The Washington herald., 1907-01-11
COMMITTEE BARS INCREASE
Senate Gets Legislative Bill Minus
Houses Raise.
Effort VIII BE Made to Provide for
General Additions when Meas
ure Is Considered.

There is going 10 be a strenuous tine in
the Senate when consideration is given to
that portion Of the legislative, executive,
and judicial appropriation bill dealing
with the salaries Of members Of the
cabinet the Vice President, the Speaker
Of the House. and Senators and Repre-
sentatves.
The bin was reported yesterday. and,
greatly 10 the surprise Of many Congress
men, ii did not contain the provision,
adopted by the House. for increasing the
salaries Of the Vice President, the
Speaker, and Cabinet officers from $500
10 $1,000 a year. An effort will be made
in the Senate 10 restore this provision,
and also TO insert an item to Increase the
salaries of members of Congress from
5000 to $500
In considering the bill, the Senate Ap-
propriations Committee voted down the
salary increase provision of the House,
and also rejected an amendment by Sen
ator Gallinger, a member Of the commit
tee. that the pay of Senators and Repre-
sentatives be increased 50 per cent. In eX-
PLANTATION Of the committees action, Ii was
said that while there was an apparent
willingness on the part of the Senate TO
grant a general increase in salaries TO
public officers. the Senate did not intend
to take any steps in that direction unless
assured that the House would confirm its
stand. For that reason, mainly, the Com
mittee on Appropriations handed the mat
ter over to the Senate
Once upon a time the House tried 20 get
the Senate to pull its chestnuts out OF the
fire on a milea ge-grab proposition, but
got its fingers burnt Senators have heard
that the House, after providing for the
increase Of the salaries Of the Vice Pres
ident, the Speaker. and the Cabinet Off
GERS, and rejecting an amendment TO
increase the salaries OF Senators and Rep
resentatives. expected the Senate 10 adopt
the provision for increasing the pay of
Congressman. Then. according 60 the
gossip at the Capitol, the House would
again reject the increase and send the
bill To conference in the hope that the
salary item of the Senate would be re-
stored by the conference committee. In
this way the House could apparently be
placed in the position of being forced TO
accept the Senate's action.
But the Senate win have none OF IT, It
of the House expect to have their wages
raised they viii have to come out in the
open. meet the Senate half way. and ac-
cept equal responsibility with the Senate
for taking action that many Congress
men believe viii be unpopular with the
country.
The legislative bin as reported % the
Senate carries a total appropriation Of
$50 80 S33. which is an increase Of $226 4J5
over what was passed by the House-less.
by $3.50 692, than the estimates submitted
by the government. and S6S7,34S iu excess
of the appropriations for 1907.
One of the items Of increase recon-
meEded by the Senate Committee makes
an appropriation of S525.000 for the prepa-
ration Of monthly reports on the cotton
production. and periodical reports on the
domestic and foreign consumption of that
staple. The House appropriation for this
purpose was S4C0.000