New-York tribune., 1905-11-29
UNCLE SAM POOR PAY.
CIVIL LIST P4RSIMONY.
Mr. RooseUeIt Gets Far Less in Pro
portion than Any Other Euecutiue.
rTrom The rrIbune Rurean. ]

iects to keep in good huinor ana 'eilltOis
less than half the size Of Texas II Presldehe
Roosevelt were paid according to NorMeglai
standards he would be drawing at least S-ooV'-
600 a year instead of the modest pittance OF
$4,000 which he is allowed by law to coliect
from the Treasury OF the United States DIN
to double the Presidents salary will proDaDlS
he introduced in the course of the present Presi-
Dental term and the generous member VINO
fathers the measure will doubtless add a S5ooOo
expense account by way of good measure Such
bills have been offered from time TO time ever
since the last time the President received q
raise which was in March. 1873, and all have
gone to the same gTaveyard-the pigeonhole OF
The special committee TO which they were re-
ferred The member who introduces the bill VIII
be interviewed from time 20 time and VIII ex-
press the highest hope that it will have place
on the calendar, but the days will become weeks
and the weeks months and still the document
labelled House BIZ No. 1.O01, an Act Providing
for the Increase of Compensation OF the Pl esi-
dent Of the United States"-or other wordC to
that effect-vyiT probably slumber in the pigeon
hole side by side with the bill for the coinage
of silver at is to 1 and other pretty dreams
that have been laid to rest with the yester-
DAYS Under the constitution no President can
approve an act increasing his salary in the
term for which he was elected, although, OF
course, he could sign bin passed by Congress
TO increase the pay and emoIuments of his sue
oessor even though it turned out that he subse-.
quently became his own successor.
EXTRA OUTLAY BY THE PRESIDENT.
Tt is currently believed in Washington that the
Presidential experience Of Theodore Roosevelt
viii cost him large sum over and above
his salary before he serves out his term, and
that IT is fortunate for him that he has fair
income from his literary work and his inheri-
tance to exc out the pay he receives from
A-gy-,-
him, in addition TO his house rent in the
ancient mansion, is the aid of few servants
and an unlimited quantity Of flowers from the
greenhouses of the Agricultural Department and
the propag eating gardens. He is not even as
well of as thousands of his subordinates who
get per diem expenses and forage. fuel and
communication of quarters allowances. Every
1norseI OF food that he gives to his guests every
drop Of wine must be paid for out of his own
pocket. and he is not allowed to turn In any
expense account for it afterward. Whenever
the President entertains an official guest, there
fore he pays for the entertainment private
citizen. Custom compels him to give a certain
number of state dinners every year TO the
members of his Cabinet, to the Supreme Court,
the President and other dignitaries. Gus
tom also DEGREES that when he gives these din
ners much costly wine must be served As the
employees of the White House are not equal to
the occasion an outside caterer is always called
in TO prepare the edibIes. and with the cooks
come the outside walters TO serve the dishes,
and often the very dishes themselves and the
siIverware. The man who does not think that
half dozen state dinners of this sort every
winter viii diminish bank account should go
TO first class caterer and ask him for few
figures upon the subject President Hayes is
said to have saved more than half his pay while
in the White House. and those who claim to
know declare that he accomplished the feat
solely by barring wines Of all varieties from his
table. President Roosevelt is probably almost
as abstemious as any President that ever lived
in the White House, but he believes in Offering
his guests whatever cheer they are accustomed
10.
MANY BETTER PAID EXECUTIVE HEADS.
Although the President and his subordinates
In the administration poorly paid, there are
many other heads Of national governments who
receive less, although none receives less in pro-
portion to the wealth and population Of his
country. Others at the helms Of principalities
or little dukedoms which could be tucked away
in a corner of New-York State, get many
times as much as the President of the United
States receives. The King of Bavaria, for in
stance. squeezes $1,412,OO0 yearly out of his
subjects. and is said to be often broke at that
The Sultan Of Turkey, whose pennless condition
IS matter Of international grief and concern. is
expected to pay his numerous bills out of
TniserIy S7.S00000 annual salary. The Car Of
Russia is the best paid monarch on earth, ac-
cording 10 the official figures given out by the
paymasters of the several courts and republics
He draws S12OO00O0 a year actual salary,
and has 100000 square miles Of cultivated land
and valuable forests which turn In another ST.
100000 10 the imperial pocketbOok every year
If the Gar does he has promised to do and
turns over TO the peasants all the domain that
they have been slaving upon since the Dark
Ages he win lose half his income. The Presi-
dent of France receives yearly salary OF Sl2U,-
0o0 with additional S1200OO for expense
France is only IS, ,343. 900, or considerably less
than half that Of the United States. Argentina,
with q population Of barely 100000 pays her
President $4,000 Were this country to pay her
Chief Executive on as generous scale he would
receive $4,000 year and were Mr.. Roosevelt
paid with the lberaIty with which Mexico re-
wards President DiaZ, whose salary is S0o,OOO,
the former would receive nearly S2O0,OOO.
The lowest paid President in the world. except
our own. is the Chief Executive of Switzerland.
whose annual compensation IS S3bOO ana YET
were the President of the United States to re-
ceive as great compensation in proportion TO
population. his salary would amount 10 S10S.0OO.
q year for every million population, basis OF
cornpensation which expressed IN that way
hardly seems extravagant-
nothing to tickle the vanity Of the President OF
%he United States he glances over the table
showing the compensation OF other CHIEF ez-
eoTfives hut Il is probable that President Roose-
welt has never realized that for executing the
laws and directing the policy of his e0OoOOoO
fellow citizens he receives precisely the same
compensation as the Lord Mayor OF London ana
the Governor General OF Canada
WHAT CABINET OFFICIALS GET.
B,,+ the United States does not confne its
economy in cornpensating public officials to the
sa;arv Of the President The same penurious-
moss IS to be found all through the federal pay
Iii For instance every Cabinet official in the