Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-07-26
,tHATTHE SENATE COSTS.
Salaries of $1,000 Each Only One Item In
the Expense List.


the Expense List.
The United States Senate has been
popularity dubbed 1.-The Millionaires'
Club. !" 1t is the cheapest club in the
world for the poor man to Join. Its
requisites, daily increasing, are too
numerous for reckoning. The newly
prepared report Of the secretary of this
dignified body reveals some amusing
facts, says the st. Louis Republic. 1t
shows, for instance, that a local drug
firm received In the last fiscal year
more than 81, TOO for medicines and
toilet articles. These were supplied to
tho Senators for their individual uss
and paid for nut Of the generous pocket
o. Uno.e sam. No small item of this
expenditure was 1000 doses Of bromo
settler and bromo caffeine. Three dozens
Of caffeine powders, four cases Of lithia
water, two bottles of bromo litbia and
50. 10 worth of lithia tablets further
contributed to keep the senatorial
system IN good repair. Twelve pounds
OF soda mint tablets were purchased for
the alienation Of THAT dark brown
taste," and the extravagant sum Of 80
cents was exchanged for tabules for
indigestion.
To each Senator there are four EN-
ployes, i'll various capacities. The smaller
tody Of Congress has come to cost
Uncle Sam twice as much pei member
per annum as the House. Almost all Of
the 60 messengers receive 81, 440 a year
each, whereas the old blind chaplain
is considered to be worth only $780,
Yet he is dependent upon some one to
lead him daily to aud from, the Capitol.
Laborers in the folding room get 81, 600,
and those who run the elevators enjoy
still more, $1,000. The man in charge
of the stationery room draws 50, 1O2. 40
annually; his assistants, sl,S00 and
81, 200, respectively The little pages
who wait upon Senators get SI5 a
month, the postmaster Of the Senate
2,250 annually, firemen 1905 and the
upholsterer and locksmith l,440.
By far the greatest proportion Of
| expense incurred each year for toilet
articles is demanded by the Senate
barber shops and bath rooms. 1t is
not generally known that each member
of this distinguished body is barberized
gratis as many times day as be
wishes. In conjunction are all the
appurtenances to Turkish and Russian
baths. Skilled masseurs are always in
readiness to hasten the course of sloth.
full blood.
During one hot week 10 June the
Senate paid S136 for lemons for lemon
ade, and shortly afterward returned no
less than $500 empty bottles which
had contained lithia water. But the
taxpayer should not grow long faced al
such modest rate Of revelry az this,
considering the fact that ID years age
nearly every committee room at the
Senate end of the Capitol had its pro.
vision of liquors purchased by the chair.
man or by member with a reputation
| as connoiseur.
The Senator's salary of s.. 600 year
IS perhaps nothing to brag of. Yet il
is Just IS, 900 more than that given tc
members of the English House of Lords
for their parliamentary duties. To this
add 1925 allowed each year for news,
papers and stationery, only about $50
of which need be spent. Further ado
an allowance for railrond mileage, giver
at the beginning aud end Of each
session, and which need not be ex.
pended by those who hold PASSES.
While seated at his desk Senator
need only clap his hands to summon at
many pages as necessary to order hi:
lunch, deliver his notes or fetch hin
books, stationery oil a glass Of water.
III chairman of committee he has
at his personal disposal the clerkshiI
Of that committee, insuring hand
some salary Of $1,000 or $1,000, not tc
mention an assistant clerkship or mes
sengership at from 81, 440 up. If with
out a chairmanship be is insured the
personal appointment of a clerk Al
81, 500 year.