Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-07

but afford protection for foreigners during
me FREQUENT riots which occur In constan-
Congress would appropriate half a million
| dollars to buy plot of ground and erect
| an appropriate building. but II Is to be
| hoped that 1t will at least act upon Min
| lister Leishmans recommendation and APP
propriate 100000 for the purpose.
Small Salaries Of Clerks
Another recommendation of very great
| importance is the Increase of the salaries
| of clerks at consulates. which ought to re-
ceive immediate attention, and Secretary
Root urges that none but Americans be
| put on guard People will be astonished to
learn that the greatest and richest gov
eminent in all history pays its faithful.
hard-working, efficient corps of clerks only
five, six and seven hundred dollars a year.
l know men of ability and integrity who
nave been working for generation In the
offices of United States consuls for 1900
year and have educated their families
on that income. These salaries were fixed
fifty and sixty and even seventy-five years
ago, when the cost of living was very much
less than 1t is now, and the amount of
work to be performed was but triflng; yet
Congress year after year has refused to
advance their pay. Secretary Root wants
to pay all clerks at least 81 900 year, and
require that every employe of every con-
sulate shall be an American, which now is
impossible because Americans cannot live
on the salaries paid. He makes strong
argument in support of his proposition to
the &c committee on foreign affairs. He says:
This condition of affairs has long been
a source of annoyance to the government
and serious detriment to the efficiency of
the consular service. The advantages of
the employment of Americans instead Of
foreigners now employed, many of whom
are not in sympathy with our laws and
their enforcement, can scarcely be overes-
| timated The American spirit and ideas
rhn tA 1ato of
| which at majority of the offices the SUBJ
ordinates must be foreigners. because it is
utterly impossible to get Americans at the
small salaries paid. If we had good Amer
leans to fill the clerical positions, these
same men would be suitable also at most
of the posts for appointment as vice con-
suls or deputy consuls, and the Offices would
thus be strengthened immensely, as a ma
Jority of the vice consuls and deputy con-
suls now foreigners. With the in
creased appropriations requested, 1t is con-
identally believed that one of the great
est weaknesses of the present service would
be removed, and that the service would
command greater respect and fulfill it's le
climate functions to much better advan-
tage than is possible now. 1t is most ear
nestly urged that the clerk-hire increases
be granted, and that it be made possible,
as requested. for the Secretary of State to
increase the compensation of clerks to 81 600
at every post where this seems absolutely
essential, thus securing Americans only for
these places
Secretary Root omts one of the strongest
arguments that could be advanced to sup
port his position. He fails to remind Con-
gress that the consular service is practically
self-supportng; that the fees collected for
the certihcation of invoices and for other
official and necessary purposes are almost
equal to the appropria lions made by Con-
gress., Some years the deficit has only
been a few thousand dollars Seldom has II
run over sixty thousand dollars. 1t is usu-
ally between forty and fifty thousand. NO
I -, ONO
toms and the internal revenue service, comes
so near being self-supporting and that fac'
certainly ought to be taken into considera
ton by Congress in revising the salary list
and in making provision for buildings.
When the present salaries were fixed The
fees were insignificant compared to what
they are now.
Some Foreigners Faithful
While I am willing to admit the force OF
his argument in favor of American clerks,
Secretary Root should not overlook the
faithful service that has been performed by
a large number of foreigners now occupy
ing clerical positions in the consulates.
Even with the beggarly salaries allowed
them they have served this rich and mighty
government faithfully and efficiently, and,
IN many cases, have proved more efficient
in detecting undervalua tons in invoices and
other frauds than any American could have
done. In the large manufacturing towns II
Is often Il UeclUGu advantage 10 nave ma
tive employees in the consulate, who can OBJ
tain information required by the consul IN
the performance of his duties much more
easily and accurately than a foreigner, and
many of them have proved exceedingly val
liable in this respect. Furthermore, men
who have been sent over as consuls IN
many cases would have been absolutely
helpless and unable to perform even the
least important of their duties without the
assistance of these $500 native clerks, who
have never received the slightest acknowl-
edgment or expression of appreciation from
our government.
the $500 clerk does everything in the way
OF official business and has done everything
for genera tons and has concealed the in
efficiency of his superior officer in an hum
BILE, loyal way. For example, Carl Gerell
filed the position of clerk at the consulate
at Stock holm, Sweden, for many years a
a salary of $500. He was man of ability,
integrity and considerable learning and a
most lovable character. He knew everybody
and everything. His fund of information
was unlimited, as the readers Of The Even
ing Star should know He was the most
valuable source of news | ever able 10
find In Sweden. Consuls came and Wen-,
good bad and Indifferent, but Gereil re-
manned and performed their official duties
for them at a salary of $500 year until
last year, when Senator Hale kindly IN
creased his pay to $3.50 He had grown TOO
old to engage In any other business and ne
felt a sort of obligation to remain where
he was for the merchants OF sweden uolliS
business with the United States all regard
ed him as a permanent fixture and nevsr
thought of asking for the CONSUL because
GerelI did everything He died the other
day. worn out in the service, leaving
widow and three children entirely destitute,
and a mutual friend, Swedish merchant,
wrote me to inquire what sort of a pension
his widow would receive from our gov
eminent.
Methods of Rascals.
There are many men like Gerall in the
service, and Secretary Root should give
them full credit for their loyalty and eff
cheney. There are others also who prove
the force of his arguments. l know several
scamps who are willing to accept the small
salaries paid the clerks in our consulates
because of the opportunities the positions
give them to accept brides and levy black
mail upon merchants doing business with
our government We have recently had
pf this kind in China.