Middletown transcript., 1907-01-05
WASHINGTON !. Ell TER

W Ah4ft 2ststy Al - ~ ik<t ~ @1ssss : ssss
# TiERE il i good deal Of iln for out
! siders over tbs situation II which
Congrts $ has left itself, owing % The 81
fisaI Of lie House to pass tie bill raising
members pay 10 $500 year. Al tie
members we're III iaxor oi the measure,
in FACT, 81 woilld he hard 10 find man
anywhere who would be ayerae to having
lis salary raised. II even may be said
that there Is a fair reason for making tie.
raise III this case. Members of Congress
are not oyerpaid ald the expenses of Nv
ing Washington having Increased 70 such
ali extent that ii IL becoming hard for
man 10 hold seat ID Congress il he has
no1 independent means with which 20
eke ont his salary. Eoweyer tile
members Of the House we're afrsid iol
vote for raise OF their ow d salary md alter.
increasing the salary Of Speaker Cannon
they voted down the bili to boost their
own wages, There was hope. II not an
absolute expectation, among the members
thai lie Senate might bell the cat ai q.
pass sncl d measure after which q e
Houpe could concur with becoming relii I
tance But the Senate il showing little
disposition 10 pull cfestnuts out Of the
fire for the House. Mest Of the ssnaiors
ii may be remarked. are wealthy men 10
whom IN increase nj salary Is . matter a
comparative indifference. So Il looks as
ii ougll d few sessions more might piss
leaving the increased Compensation Of
members still All urgent but unsols ed
problem
There is another matter of salary ii-
crease which the underpaid clerks 20
Congressman are Watching with hungry
eyes and which stands little better
show of passing As the law now stands
Congressmen are allowed $1,000 year
for clerk hire and many Of them put the T
wives Or daughters on the clerical roll !
pocket The money and do the work then !
selves. Others club together and hire 9
single clerk each paying him not nore
than SO week and pecketiug the re-
mainder Of the salary. The measure Of
relief for the clerks contemptates putting
them on tile regular salary roll Of tlie
House and Senate and paying them each
$500 year direct. 1t may be said in
justice to some Representatives and sena-
tore that they not only give their clerks
an the stipulated 5000, but good deal
besides, and some Of them by generosity
with market, real estate and other tips,
have enabled their clerks to become inde-
pendentiy wealthy. There is one ca 9
known to many correspondents in Wasil-
ington where correspondent losing lis
newspaper ioh, got cIerkship under a
wealthy eastern Senator. He made good
| and saved the Senator time, money and
trouble, in the numerous ways that an efi
neient secretary can do il for public
man. One day the cd gentleman sng-
gested that he buy q bunch Of 4. Y:Z.
stock on the theory that IT was going up.
The secretary replied that be bad no
money to venture in such speculation,
whereupon the old gentleman wrote Q. 4,
on his card. addressed it to his own
brokers, and inside Of q week advised the
clerk 10 sell out. Meantime the stock
scored an advance of $65. coo. This is By
no means common case, but il does hap
| pen sometimes. On the other hand o..
of the very wealthiest Senators, who still
occupies seat, took in newspaper ma.
as his secretary about q year ago, KEEP
| him all one winter allowed hun 70 spenc
i over $500 ia small treats Tor disa9reeabll
| constituents whom The Senator did no
| want 10 meet himself. and u tie end 3
| thar time rsfaaed even tassttls tlie vim
! biii and other practically necessar
/ peases which she clerk bad contracted ]
1 bis behalf.