The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-27
SALARIES OF OUR CONSULS.
Our Representatives Poorly Paid i'm
Comparison with Others.
Baltimore American.

Baltimore American.
A gentleman who has lived some years In
South Africa, particularly at Cape Town, In
a letter to the American comments on the
poor compensation the United States gives
It's consuls in comparison with the salaries
paid by other nations. He thinks it a poor
policy to send men out who arc not able for
one reason or another to compete with con-
sular agents of other countries. lie says:
1T would be wiser TO pay a representative
of the caliber of Colonel Stowe FIVE times
the amount of the present salary TO repre-
sent the United States i'm this country and
to represent IL worthily. The present short
sighted policy of r-ecompensing the ac-
credited representative of the greatest re-
public of the world in any part of the world
with a mere living wage, low in COMPARE
son with the emolument offered by fifth
rate states, tends to ridicule the pretensions
of our country, hampers it's representatives
in commerce and procures, as il will in any
line, a mediocre man for a mediocre price.
One has TO live outside the United States
for some years TO appreciate the amount of
self-adVertiSing we are responsible for. An
article written in the States extOlling the
great prosperity of America and pointing
out the great possibilities I'm store for her
in the future on being submitted TO a promI-
nent financial man at Cape Town merely
elected the remark: Then why don't you
pay your consul a decent salary2' States
whose trade with this country is not one
tenth of that of America pay their repre-
sentativeS a salary upon which they can
live and consort with their fraternity, ans
yet we ask a man TO leave his home and kin
ten thousand miles behind to live IN a cOun-
try which leaves much to be desired when
compared with his own, and TO exist upon
a salary which is Incompatible with the dig
nifty of the position, and is, indeed, that OF
the ordinary first bookkeeper in a medium
sized concern. / made a call recently upon
our consul in this town. We found a rather
large room frugally furnished with a desk.
two or three chairs, a couch and a map or
the United States on the walls. a couple of
t~restles supported a deal board holding a
bottle of whisky and several of beer, and
every good American was supposed 10 toast
his country with either OF these liquids. and
out Of glasses already used. The consul
at that time had already received several
callers and was tired. although il was only
IL a. m, so he received us lying on the
couch. He liked that couch, for he often
used IL In preference 10 his seat at his desk
blame him, for he was trying to do an i'm
possible feat-tO maintain the dignity Of the
consul Of the United States Of America and
a family at the same time In what is, per-
haps, the most expensive consulate in the
world on the princely remuneration of 81 500
per annum.
dence in South Africa j can remember but
one consul of whom Americans could he
proud as representing the United States
out here. Why is this? 1t is simply thai
no man worthy 10 be called the official
representative of a great people would
come out and i've in South Africa for 5000
a year, the present salary, unless he had
Independent means or some Interior object.
Why does the United States handicap
Its commercial representatives abroad in
this short-sighted manner and make them
feel that IL there is going 10 be any social
function of note coming OF they want 70
know whether their consul is likely 10 be
present before accepting Invitations Please
do not misunderstood me. Mr.. Editor 4
cast no aspersiOns on the men themselves.
They do their best under adverse circum-
stances. Ii Is not their fault. IL Is the fault
of. the government in not making the posi-
tion OF consul abroad one which appeals
10 men of education. and for which the re-
Enumeration Is sufficient 10 support him
comfortably In a position in which ne can
uphold the dignity and commercial su-
premacy OF the United States.
During the past two years many opDOr-
tunities Of making large sums OF money
nave been open TO foreign ~consuls, ana es-