Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-13
UNCLE SAM AS BOSS
THE UNITED STATES A PARSI.
MoNIoUs EMPLOYEE.
Pays Its Representatives Only Small
Part of What Other
Nations Pay.

| great not only in diplomacy, in military
| and naval prestige, but In the wealth that
has accrued to us from commerce and in
| dustry. Indeed. our material progress has
far o9tstripped that of any other people.
We have accumulated riches TO such an
| extent that citizens of all classes en-
| joy more OF the comforts. even the luxu-
ries, of life than the residents of any other
| country. Needless Is it to discuss the
wages received by the humblest laborer in
| contrast to what the employers Of the old
world pay for the same work. nor to de-
| tail the salaries which men Of ability not
only receive, but are enabled to command.
! IL positions of trust. We can safely say
! that there has never been a time In the
| history of the United States when the en-
ployer realized the monetary value OF serv
ice more than at the present day. II
man brings results to the factory-owner,
| the merchant or the railroad company that
/ make his time and effort worth $4,000 or
! $4,000 or $50, ZOO year he gets it. just as
| the attorney vino wins the lawsuit or the
| surgeon who performs the operation re-
| ceives a fee in proportion to his profess
| sfonai reputation and the skill required. AS
! business or industry expands and pros
| pers, those who have most materially aided
| in it's prosperity are paid ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
| as a benefaction. but from purely business
motives.
This IS what we do as individuals and
| corporations. A a people We do otherwise.
| penseS those who serve Ii with sums that
| are but fraction of what the represen-
| tativeS of much smaller countries receive
| for similar services Even the President.
| who may be termed the peoples business
| manager. Is obliged TO be satisfied with
| smaller salary than that paid to the heads
| of some minor European countries; yet no
| man in America, probably In the world.
| fills an office of such responsibility.
| might mention score of Americans i'll
private life who draw % to 30 per cent.
| more money annually for effort that Is less
| arduous. But the same argument applies
| when we anaIyze the duties of the cabinet
officers. of the federal Judiciary. of the
| chiefs of department bureaus and of the
| consular service. While In private life we
! are the worlds most generous employers.
| as a nation we are among the most penu-
.rious in the treatment of our public ser
| wants
Diplomatic Service.
| In the admirable history OF American d.
plomacy written by Prof. John Bassett
| Moore, twice assistant secretay of state
| at Washington, there is reference to an
| opinion once expressed by Hamilton Fish,
who was Secretary of State during the ad.
| minstration of President Grant Prof.
| Moore. in speaking OF the American
| diplomatic service, says that Secretary
| Fish was firmly of the opinion that
the grade of the missions from the United
| States to the chief commercial nations Of
the world should be raised from that of
! minister plenfpotentiary and envoy extra
ordinary to that of ambassador. Secretary
| Fish, however, did not feel justified in TAX
| ing any action that would bring about this
| change, and he gave his sole reason for
| his reluctance to urge the matter that he
| was satisfied Congress would not increase
| the salary to the amount which an ambas-
| sador, the personal representative of the
| President, should receive. The grade has
| been advanced since Secretary Eishs day.
that the missions OF Great Britain, Rus
Fra al aNfp
| tra-Hungary and Brazil are now represent
| ed by ambassadors at Washington, while
| the United States and the President are
| represented by those who have been re-
| ceived as ambassadors In these various
countries. But Congress did not Increase
| the salaries, and today 1t is impera tive that
q rich man shall be named as ambassador
| to any of these nations, IL he Is to live in
| manner In keeping with the office, even
| though he spends only what is actually
| necessary. Furthermore. it is an open Sc
| cret that one of the qualifications for am
| bassadorial service-not In every instance,
| but in some-has been a generous contribu-
ton to partisan campaign funds-the honor
| of holding the post tempting wealthy men
| of ambition.
The Consular Service.
| The consular service has been greatly i'm
proved, and has aided much in the develop
| ment of American commerce. through the
| Inauguration, under Mr. Evarts when Sec
| rotary of State, of a system of consular re-
| ports. This service has been considerably
| extended recently. SO that what were once
! monthly reports are now published daily
| l do not hesitate to say that the Information
| gathered. the labor which 1t involves the ex-
| perence and good Judgment which are re-
qutred, would be rewarded, In the case or
| representatives, If they were of a CONNER
| cial house or great corporation, by sal-
| aries far In excess of those which the United
| States consuls receive 1t Is we'll enough
I taIr hIx.t z+oh1
| service upon civil service basis; but the
| first step. II seems to me- IN the direction OF
| securing competent. permanent service. Is
| the payment of salaries that will be ads
| quate for the work required. We shall then
| eliminate from the consular service the
| method which has characterized appoint
| ments heretofore, for competent business
| men. young men having high ambition and
| looking for career, will be appointed. IN
| stead of political favorites or men who have
| political influence. The wonder Is that our
| consular service has done as well as 1t has
| done. l am certain that, II there were =
| readustmert of salaries, adequate COM
| pensation, with the certainty that the voca-
! ton would be a life one, and promotion IN
| recognition of merit American consuls the
| world over would do great work in ex-
| tending American commerce. Our consuls
| and consular ageEts have 1t in their power
| greatly to develop our export trade, and,
| indeed, they have done much In that way.
| have gone into some detail In referring
| ponds much of our prestige with-other ma
| tons. need not dwell upon the vital i'm
! portance of these men. they stand for
| the dignity of the nation and are expected
! 10 maintain themselves In a manner befit-
ting its dignity. 1t Is with regret and
| humiliation that l have alluded to the In
| adequacy of their compensation: but take
| the federal Judiciary and the argument ap-
| plies with equal force. I need cite but two
| or three instances with which | am per
sonaly familiar. An eminent. inrist for
| many years regarded as the foremost
| United States circuit judge west as the Allie
ghanies and without Il suparisS xSttsa-l the
bench OF the United StAteg- "essas al last
brought face to face with decision which
he felt his responsibilities to his family
compelled him to make. That, too, can be
| said of another distinguished lawyer who
! occupied the bench as federal Judge of the
southern District of New York. Each of
| these judges reeeiyed salary far beneath
| his earning power lawyer. Both or
them probably would have chosen to remain
| upon the bench had they not discovered
that they were constantly running behind
The salary OF the circuit judge IL my
recollection is correct. was $1,000, and that
OF the district Judge was "a, 500. The former