone to lead
him daily to and from the capitol. La
borers in the folding room get $1,000 and
those who run the elevators enjoy still
more, $1,000. The man in charge of the
stationery rooms draws $21O2. 40 annually
and his assistants $500 and $1,000 re-
spectively. The little pages who wait
upon senators get S75 per month, the
postmaster of the senate s225O annually,
tiremen S1O95 and the upholsterer and
locksmith Sl44O.
by far the greatest proportion of ex-
pense incurred each year for toilet arti-
cles is demanded by the senate barber
shops and bathrooms. 1t is not gener
ally known that each member of this
distinguished body is barberized gratis
as many times day as he wishes. In
conjunction are all the appurtenances to
Turkish and Russian baths. Skilled
masseurs are always in readiness to has
ten the course of slothful blood.
During one hot week in June the SEN
ate paid $l36 for lemons for lemonade,
and shortly afterward returned not less
than 37OO empty bottles which had con-
tained lithia water. But the taxpayer
should not grow long g-faced at such
modest rate of revelry as this, consider
ing the fact that fifteen years ago nearly
every committee room at tho senate end
OF the capitol had it's provision of liquors
purchased by the chairman or by a
member with reputation as connois-
seur.
The senator's salary of 5000 year is
perhaps nothing to brag OF. Yet it is
Just 5000 year more than given to
members of the British house of lords
for their parliamentary duties. To this
add Sl25 allowed each year for newspa-
pers and stationery, only about $50 of
which need be spent. Further add an
allowance for railroad mileage given at
the beginning and end of each session
and which need not be expended by
those who hold passes.
While seated at his desk senator
need only clap his hands to summon as
many pages as necessary to order his
lunch, deliver his notes, fetch him books,
or a glass of water If a
chairman of a committee he has at his
personal disposal the clerkship of that
including handsome salary
Of $1,000 or $1,000, not to mention an as
sistant clerkship or messengership at
from Sl44O up. If without chairman
ship he is insured the personal appoint
ment of clerk at $500 year.