Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-01-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent.

Senate now has under advisement
a bill introduced by Senator Gal
linger last March providing that
after the Fourth of March next the
salary of the President of the
United States shall be increased
from $50, 900 to 5000 of the Vice
President and of the Cabinet Ot1i-
GERS from $4,000 to S15, 900, of the
Speaker of the House from $4,000
to $4,000 and of Senators and
Representative from 5000 to SS,-
600. Still more recently a bill was
introduced in the House providing
for a salary of 100000 for the
President, and also providing that
President after his retirement from
office should receive $25, 900 dur
ing his life. These bills are in no
way like the famous salary grab of
the seventies when Congress voted
itself not only increased salaries
but back pay, for the Senate rec
OmmendatiOn states that the bill is
not intended to take effect during
tue life of the present Congress.
1t is interesting to observe with
what unanimity the desire for an
increase of the salary of the Presi-
dent is felt. Almost without eX-
ception the Senators and Repre-
sentatives declare themselves to be
in favor not alone of an increase
but of a permanent income for a
retired president. There is con-
census of opinion that the work of
the President has vastly increased
since the law was passed giving him
a salary of fifty thousand dollars a
year, and that compared with the
compensation paid by other coun-
tries by to their rulers the
sum of $4,000 yearly would
not be large. Concerning
the amount to be paid after the re-
tirement of a President many Con-
gressman are emphatic in saying
that it is the business of the
country to see that her eX-presi-
dents are provided for in way
that becomes Of the Office and the
Nation. The Democrats in Con-
gress who have been interviewed on
the subject are of coure less enthus-
iastic for they have but one eX-
president and Grover Cleveland is
already a wealthy man, and reflect
ing that Roosevelt is still young
man and after his term has expired
would draw salary for perhaps
fifty years, their Indifference may
be understood.
Senators and Representatives
have been overwhelmed of late by
letters, kilograms, long distance
phoue messages and messengers
direct demanding information re.
garding the probable action of Con
gress on the railroad freight rate
question. The business centres oi
New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio, and even cities in the fan
west are thoroughly alarmed by the
activity of the administration
congressman who are supposed tC
be at work on a bill which will
cripple the railways.
The agitation of the bill during
the last week and the talk of al
extra session has produced an ap
prehensive in industrial and hnan
cial circles, affecting stocks, thu
writer's claim The answers sen
by Congressman have so far beer
re-assuring and for the most par
contain positive information tha
Congress is not stampeding to leg
islate on the subject. "The pani
stricken applicants for information
should remember" said one Con
grssman who had been rather over
whelmed by correspondence on th
subject, "that there is big differ
ence between recommendation ant
enactment"
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