The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-23
PROPOSED SALARY ADVANCES.

In proposing that the salaries of the president and vice president of the United states he raised 100 per cent. Senator Bourne, of oregon, has no new proposition in mind. The same suS- gestion has been made time and time again in the last quarter century since the last advance was made in the sal aries of these executives, but nothing definite has yet been done, It is time that some favorable congressional ac- ton was taken.
 The one argument advanced to de- feat the proposition to raise the sal , aries of the president and vice presi- dent has been that the emoluments connected with these high offices should be such as would be no induce ment for men to seek them. Tho theory Is that president must serve his country because of his inborn zeal for public service-call 1t patriotism, if you will. not for what money return there may be in 1t for him. That is well and as 1t should be. Yet the in- troduction of the salary raises which have been proposed, would not in the least make impossible the continuance of such working theory as regards the president and vice-presdent.
 Conditions have changed materially since the present salaries of our two highest executives were arranged for The country has taken giant strides forward in the concert of powers With these advances of the country has come proportlonate increase in the demands upon the pocket-book of the president. There arc certain diplo- matic and political functions for which he absolutely must provide without stint as to expense, if he is merely 10 maintain his executive dignity and that of his office To-day, far from men seeking to be president for the sake of the money they may be able to save from their salaries, men of great presidential ability are deterred from seeking this office because they have not the personal resources with which to meet it's many obligations. This condition of affairs naturally narrows the circle of available presidential tim- Der, result much to be regretted.
 There may be those to say that a salary of $lOOOO0 for the president seems large one It would not be cent too much money, He who could manage to save very much out of such a salary by the end of his term of office would, indeed, have proved him self a genius at economies It must be remembered that the presidency is the highest office in the land It Is to be supposed that it's incumbent Is the best fitted man for it, 6 specialist in gov erning people, and If he Is he is worth as much as a president of a large in- surance company or any other big cor poration. There arc many salaried men to-day who are getting more than $lOO000 year The picture of an ex- president of the United States required to write his autobiography with his dying breath in order to provide for the future of his family, as did Pres- dent Grant, or required to take any position of comparative necessity Is in- consistent; they should not here.
 The fact that, as Senator Bourne says, the president of France receives personal salary of Sll4O0O and q like amount for executive expenses does no credit to this country The fact, on the other hand, that our national wealth Is estimated at one-hundred and twenty seven billions, while that Of France Is estimated at only dfty-four billions, IS significant.