Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-01-09
The age of Extravaganza.

has never taken the public into his
confidence in the matter of his own
financial condition. He was report
ed to have said to aome of his friends
about the time he was offered place
in the cabinet that he could not af-
ford to live in Washington. But the
state of his bank account did not in
duce him to forego the temptation.
If he remains until the lst of Feb
ruary he will have held that Office
for five years, or longer period
than most secretaries have to their
credit. He has not lived in a man.
sion but he has done something in
the way of entertainment and the
members of his family have moved
in high social circles.
This mas been heavy expense to
the Iowa man. In talking about the
proposed increase of salaries Secre-
tary Shaw is quoted as saying:
twenty-five thousand dollars year
would be nearer the proper pay for
a cabinet officer 1t has cost me
fully $4,000 year the five years
! have been member of the cabinet.
| don't know any member of the
cabinet, with one exception, who has
been able to live here and keep up
the social and official duties that are
demanded of us on the $4,000 n
year -
For four years Mr.. Shaw was gov
ernor Of Iowa and for his services he
was paid less than half what he has
been receiving in Washington as
secretary of the treasury. The state,
like the government. furnished no
house to live in. The contingent
allowance in Des Moines was smaller
than it is in the national capital. In
the cost of clothing, food, lights, and
incidentals there is not much differ
ence between the two places. The
use of a very little arithmetic shows
that Mr.. Shaw has been living Sl2.-
600 year beyond his salary or
100000 for the time he has been in
office. And he has been an econom-
ist, only one member of the presi-
dents official family more so.
What bills have the others been
rolling up? And for whose benefit?
Modestly, accordingly to Mr.. Shaw's
estimate, he ought to spend S25,O0O
a year. The inference can easily be
drawn that he would have used that
and much more il it had been pro-
vided. 1t is not difficult to live well
and dress accordingly; to have SER
wants. automobiles, country homes,
and the other luxuries that go with
wealth. But would the government
service be conducted any more eff.
ticiently if each of the nine members
of the presidents official family drew
$4,000 for his salary and S25,0O0
for entertaining his friends? Prob
ably not.
The trouble is with the tendency.
The officials at Washington easily
fall into extravagant ways. They
cultivate the company of those to
whom money is a burden; of the
representatives of foreign govern
ments who are expected to make the
most socially of their positions. The
city of Washington is noted for its
palatial private homes. 1t has be-
come one of the gay capitals Of the
world. In this respect it is not rep
resentative of the people, the very
great majority Of whom live in u
very moderate way.
If the salaries of cabinet minis
ters were increased to S25,O0O a
year is there any reasonable suppo-
sition that this would be the end of
of it? OF course there is not. 1t
would not match the tendency to
extravaganza in living. This may
be called one Of the evils if not one
of the dangers, not only of Washing
ton, but Of all other cities.-Daven-
port Democrat.