Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-23
INCREASE IN SALARIES
SENATOR BERRY OPPOSED TO THE
PROPOSITION.

1 The senate today TOOK up the question OF
| increasing the salaries of senators and
| members to $500 and of the Vice Presi-
| dent. the Speaker of the House and cabinet
officers to $4,000. all OF which the House
| has agreed to as an amendment to the
| legislative. executive and judicial appro-
| priation bill.
Senator Berry of Arkansas took the floor
| in opposition to the increase. He announced
he had always been against such prop
osition and criticised Senator Cullom,
chairman Of the subcommittee Of the COM
mittee on appropriations having the bill
| in charge. for not permitting the amend
ment to go to conference.
Mr.. Cullom replied that he had only pur-
sued the present course because of his de-
sire to afford senators an opportunity to
vote on the subject.
Not Grossly Inadequate.
Mr.. Berry contended that 5000 was not
a grossly inadequate salary for senators
| and members of Congress. He denied that
they could not live on that amount.
There is not one-half of Them" he de-
clared. "who ever could or did make IS 900
| a year engaged in any other business"
Congress was In session not to exceed
twelve months In two years, giving senators
and members opportunity to earn additional
compensation.
Every clerk in the departments, every
rural mail carrier and every mail carrier
had to bear the increased cost of living.
They could not increase their own salaries,
but would have precedent to come to Con-
gress for an increase, and he predicted the
Senate would be confronted by such q de-
| mand from every government employe.
Senator Nelson offered an amendment
combining the increase to the vice president,
| the Speaker and cabinet officers and spoke
| in support of it. He said: I'VE as legis-
| lators are today paid higher than legislators
Of any other country"
Mr.: Nelson then gave figures showing the
| salaries paid to legislators in European
| countries. and. continuing his argument.
| legislators were here as laborers for q sal
airy. Theirs was post of honor and pay
| enough to live modestly was sufficient
world" he asserted. He then expressed
| satisfaction that some senators and men,
hers have ambition in that line and have
| mats, etc.
Mr.. 0allinger Favors Increase.
| Mr.. Gallinger supported the proposed in
creases He said he believed public opin-
! ion was In favor of the increases. I'VE have
been increasing salaries all along the line
| except our own. The heads OF various bu-
| reaus and some private secretaries get al
| most as much as we do; the interstate COM
as do many judges" Living expenses, he
| said. did not represent the total demand on
| legislators. Each member must make po-
htieai contributions This was jpst. he
| which could not be evaded. He said the
| entire expense to the government would be
| only about 81 .OOO,OO0 annually.
Mr.. Lodge in favoring the increase said
that members of the English parliament
| received no salaries; that the Irish men,
| bers who were poor, received contributions
| from the people of their districts and from
| this country, and that the labor members
| were paid by their labor unions. This, he
asserted was bad system, and he be-
| lieved Great Britain was coming to recog-
| niZe it.
Referring to his late colleague, Senator
Hoar. Mr.. Lodge said he knew the latter
| years of the senator had been years Of con-
| tinual financial pressure. He had devoted
| his entire life to the public service, giving
| up lucrative practice at the bar.
Senators Culberson and Rayner voiced
| their opposition to the raise. Senator
Dubois favored the increase.
| Mr. Mallory proposed an amendment max
| ing the increase apply after 1918.
| Senator Tillman, saying he had just
been elected to six more years of service.
| stated he would vote for the increase not
| because he would bet more money, but be-
| cause he believed 1t was right. He would
rather have voted for 1t last year, before
his reelection. If fault was found he was
| willing to resign.
| Senators Daniel, Teller and Money all
announced their purpose of voting for
| the increase. Mr.. Daniel said 1t was his
| conviction that the welfare of the coun-
try required that the increase should be
! made. --,-.. =
Amendment Limiting Increases Lost
| The Senate voted down-17 to J6-the
amendment limiting the salary increase to
| the Vice President, Speaker and members
| of the cabinet. .-.,... .-e-.~
| Vote to Confer.
By vote Of 80 to 81 the Senate at sos
o'clock today voted to confer with the
| House amendment increasing salaries of
members of Congress and others. This &C.
| ton will increase the salary of the Speaker
| Of the House. the Vice President and the
members of the cabinet to $4,000 per an
mum and of senators and representatives to
| s. 500 per annum. The vote in favor of the
increase was made by both the republican
| and democratic senator's as many demo-
Gratis and republicans advocated the in
| crease