The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-26
PAYMENT OF SALARIES.
The President Alone Receives an
Individual Warrant.
From the Baltimore News.

From the Baltimore News.
The President is the only official of
the United States government who is
paid on direct individual warrant
from the Treasury Department. All
other officials are paid by disbursing
officers, who receive lump sums for
that purpose. Vice President Roosevelt
is paid by Mr.. Bennett, the secretary
of the Senate. Cabinet officers are paid
by disbursing officers of their depart
ments. Each month in the year Presi-
dent Mckinley receives by mail a war;
rant covering the money he has earned
as his salary 1t really goes to him
few days before he has earned it. Along
in 1872 the officials of the controllers
office prepared a number of tables CIV
ing the monthly payments to each SAL
aried position under the government.
By that system, as is well known, a
man does not receive each month one
twelfth of what he is allowed for the
year.
His salary for the year is divided in
to four equal quarters, and each quar-
ter is then distributed to him accord
ing to the number of days in a month.
The salary of a clerk rated at 5000 a
year is divided according to the salary
tables into four quarters of $225 each
vi the llTSl Oh the calendar
year the clerk would be paid SIT so in
January, which has 81 days; $40 in
February, which has % days, and
$3.50 in March, with 81 days. 1t was
planned to pay the President on exact
ly the same basis, his annual salary
of $4,000 being divided into four quar-
ters of $12,500 each. For January the
President would receive $4,305. so; for
February, $3,SSS.S0, and for March,
lint FIRE nf iCio I, L.
never followed this plan to the letter
They divide the salary into four
quarters of $12, 500 each, and under the
law could not under any circumstances
exceed that, but they pay the President
practically the same salary every
month in the year. no matter whether
the month IS a long one or a short
one. For two months of each quarter
the Presidents check is drawn for $4,-
1857, but the other month sees the
check reduced one cent, to S4,166. 66.
One of the clerks in the Bookkeeping
and Warrants Division of the Treas
ury forgot one quarter that he had
already sent President Cleveland one
check that quarter for $4166. Sc, and
made the third check out for the same
sum. The treasury officials soon learn
ed that a mistake had been made, and
promptly made out a warrant on the
one of the most curious incidents in
Mr.. Clevelands occupation of the
White House. Mr.. Cleveland has new
err cashed this check for one cent.
The object of the carefully prepared
salary tables is to protect the govern
ment against loss in case of the sudden
death of a clerk. In the case of a $500
clerk, for instance, 1t is pointed out
that if he were paid SIS each month in
the year, and should die at the close
of a month, his successor might lose
part of the salary that ought to be his
In the case Of a 5000 clerk dying at
the close of the month of February,
after having received $75 for that
the man who succeeded him
would receive much less than that for
the month of March. which has 81 days.
The treasury officials make out the
Presidents check about the 25th or
26th of each month. The check Is pay
for that entire month. The President
receives 1t about the goth of each
month. In February it is made out
earlier and is received by. the Presi-
dent earlier. Under the treasury sys-
tenn IL President should die at the
end of February, after having received
his pay for that month, his successor
would receive less in March than right
fully belonged to him, because In the
division of salary the former Presi-
dent had received more than his portion
in February. According to the salary
tables President ought to be paid S4,-
305 so for January and March and 3d.
SSS. 80 for February. but as IL is the
President receives the same amount for
February he does for January and
March