The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-12-13
~ CHARLES y. ARTHUR

washington, Dec. 16s-lkSPes4A4.l-4G
the legislative, executive and judicial
appropriatioa bin II passed % Il vas
reported from the house committee a
appropriation, the government WIN be
put to an additional expense Of G116s-
eOO.a year for the salaries Of eleEk8 %
members. The present law provides
$1,000 a year for clerk hire for each
member. ana the new bun increases
this amount to $500 4 yeaE-
Clerks May Not Benefit.
It does not necessarily follow that
the CLERKS win get the beneht Of this
Increase. however, even Il congress au-
thorizea II Under the existing regu-
Iations a congressman must certify
that he has paid or agreed to pay the
sum Of 800 per month for clerk hire,
30 that, although the government pays
the money to him instead Of to the
clerk, the clerk must get It in the end
If the CONGRESSMAN IS truthful. The
new bill omIts this provision, SO that
II member did not care to increase
the salary of his clerk to the extent OF
the additional amount allowed him
there would be nothing more tangible
than ethical considerations to impel
him to do So He could continue to
pay his clerk at the old rate and put
the balance in his pocket.
Salaries Should Be Raised.
There is a general disposition to be-
lieve that the official incomes OF leg
islators should be raised because OF
the Increase In the cost of living, but
1t is certafn that there will be much
opposition to any such arrangement
as is provided in the appropriation bill
the house Is now considering. A ma
jority OF the members seem to think
that clerks should have an increase In
salary. but they also think the old pro
vision for certificates showing where
the money goes should be retained.
Secretaries to senator's are placed Oh
rectly on the government rolls and re-
ceIve their salaries in person from the
dIsbursing officer. Many representa-
tives keep the money In the family by
employing wives sons, daughters or
other relatives as clerks.
May Investigate stilIInoO.
Charles A. Stilllngs, who has the title
of public printer and Is in charge of
the big government printing Office up
near the capitol, may be Investigated
before the present session OF congress
comes to an end. Mr.. Stillings has
had more or less trouble ever since
President Roosevelt appointed him.
The employees of the office have COM
planned against some OF his methods,
and as a result he has been figuring
in the newspapers to a very considera-
BILE extent recently. His latest action,
which has brought out many express
sions of disapproval, was the sending
of a circular letter to members of con
gress in which he said that, while the
great press of business In his estab-
llshment made 1t necessary for him to
limit the hours during which visitors
might see him. he would be glad at all
times to have legislators call on him
and see how the printery was run.
IF" he said among other things, you
will kindly notify me little in adj
vance of The time Won would like to
visit the government printing office I
viii be glad to send one of the car
rtages for you and have it return with
you to the capitol or elsewhere. US you
may desire"
Members Don't Like 1t.
1t is this last statement which has
aroused the ire Of'many members of
both houses of congress. They say
they do not like the idea OF public
servant using carriages paid for out of
government funds and intended for Of
fcIal use purely for the apparent pur
pose of making himself ''solid" with
the mcH 40 make the laws and APP
proprinte thc money necessary to main
tain his esta bIishment.
Charges Against Senator's.
Several United States senators ure /
more or less busy denying charges |
which have been made against them.
An agent of the Interior department |
named Meyendorff asserted that senn-
tor Warren of Wyoming had wrong !
fully used his influence in such a way |
as to further the interests OF certain
railway companies In connection with
government lands, and the senator said
that Meyendorff did not tell the truth
or any part OF 1t. The whole story
was pipe dream" he said Senator
Clark of the same state was alleged to
be involved IN the same deal. He has
had nothing to say on the subject
Senator Gamble of South DakOta was
said to have placed his son on the
federal rolls as nm employee, although
The young man Mt the time was a stu
dent mt Princeton. Mr.. Gamble adj l.
mItted that his son was a government
employee once and that he was not
always in Washington during that pc
Rod, but, he added that was two years
ago. Down in Texas Senator Bailey is
confronted with charges that he has
been in the employ, as lawyer, OF
the Waters-Plerce OIL company. a
branch of the Standard. He denied
that story some time ago. Interest
Ia his case is Intense here. Senator
Fulton of Oregon has been attacked as