The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-20
SALARIES PAID 70 RULERS
WHAT THE HIGH OFFICIALS OF
OTHER NATIONS ARE AL
LOWED TO DRAW
RUSsIA'S CAR GETS MOST
He Draws $I2,OOO,OOO Yearly.
While POVerty-Stricken Spain
Allows Her Roy King
100000.


If the salary of the president of the
United States seems ridiculousIy small
for the chief magistrate of the richest ma
ton i'll the world, the salary paid to some
European rulers seems ridicuously large.
Think of the Car of Russia getting $12,
0OOOC0 a yea, while his nation has debt
nearly double ours and a population
about onc-half more thar ours, and the
boy king of poor poverty-stricken Spain
receiving d salary Of $2,GO 900. The salary
first fixed fer the president was $25, 900.
This was by act Of congress passed on
Sept. q, 1888. The salary of the vice pres
ident at the same time was fixed at s., 000
a year. 1t was not until 1873 that the
salary Of the president was raised to its
present amount Of $4,000 The salary of
the vice president was raised to it's pres
ent amount Of $1,000 in 1853. Considering
the buying power of money in 1889 and
at this time and the state of the coun-
try's finances then and now, the earlier
salaries were more liberal than those
now.
When Washington took office the popu.
lation of the United States was less than
100000, the national debt Appropriated
$50, GOO, or about $3.50 per capita, in
Guiding slaves, while the entire valuation
Of property in the thirteen states was
only $6O0,O0OOOO, an amount less than the
present annual revenue of the republic.
Our population now is oveI 100000 and
the debt per capita in 1890 bad fallen to
al,
per capita was $S7.79. Her indebtedness is
more than double ours and her population
less than half ours The national debt of
France is four times as large as ours and
her population less than half ours In
1880 the French debt per capita was $116.35
and that of Russia $50 70. Cermany's ma
tional debt is nearly 100000 GOO more
than ours, and her population one-third
less than ours. The vast wealth of the
United States hardly is realized by its
citiseEs. A committee of the New York
Republican club, which has been making
some Investigations regarding the com
parative wealth of nations and the com
pGr2tive salaries paid by the United
States and Europear nations to their
chief officials, says in its report:
"Mulhall, the eminent English statisti-
clan, estimated the wealth of the United
States al the close of 1896 at $S1, $50, 600,
with an annual earning capacity of 49,.
680,0000 coo. If these figures prove correct
the census of the present year will show
our national wealth to exceed 100000, 000,-
600. The same high authority estimated
the wealth q England at the same time
at $4,000 100000 France at SAT, $50, OOO, O0n,
Germany a $40 260, 900, coo, Russia at $31-
125, coo, Australia at So, $50, 00GO00, Italy
at $l5,S00, 00o000 and Spain at $1l,9O0, O0O.
If these figures ere correct they prove
that the United States IS by far the
wealthiest nation in the world and in
creasirg much faster than any other.
Our wealth is nearly equal TO The COM
bined wealth Of England and Russia, or
England and Germany, and exceeds that
of France and Russia, OF az Germany and
Russia, and nearly equals that of Rus
STA, Austria, Italy and Spain combined
As Ia a comparison Of salaries of the
higher officials the American list is rs
follows: President 5000; vice president,
$4,000; cabiret officers, 5000; chief justice
of the supreme court, $1,000; associate
justices, $4,000; ambassadors, $l7 soc.
Contrast this with the salaries given in
the pay table of foreign nations here
England-Queen. $1,925,OOO; cabinet eff
GERS S25. 600; ambassadors to the United
States, $32,500; judges, lord high chan
cellOr, so, COO; lord chief justice, $4GOeG
France-President, $240,000; cabinet Of
fcers. $1,000; ambassadors to the United
States, $4,000; judges, court of cassa-
ton, S., 900 to $1,000 and an allowance for
expenses, amount not known.
Germany-EmperOr. &,S52,370; cabinet
officers, imperial chancellor, $4,000; min
lister of foreign affairs, $ll.500; ambassa-
doris to the United States. $4,000; judges,
from 81. 500 to $4,000.
Russia-Czar $4,000 Geo. cabinet officers,
Imperial minister of foreign affairs, $l5,-
2SS; ambassadors to the United States,
stitute highest court in Russia, salaries,
S., 500 to S6,500
Spain-King S20GG, 00O
Greece-King, 100000
MeXico-President, $4,000; cabinet Off
GERS, $4,000.
Canada-Governor general, $4,000: cab
met officers, $1,000 to $4,000.
The compensation of the members of
the French, German and Russian cabinets
is not uniform, as in the United States
and England. The imperial chancellors
and ministers Of foreign affairs of Ger
many and Russia receive much greater
compensation than their associates
The investigation of the pay roll of the
United States brings out some curious
anomalies. At least one Of the subordi-
mates Of the secretary Of the treasury now
receives salary of So 600, while the sec
rotary only receives $4,000. One of the as
sistant treasurcrs of the United States
receives $4,000, while the treasurer of the
United States receives only $4,000 Yet the
treasurer is responsible for all, and is
also the custodian of more than $500, 000.-
Geo in money and bonds deposited with
him by the national banks of the re-
public to secure their circulation, and
government deposits; and his salary of
$4,000 is less than half of the salary now
paid by single national banks to their
presidents.