The Washington herald., 1907-01-24

] RES. ms IIo5 -.-.----
ence that the Senators have been OF ia
same mind all along. but that they re
/ sented the attempt Of the House to avoit
/ responsibility Tor the proposed increase
/ II VIII be remembered that the House III,
/ this by voting down the Littauer amend
J ment 10 the legislative biH which pro
vided for the raise. and then attempte,
] to get the Senate to shoulder the burden
which it refused 10 do. As soon as IN,
( House voted TO insist on a similar amend
nCnt before the conference committee
however the Senate came to the from
without hesitation. The vote was no
along party lines. AID rich men and poo
men were 10 be found on each side
Effective March 4.
The salary Increase for members vii
be "a part OF the law of the land as soor
as the President signs the legislative. ex-
ecutve. and judicial appropriation bill
but viii not be effective until the begin
ming of the Sixtieth Congress. There is
no doubt that the President will approve
the bill As a result of the higher pay
which the lawmakers have thus given
themselves. it is regarded as certain that
pressure for a general increase in salaries
Of persons In the government service viii
be stronger than ever before, and that II
must be yielded to. in some degree, if
Congress is to maintain anything like a
consistent attitude
The vote for the 20 per cent increase is
Of course, an admission that the cost OF
living has increased, and Democrats WI
not fail to take advantage OF tho oppOr-
campaign opens. The circumstance that
Democrats as well as Republicans sup
ported the increase will not be permitted
tO stand in the way. although it viii rem
der satisfactory explanations difficult
Two record votes were taken in The
Sorate, in addition to the one by which
the House amendment providing for tile
irCreas was finally cOncurr41 IN Senator
Nelson, of Minnesota, a Republican. Of
fcreG an amendment so framed as to
make the proposed raise applicable only
to the Vice President, Speaker. and MEM
bers Of the Cabinet 1t was lost by a
vote Of IS to Il. Senator Mallory. of
Florida. d Democrat, moved to amend the
bill in such a way that the inereas> would
not become effective until 1919, but this
too. was defeated overwhelmingly. the
vote being 81 to L.
BY asking for a separate vote en- The
concurrence In the House amendment.
that bit of legislation was placed beyond
the pale Of further legislative action.
Berry in Opposition.
In opening the debate on the salary in
crease proposal, Mr.. Berry, OF Arkansas.
spoke in opposition to it, He criticised
the legislative process by which the mat
ter had been brought before TIE Senate.
and particularly he action of the House
in putting the matter into the bill without
a roll call He believed it would have
been better had the proposedt increase
been considered in a separate bill and
voted on in each House on a roll call.
I deny. he continued, that Senator's
and Representatives cannot live within =
salary of SJ,000 They have done it
He referred to the allowance for clerk
hire which members were formerly com
pelied to pay, and to the statement that
or members could or did earn
'9'OJe year in private life. One-haif of
me time OF members only is taken I'D
~ the sessions of Congress. he said. ana
he rest could be given to private enter
)rise. He feared that the increases would
'esult in flood OF requests from gov
'rnment clerks and railway postal CLERKS
or more pay.
Mr. Nelson, in speaking TO his amend
nent. said that the United States p1ld
CONTINUED on FOURTH PAGE