The National tribune., 1906-12-13

Members and Senators, who reside near
Washington and have to bear the bur-
den of numerous attentions to visitors
from home, get less than their more
favored brethren who reside farther
away Their mileage of 20 cents mill
or 10 cents a mile going and coming
amounts to but little. 1t would hardly
buy a good dinner at the swell restau-
rants. where an expenditure of $50
throw Is regarded as moderate. On the
other hand, those who live farther
away get more in mileage. The Dele
gate from Hawaii. Prince Jonah Kuhin
kalanianaole, has splendid mileage vi
about $1,000 year-sufflcfent TO pay
his hotel bills. IL he lives modestly. But
the visitors who come here from Ha-
wall are few, and 1t is rare that he has
to entertain anyone from home.
The Pass Strinsency.
The cutting off of railroad passes has
aggravated the situation to a degree.
Now, no Senators or Members. unless
they happen to be railroad officials. cal,
ride to Washington and back again
free For some of them the railroad
bills are not very large, but for the
Middle Western Members, who. IF
course. want to bring their families to
Washington in the Winter, Il is a big
item. For the Pacific Coast and Rocky
Mountain State lawmakers It is a very
large item--se large. as q matter Of
fact. that many OF them are not bring
ing their families here at all this year.
They will do so at the next long session,
but not this Winter. when they are to
remain in Washington only three
months.
While it is unlikely that Congress
will enact a new salary grab. it Is likely
that some way will be found indirectly
ITO increase the compensation. 1t looks
now as though the clerks to Congress-
men will be paid hereafter $500 a
year, instead of $1,000 a year. This
looks philanthropic on tho face, but
two-thirds of the members pay but little
for their clerical help. Those repre-
eenting constituencies that ask but few
things from Washington-the eonstitu-
encies outside the cities and in the long
settled portions of tho country-eften
have some member OF the family as
secretary, and the pay Of 500 a month
the year round, now to be increased to
S125, represents about so much clean
velvet. The extra 5000 will about pay
for the railroad fare that was cut Off
by the railroad rate-regulation law.
As Congress has been increasing
Is little wonder that many Of its Mem
bers want their own salaries increased.
The pay of Federal Judges has been
Increased all along the line. The salary
of an Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States has been in
creased from $4,000 year to $12 800;
Circuit Court Judges are now getting
$1,000. where until three years ago
they were getting $1,000, and so on.
The pay of various officials in the insu-
lar possessions is quite twice as much as
IS paid similar officials under the ad-
ministration on the mainland. The
Philippine Commissioners, for example.
receive $4,000 a year for work that
pays no more than $4,000 here in
Washington. There has been no great
-outcry against the insular salaries, be-
cause 1t is claimed that the large pay
Is necessary to remove temptations from
these officials far away from home. It
is the policy the British Government
follows in IT'S colonial possessions.
Others Want Increased Pay.
There are thousands and thousands
of Government clerks, groaning under
the increased burdens of living, who
would like their pay augmented. Moth
ing has yet been done, nor is 1t likely
to be done. for their relief. BTi mem
bers of the Cabinet would Ike, more
Sc,VVV d Stdi. thCy
ought to have more than that. 1t has
become automatic that $1,000 year Is
hardly more than sufficient to pay the
house rent, of a Cabinet officer living
in Washington. There has also been
considerable agitation for increasing
the pay of the President from $4,000
a year to 100000 year. The Con-
gress last year did something In that
direction when ii voted the President
$4,000 year for travelling expenses.
However, the President is now paying his
railroad fare, where, until q few months
ago, he and his party always travelled
"deadhead," whether they Travelled in
q special car or by special train. Presi-
dent Roosevelt's salary cannot now be
increased and neither can the Presi
Dental salary be increased till after
March 4. 1909, because there Is q pro-
vision In the Constitution against 1t.
Mr.. Roosevelt is known to have de-
sired that the last Congress increase
his salary. Had it done so he could
have accepted the increase for what he
calls his second term. The constitu-
tional prohibition against any official
authorizing an increase Of his compen-
sation during his term OF office would
not have applied. OF course, the Presi-
dent did not like to appear directly in
the matter, and the bill by which the
raise was to have been effected was
introduced by Virginia Democrat in
the House. Speaker Cannon did not
like 1t because he was not consulted
about the increase, and therefore he
would not allow the bill to be taken up
till it was too late to do anything at the
last session OF the last Congress. But
there is undoubtedly a sentiment In
Congress friendly 10 an increased COM
pensation for the President, and in dus
season the salary will be raised from
$4,000 to s75, 600 or, perhaps, to $780,
900.
The whole question of official salaries
has been much agitated In Congress for
the last three years, ever since prices
for the necessaries of life began to
soar. Scores of bills have been intro
duced to bring about a change, but
have received scant attention in Con-
gress. because of fears they would be
misinterpreted IN the rural districts.
The most popular suggestion that has
been made on the subject is TO pay
Congressmen $500 hat, without any
perquisites. As It goes now the ave.
age pay Of Senator or Member Is
about $1,000 a year. There Is an extra
compensation of about $1,000 in tho
various perquisites.
Fight with Gompers.
The rapidity with which Mr.. Gompers
has been recognized in the House of
Representatives has been one of the
features of the session. Speaker Can
non was eager to join issue with him.
the belief that he coIlid mt Mr.