The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-13
THE COST OF CONGRESS.

is inadequates that the senators ana
representatives cannot afford TO live
in Washington in a manner becoming
the dignity of their high offices on the
pay that the government gives them,
and that unless they have private for
tunes upon which to draw they cut
rather poor figures in life at the Capt.
tai. From session to session there is
talk of an effort to increase congress
sional salaries. but the talk never
amounts to anything, for the very good
reason that the congressman fear the
consequences of increasing the cost of
national legislation. Anything savor-
ing Of d salary grab" would be speed
lily and relentlessly resented by the
people. At the same time all think
ing people realize that Washington is
one of the most expensive residence
cities in the world, and are ready to
accept the assertion that it is mat
ter of much difficulty for a member Of
Congress-especially if he is man
with a family-to get along in becOm-
ing style on $4,000 year.
While an increase in congressional
salaries involving a corresponding in
crease in the cost of legislation might
meet with popular disapproval, it is
possible that the congressman might
find a way to add to their pay without
increasing the legislative appro-
priation bill or incurring the displeas-
ure of the people. This way could
probably be found through the practice
of economy in the running expenses of
the two houses. For instance, there
are ninety members of the Senate. The
salary and mileage of these amount
to s470,OOO. These few senators re-
quire, or at least employ the services
of 1856 officers and others during ses-
sions. at an annual cost of $769,000.
Dividing the total cost of the Senate
by 30, the number of senators. it is
seen that the average cost of each SEN
ator to the government per year is
over s13,7OO. Making similar cal
culation with reference to the House,
it's membership and it's expenses, it is
seen that each member costs the gov
ernment per annum about $500.
There isn't any doubt that many OF
the attaches of both the Senate and the
House are entirely superfiuous. There
are too many employees who have
scarcely more to do than draw their
salaries. Many instances might be
named in which clerks to committees
do not perform more than one or two
hours service during a month. and
maybe not much more during a ses-
sion, yet these clerks draw their sal
aries as regularly as if they were earn
ing them Again it has become the
custom of the two Houses to grant
their employees a full months extra
salary each year; not for extra SER
vices rendered, but because the men,
bers have the power to give away the
peoples money. and by voting extra
pay to tpeir favorites they strengthen
themselves politically.
Last year Congress cost the country
S4,305, ,602. The total expenditures OF
the Department of State during the
same time, including the cost of the
diplomatic and consular services, were
$2,274,7 ,7O6, showing that Congress cost
more than twice as much as the whoe
foreign commercial and political estab-
lishment of the government. Congress
is good to ITSELF when it comes to
surrounding itself with clerks and ser
wants. The Washington correspondent
of the Philadelphia Ledger points out
how 1t would be possible for congress-
men, by the exercise of economy, tc
lop off number of useless employees
and add the saving to their own sal
aries. 1t is estimated that an increase
of pay to $500 or $4,000 per year might
be made without increasing the con-
gressional expenses one dollar.