Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-01-04
ON $4,000 A YEAR
CABINET OFFICER CAN LIVE
WELL AT WASHINGTON.
Authority Denies Assertion So Free
quentIy Made That Social Life Is
Too Costly for Men Without Private
Means to Supplement Salary.

a group of administration officials
were discussing rumor that GER
tain public man had recently refused
to consider position in the cabinet
on account of the expense involved.
when one of those present was in
cuced to give his views as to the cost
OF living as a government official in
Washington. This man has been
through the mill of social official en-:
tertainlng for seven years, is a keen
observer and can speak with authori-
ty. He said:
All this talk about people refus-
ing TO accept positions in the cabinet
and declining congressional nominal
tons on the plea that it costs too
much 10 live decently in Washington
makes me tired. 1t is nonsense for
nine-tenths of the people 10 make a
claim of this sort, for nine-tenths of
the officials in Washington not only
live within their salary income. but ac-
tually save money. ] know as a posi-
tive fact that Secretary Wilson. Secre-
tary Hitchcock and Attorney General
Moody all save part of their SIS 900
annual salary. And there is no reason
Why they shouldn't, and at the same
time they all fulfill their social obi
cations. Secretary Hay spends a
good deal more than his government
pay, and so did Mr.. Root when he was
| in the cabinet. 1t is likely that Sec
rotary Taft will do the same thing
when he gets into the social swim.
There is a very general misappre-
| hension as TO the cost of official en-
ltertainlng In Washington. A good,
formal dinner may be given here as
cheaply as at any place in the coun-
try, and a good deal cheaper than in
many big cities. Any cabinet officer
who spends $1,000 year in entertain
ing does good deal more than what
| is actually required in this line. Each
member OF the cabinet is supposed to
give at least one cabinet dinner dur
ing the season, at which the president
is the guest of honor and several 9th
ers are invited. A dinner of this kind,
served in the best style, may be given
at cost OF between $3.50 and $3.50.
. public reception of the kind that
the vile OF cabinet officer is SUP
posed TO give on Now Years day will
not cost over 500. Light refreshments
Will require an outlay of $50, flowers
will take another S25, and the same
sum will provide for all the incident
al expenses. A cabinet officers wife
must have three or four more even.
ing dresses than she would ordinarily
buy in 4 season, and, of course. if she
has young daughters at home there
is some additional expense on their
account. But all told, person may
live as an official in Washington and
| discharge all his social and official oh
legations almost as cheaply as he
could as a private citizen. It is non.
sense to say that cabinet officer can.
not live decently on his $4,000 a year
There are certain perquisites that go
with the Office which help to cut down
| expenses. Carriages are furnished for
himself and family, he gets free trans
| portatioD, and a lot of other favors
that tend to cut down the annual OK.
/ pense account. Brooklyn Eagle.