The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-15
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Continusd from Fret Page.

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formanoe Of the duty involved. No other
English speaking representative body paid
its members, and he did not believe an In
crease was necessary here.
Mr., Hughes rep, W. Va)-what are
our ex penses?
stating them. In Washington they just
alb out equal my salary. but at home they
are not so great. r
Mr.. Fitzgerald Dem, n. W said he
was ready to vote for an even larger salary
for these officers. New York paid It's Mayor
and numerous officers larger salaries than
Sl2, 900, and the Offices OF Vice-President and
Speaker were certainly Of sufficient i'm
portanoe to justify the peoples repre-
seutatives in voting them salaries at least
equal to those Of q municipality.
Il am also ready" he said in conclusion,
'to vote what l believe TO be a fair, reason
able and decent salary for members OF
Congress, even IL that vote should terminate
my career in it,"
The amendment was agreed to-2iS to 81.
Mr.. Underwood endeavored to secure a
vote by yeas and nays. but only twenty-five
members supported his demand.
This was followed by al amendment
fixing the salaries Of Cabinet officers at
the same sum 1872 ,oOo) and it was agreed
to-204 to GO.
Mr.. Underwood was again unsuccessful
in his effort TO secure a yea and nay vote.
Mr.. Littauer said that the present salary
Cs,cOO) had been the pay Of Cabinet officers
for more than fifty years he added; ~,
20 as far al il did then and l am reminded.
Il goes a good deal faster. Laughter. To
add to the gayety Of the occasion, | desire
TO exhibit a picture of the President OF a
baseball league Cholding up a paper when
is printed with the statement that his salary
has just been increased from sl0,OOO to
SIS 200. Laughter
A Why don't the Cabinet or1cers
60 after that iob9
Mr.. Littauer then offered what he called,
in view Of his retirement at the end OF the
session, a final amendment-to make the
salary Of members Of Congress $500 a
year.
Upon this proposition Mr.. Underwood was
joined by Mr.. Boutell rep. I'D in oppo-
sition.
Il am opposed to this proposition to
Increase the compensation OF members
from s., 600 TO $500" said Mr.. BouteLl.
AT the same time | was very glad 10 vote
TO increase the compensation OF the Speaker
the Vice-President and members OF the
Cabinet. The duties, to say nothing or
the social demands made upon the Speaker,
the Vice President and members OF the
Cabinet, are such as to eptitle them TO an
increase of compensation. II we were 70
attempt to make the compensation OF the
members OF this House, adequate to the
income which many Of them renounce
in coming here the amount should be
much larger than $500. II those who
favor this do it as an effort 70 make the
! pay Of members at all adequate to the
earning capacity Of members it seems
10 me they are looking at this matter
from an entirely wrong point OF view d.
The compensation, such as 1t ls, should In
the main be regarded almost IN full II not
entirely as an honorarium. My view OF the
matter il this That in any attempt TO make
membership of this House desirable on
account of full compensation OF service you
thereby diminish the honor. By increasing
the pay you diminish the honor:
Mr.. Clark Dem, Fla followed in support
Of the amendment. Il desire to refer to this
| question from the standpoint Of a poor mem
her Of Congress-" he said. Il come from a
| district that 1 know will stand by me in this
increase Of salary. My people are IN favor
Of decent pay for these positions. l believe
there are not ten men on this floor who IN
private conversation will not say: The sal
ary is inadequate, the increase Is right
But some say i cannot AFFORD TO vote Tor
it, lApplause.l II the time ever comes while
l am a member OF this House that l look
UPON any proposition as being right, and
vet am afraid 20 vote for IL, | will tender
my resignation and go home. tApplause.l
And you all know that IL ia utterly impos
sible to maintain a family IN the CITY OF
| Washington, with all Of your other expenses
on the present salary. The newspapers OF
the country are demanding this increase
and they are branding us with not having
the courage to vote for it. The sentiment
Il cannot vote for IL because ] am increasing
NV own salary ia a mere subtertuge by
which you cannot deceive the American
people. They know that you want 1t and
they know that some gentlemen here will
vote against IL hoping to God 1t will pass.
Laughter.
The Presidents proposition was further
advocated by Mr.. Grosvenor OF Ohio and
opposed by Messrs. Gardner of Michigan,
Lacey Of Iowa, Groome OF North Dakota
and Webber Of Ohio.
Advocating the amendment Mr.. Sullivan
Dem, Mass }, a member Of the Committee
on Appropriations and a retiring Represen-
tatiye, said that some would vote against
the proposition because they knew that
the increased compensation would invite
the competition Of men Of greater ability
than themselves for the positions they
occupied. He conceded that some men
were going out OF Congress because they
could not AFFORD to stay, but he was OF
opinion that the services OF some members
would not be worth 81 900 a year.
Mr.. Gaines Dem, Tenn, speaking Of a
proposition offered by Mr.. Butler of Penn
sylvania that the increase should not take
effect until March 4, 1909, said that the reason
which justified an increase then justified
a present operation Of the increase. He
referred to the fact that an increase had
been made in the salary of the Speaker,
TO take effect with the Beginning Of term
of the Sixtieth Congress, and some one re-
marked: He isn't elected yet"
Isn't hep" asked Mr.. Gaines with fine
scorn. as there anybody anywhere who
doesn't know who is to be Speaker in
the next Congress? That's one Of the
merits of the proposition. Laughter. ]
know that my services are worth more,
he asserted amid loud applause. Il am
willing to go before my great constituency
and let them pass upon it in the Sixty-first
Congress. oh, you say you are voting
money into your pockets. What did George
Washington, the father Of our country.
say when he voted SIS 900 into his pockets
after he had practically said he didn't
want it in his inaugural address,? Go ano
read the record. with his thumbs in his
vest.J Am l any better than the father
OF my count ry2" Applause.
nthec course Of the debate several changes
we're suggested to the amendment Offered
by Mr.. Lttauer, and il was submitted &c
the House in the following shape:
ON and after March 4. 1909. the compensa'
ton Of Senators. Representatives in Con
gress and Delegates from Territories anc
Resident Commissioner from Porto Rice
shall be at the rate of 1880 per annum; and il
lien of mileage now authorized by law they