Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-24
ACTUAL SALARIES.

1t is generally admitted That the pres
fdent of the United states. the members
of the national legislature and other
government officials are undergrad, as
modern conditions are IL Is long
time since the salaries we're fixed and
the sums considered sufficient then to
meet the demands upon the incumbents
OF official positions, are certainly inade-
quate nov. The country has grown to
a magnitude little dreamed of In the
beginning Of its history, and 1t is but
right that thcse facts be considered In
connection with the question OF in
creased salaries. But two popular mis-
Understandings should he removed. one
Is that the total income OF the chief
executive is only $4,000; the other is
that the lawmakers of foreign coun-
tries arc so much better paid than those
OF the United States,
Those who have looked the matter up
tell us that the president and the White
House cost the country considerably
over $4,000 year. The president has.
VIC are told IN addition TO the $4,000,
ss6.o6i to pay for tho services OF SUBJ
ordinates and clerks. His private Sec
rotary has $3.50; his assistant secre-
taiy, $3.50; his sfrenographer, $500.
two doorkeepers, $1,000 each fivo mes
sengers, $1,000 each; a steward, $500:
four clerks at salaries ranging from
$500 TO $500; a telegraph operator
and two ushers have $1,000 and 81 400
respectively; there are several other
positions for which the country pays
salary. In addition, the president has
$4,000 for Incidental expenses, such as
stationery, carpets. etc. A sum OF
about $4,000 is appropriated for repairs,
furniture. fuel, etc These are all re-
spectacle sums for a country with
democratic ideas OF living. but when It
Is stated that even the King of Eng
: land finds it difficult to make both ends
meet. though his civil list amounts to
millions Of dollars. one must neeessari-
~ ask, how the chief executive of this
country can manage to keep out OF
debt.
AS for the salaries OF our national
legislators. as compared with those OF
the law-makers OF other nations, the
Americans are pretty well off.
French senators and deputies get
about sl,740 annually. The members OF
the Austrian lower house receive about
81 day. while tho Hungarian table
OF deputies aiIots 81 salary of $1,000 a
year and $325 for house rent to every
member. In Belgium members of the
chamber OF deputies are entitled to $3.50
annually and to free travel over the
railways; in Holland, to $500 and trav-
cling expenses. Switzerland is econom-
ical. the members of the Swiss National
Council obtain only sass a day. to-
gether with the cost of travelling. Prus-
STA gives the members of her chamber
OF deputies only $3.50 per day. In Sax
any the members of both the upper aud
lower house of the legislature receive
only $2s5 day with mileage. Dem
mark cuts underneath these figures.
paying Its legislators only s. a day dur
ing their presence in the legislature.
Japan pays both her peers and her rep
l'esentatives 1000 yen annually in adj
ditlon TO mileage.
Compared with these statistics. the
treatment of members or the Congress-
of the United States is munlhcent.
Every member gets, In addition TO his
annual salary, twenty cents mile for
travelling expenses, and also n number
of perquisltes. of which the allowance
for stationery alone has been valued
at from $500 TO $3.50, which is about tho
amount awarded by way OF salary TO the
members of the Greek chamber OF dep
uties and to the members of the second
branch of the Swedish diet
But for all that the time has como
for a reasonable raise in the salary OF
The mon In the service OF the people.