The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-23
Personal Government Partly Olsen.
tangled.

The bill which Mr.. CANNON introduced
at the beginning of the session, provid-
ing compensation from the Treasury for
the members and servants Of Mr.. RoosE-
vRLr's unlawfully appointed Coal Strike
Commission, was drawn by the Hon.
CARROLL d. WRIGHT, himself one Of the
benehciaries of the proposed Legislation.
This bill appropriated a lump sum.
$4,000, to be dispensed in salaries and
allowances for expenses at the discretion
of the President. II likewise empowered
the President to apportion compensa-
ton TO these unofficially selected gentle
men. notwithstanding any provision Of
the existing statutes which prohibit the
payment Of double salaries or extra COM
pensation to persons already drawing
pay as Federal officials. There are sew
eral such on the commission; the Hon.
CARHoLL D. WRIGHT, who drew the BILL
is one Of them.
At the time Of the introduction Of the
bill furnished to Mr. CANNON by Col.
WRIGHT we pointed out the mischievous
character of the precedent, both in re-
gard to the surrender to the Execu-
tive OF the purely legislative function of
creating offices and fixing the compen-
sation thereof, and in regard to the
cluL,sy attempt, for the pecuniary bene-
fit OF Col. WRIGHT and others, to override
the laws against double salaries.
The bill passed the House in that very
questionable form. We are glad to OBJ
serve that the Senate has Strengthened
out the business as far as possible with
out going to the extent Of direct rebuke
to Mr.. ROOSEVELT on the main ques-
ton, namely, the appointment Of Fed
eral Commission without authority Of law.
BY its amendments OF the bill when it
came from the House, and by it's in
sstence in conference committee on cor
rect principles. the Senate has modi-
fed the measure considerably and prop
eriy. This process results In some finan-
cial loss to the Hon. CARROLL D. WRIGHT,
but as he already is drawing a Federal
salary of q, 900 as Commissioner OF Labor,
no special sympathy need be wasted on
him.
The Senate amended the House bill
% that instead of appropriating $4,000
outright it provides only so much Of that
sum as may be necessary. The Senate
changed the recognized title Of the body
now sitting at Scranton from Commits
sion to Arbitration 1t eliminated
the clause leaving the compensation Of
the Commissioners and their employees
to the Presidents discretion, and cut
out entirely Col WRIGHr's provision
for double salaries, substituting for the
same a definite salary OF $4,000 for each
of the Commissioners who lie not an
officer in the civil or military service OF
the Government, and no salary at all
for those who are already drawing pay
from the Treasury. For the expenses
Of the members and employees the SEN
ate amendments allowed compensation
at the rate of $40 a day.
This is substantially the form in which
the measure emerges from conference
and becomes law. The only amendments
from which the Senate recedes are those
which designate the body as an Arbi-
tration rather than Commission and
the only final change in regard to the
finances OF the Commission is one which
allows to the Commissioners SIS a day
instead of $40 for travelling expenses
and subsistence at Scranton, and to the
employees Si2 day for the same instead
Of SO.
II will be seen that the Senate has done
a good deal to disentangle personal gov
eminent from the snarl into which it
got itself; and incidentally the Hon
CARROLL. D. WRIGHT is deprived Of 1900
or more which he expected to receive
for efforts in the same line OF useful
meas for which no was already receiving
5000.