The sun., 1906-12-28
coNGRESsMEN,s PAY.
One CITIZEN VINO Thinks mat Their Present
SALARIES Are Big Enough.

o To rHy EDITOR or TIE SUN-Sir' In TIE
SuN Of December "a you reproduce the speech
In Congress OF Representative Fitzgerald in
favor OF higher salaries for Senators and
Representatives and commend the stand taken
by the Con gresham.
He cites the salaries paid the Mayor and
other officials OF New York. These salaries are
much higher than are paid In other cities. Tee
cost OF living also in higher in New York than
In any other city because IL Is a commercial.
1nanc iAl and social centre for men and women
OF wealth from all over the United states. who.
during longer or shorter visits TO the metropo-
lis. spend money much more lsvshly than
they do at their homes. What one pays 10
New York or what anything costs in that city
Is not standard for any other city. certainly
not for Washin gton. For expenditures New
York is In a class by itself.
The Mayor Of any city Of i00. 900 population
and upward probably Is as able man as the
average Congressman. To compare the pay
OF these two classes OF officials fairly. the av-
erass salary of all tie Mayors of cities OF
100. 900 and upward should be ascertAined.
But this would not be quite fair comparison.
as city oficials are on duty every working
day, while Congressman are not. Con-
rress IN In session about three months 'one
year and seven months the next. For
these ten months Con gressmen receive 81. .ON0
q year for two years. or $1,000 a month. In
q mile and many perQuisites which save them
money. or course the duties OF Congress
men do not end with the actual sessions
they have work to do between-but much OF
that work is in the nature Of electioneering
for . denomination, travelling over the dis
tricts. attending to private claims and gen.
orally keeping In touch with constituents,
Tho people Of the United States. in the
Judgment OF the writer. do not expect to pay
the living expenses Of Congressmen and their
families In Washin zton during the winter
seasons. II 10 assumed that the men have
some private business OF profession which
provides incomes for them. because men OF
their standing In the community must have
had some means Of support before they be-
came Congressmen and would not sacrifice
an established business or profession for an
ONCE to which they must be chosen every two
years The pay Of Congressmen In ample
for their Individual expenses. III they wish
to remove their families from their perma-
nent residences 10 TEN porary quarters In WASH
ington for three months one year and seven
months the next that is their personal affair
to be managed by each Con gresham in ac-
cordanos with his individual means and
preferences.
The services rendered by Congressman cam
not be accurately reauited by salaries. Some
Of them have brought forward measures
and others will bring forward measures that.
enacted into laws, are a benefit to their fellow
citizens. Such men are not working for
their salaries alone. Prestige and reputation,
II not honor and glory. are their reward. The
members OF Congress who are not profess
sional men generally are independent Of SAL
aries for support. The reputation OF being
or having been a Congressman In worth TO q
professional man much more than the money
value OF the salary.
The e-President Of the United States and
the Speaker Of the House OF Representatives
are expected to maintain establishments in
Washington and TO entertain. They, espec tally
the former. should receive two or three times
their present allowances. p.
WASHINGTON, December 81