Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-13
EXPENSES BEING GUT
Congress Apparently Disposed
to Make a Record at Pres
ent Session
Increase in Pay Of Members Likely to
Bring About Economy in Another
observation-disclosures Forces Will Not
Aid Either of Other Parties-ln-
creased Pay For Army and Navy.

Washington. March 13.--It is evil
! dent members of congress are not
! overlooking the fact that there is a
congressional election this year. Two
bills have been introduced in the
house reducing the rate of mileage
which members of congress may draw.
and third bill abolishes all mileage
At the last session the salaries of
senator's and representatives was in
creased from $1,000 tn $500 a year.
The old mileage rate of 20 cents a
/ mile was allowed to stand There
has been no congressional election
since the salary increase was passed.
That's why some statesmen are anx-
ious about next November.
1t may be only a coincidence that
all these mileage cutting bills We're
introduced by Indiana members. Rep
resentative Crumpacker proposes that
the mileage shall be cut from 20 to
5 cents: Representative Adair would
cut 1t to 2 cents. and Representative
Cox would abolish mileage altogether.
Mr. Crumpacker is a republican and
! Messrs. Adair and Cox are democrats.
Adair and Cox are in their first term
and were not, therefore, members Of
the Fifty ninth congress. which passed
the salary increase bill. Mr.. Crum-
packer is serving his sixth term.
The increase of $4,000 year in the
salaries of senators and representatives
involved an additional expenditure OF
$1.227,500 n year Approximately
100000 a year is drawn by senators
and representatives in mileage. II
Mr. Cox's bill should become law,
therefore, and all mileage cut off, the
members of congress as a whole would
still be nearly million dollars year
better OFF than they were before.
There was no serious criticism In
the country when the members of
congress voted to increase their own
salaries. and probably no member
would now be embarrassed by It were
it not for the fact that congress has
failed to increase the salaries of gov
eminent clerks. The clerks have been
conducting vigorous campaign among
their friends back home" and have
succeeded in working up considerable
belief that congress "hogged' 1t by in
creasing the salaries OF senator's ana
representatives and refusing an In
crease to the clerks.
The announcement by Mr.. Hearst
that the new National independence
party will not support Roosevelt Bry-
an or Governor Johnson, of Minnesota.
for the presidency this year, Is accept
ed in Washington as meaning that Mr..
Hearst himself will be the candidate
Of the independence party. The Amer
lean accompanied its reputation OF
Roosevelt. Bryan and Johnson with the
statement that a presidential nominal
ton would be made from the ranks of
the party. and the politicians figure
that that means Hearst. and no one
else.
No one even attempts to guess what
would be the effect of MIR. Hearst's
candidacy on the election. but every
body agrees 1t would add interest to
the campaign. AS the campaign al
ready promised to be full up and over
flowing with interest. there is little.
prospect of dullness during the next
ten months.
1t looks now as if the army and and
navy officers would get the increased
pay they have been asking at the
hands of congress, and that the enlist
ed men of the army will get the sub
stantial increase of orty per cent.
The senate already has passed the bill
increasing army pay and it will not be
seriously opposed in the house. The
Foss bill. which provides that the pay
Of navy officers shall be the same as
that Of army officers Of equal rank,
will be reported favorably by the house