Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-05-10
UNCLE SAM PAYS WELL
Government Officials Receive
Good Salaries.
CONSTANT DEMAND FOR INCREASE.
Every Congress HaS to Fight Against
Pressure For Higher ray work
Easy and Hours short - Senator
Hapsbrough's Ancestry.

Hapsbrough's Ancestry.
WAsHINGToN, May 81 Special. l-Ev. |
cry congress is obliged to fight ire |
mendous demand for an increase Of |
and it is seldom that pressure
is to be withstood in all cases, vet the
present session is making a strong ef-
fort to resist the opportunities that
are made. Some sessions are not so
fortunate, and the increases are made
in defiance of the efforts Of those who
constitute themselves guardians of tho
public treasury. OF course It is not
considered very much to increase a
salary here and there. An addition Of
500 or $500 to this or that office or to
the several offices does not seem to be
OF so much Importance and does not
make much difference in the aggregate
when the salaries of all government Of
ficials are taken into consdera ton.
but when these increases are demand
ed not only FOR dozen but for 900
officers and clerks very different
showing Is made. II has been said Of
the average government employee that
as soon as he or she gets a place he or
she begins to demand promotion. and
when the employee has reached the
highest possible place in the way of
promotion he goes to congress to secure
an advance Of salary In the bill which
provides for his office. SO he is an
adept in getting everything possible
out of the public treasury.
Are Well Paid.
II may be set down as plain propo-
sition that the employees Of the gov.
eminent are better paid than are any
other people for the same class Of
work. This is especially true in Wash
ington. where the public service offers
the very best remuneration for the
WORK done. The days work consists
OF seven hours, with half hour at
noon for lunch. Work begins at in
the morning and ends at in the after
noon. 1t is not hard work. The skill
ed and alert get 81 800 a year. and sal
aries grade down to $500, with ST20
for the messengers.
How many young men and women
are there in the country who would
not be glad to exchange places with
them. while the higher salaries are
considered excellent. Yet there are
none Of these clerks who do not think
they are entitled to more, and from
time to time congress is asked to make
increases in salaries, and individual
members as we'll as all supposed to
have influence are importuned to secure
promotions for clerks in Washington.
Fought Increases Hard.
Every effort to secure increases this
year has been fought with determine
tion in the house, and success has fol
lowed these efforts in most instances.
Strong appeals have been made by
some members to give some attention
to the taxpayer" instead Of the tax
eater These appeals have found
echoes in the action Of the members
who have on several occasions voted
down the proposed increases. The ap-
pealS for the "underpaid clerk have
been met with the counter assertion
that the government has no difficulty
in securing employees and that 1t does
not force persons to remain in its serv-
ice. The fact is the great and constant
pressure for all places Is an answer to
the assertion that the government
clerks are not well paid. 1t is a fact
that no institution pays employees so
literally, gives them such short hours
and adds months leave with pay ev-
cry year. Whenever | hear of officials
and clerks complaining about low sal
aries | always think Of the great army
Of equally intelligent men and women
working everywhere throughout the
land who would be glad to exchange
places with them.
HansbrouEh's Morse Ancestry.
In the contest over the Alaska bill
race issue was raised. Some of the
men involved in the mining claims at
Cape Nome were Laplanders and some
Eorwegians. Senator Nelson of'Min-
nesota himself Norwegian by birth,
defended those men who were injured
by the amendment offered by Senator
Hansbrough of North Dakota. Now
there are a great many Scandinavians
in North Dakota and Senator Hans
brough was not going to allow Senator
Nelson TO let it appear that he was to
be the only defender OF the race
Hansbrough declared that he, too, was
a Scandinavian by descent. In this
| connection he said: "Mr. President, |
protest against the effort made here
to class the Laplanders with the ex-
cellent Scandinavian citizenship in the
state of North Dakota or anywhere
else in this country. 1t is a libel upon
these excellent people. l am some
thing of n Scandinavian myself, ! will
say to the senator from Minnesota.
Why, back some hundreds of years
ago, a stalwart, fair haired scion of
Olaf came down from Scandinavia
and settled in England. His name was
Hanson. He was a man Of impor-
lance, so much so that the borough in
which he lived came TO be known az
Hanson borough That splendid Scan
dnavian was my great ancestor, and
l revere his memory. | am proud
Of him. Quite remote the relationship
| is, II is true. but ] want the senator
from Minnesota 10 understand that he
is not the only senator here through
whose veins courses the blood of the
Scandinavian. | have never used 1t
for political effect or attempted to do
! it. nor shall | ever attempt to do 1t,
| for do not believe in having the race
issue brought into politics"