Daily Arizona silver belt. (Globe, Gila County, Ariz.) 1906-1929, 1908-02-22
SADNESS AMONG
REPRESENTATIVES
The PIE is for Republicans, the pork

The pie is for Republicans, the porl
bari yawns for few,
But the salary lists are open and tn.
mileage still comes due.
There ism Z any use trying to reform
the House of Representatives through
the money end, says the Washington
Herald. is too sensitive there. Lots
of people have tried it before, and wher
| ii comes to a showdown they were
found considerably wanting--or in
want.
But twice within the last few DAYS
members of that body; who looked with
horror upon the rush of money to the
fingers OF Uncle Sam, have gone up
against the inevitable in a vain attempt
to shut off the golden streams which
pour upon the blessed and the cursed
Republican, the Democrat, and the un.
classified.
Representative Edwards, of Georgia,
on Thursday introduced bill to require
the Seargeant-at-arms to pay all clerks
to members of Congress direct, instead
of paying them through the members
that hire them. Mr.. Edwards expressed
the mild view that some members. he
could not say whom, are managing to
make about $4,000 out of $1,000 sal.
airy, and that without sitting up nights
to do it.
Only Gets Smile
A clerk on the rolls at 81 800 gets
perhaps $40 week, or possibly pleas.
ant smile every three days, and that s
all; the member who hires him gets the
rest, besides the applause and the no.
tees in the home paper.
Representative Crumpacker yesterday
braved the wrath of the gods by at
tempting to lower the mileage rate given
members of the House from 90 cents
to 8. Mr.. Crumpacker went into his
brief fight unafaraid, but he came out
vanquished, temporarily.
Needless to say, through the skillful
exercise of one of large army of points
of order, which lie ready packed in bales
all over the Republican wing and under
the Speakers table, the daring lese
majestic of the Indiana member was
summarily squelched, or more.
An effort made yesterday to learn the
amount of mileage paid to members has
developed what may be termed mildly
a queer state of affairs. The reports
of the Clerk and Sergeant at arms shed
no light upon the matter, although
scores of pages of fine tabulated matter
were occupied with figures showing the
sums paid members on account of clerk
hire, limited by law to ST. 500 year,
and other equally interesting if unim-
portant information.
The inquirer learned that the mile
age accounts were paid by the Sergeant
alarms, and a request there for infor-
nation was met with the suggestion that
the auditor for the state and other de-
partment was the proper official TO
give out the facts.
Over the Telephone
Over the telephone the inquirer was
told that the information desired could
be had only after a long search through
the records, after il had been authorized
by the auditor that the office contained
no card index or other facilities for
speedy answer TO such question. 'You
can get the facts from the sergeant.at.
arms much, much more easily than
here.
Returning to that official, this state.
ment was repeated, and next came the
question:: He didn Z say to you to tell
us to give it, did hes" Still declining
to give the figures in any case, the Of
fetal said the office acted as discussing
agent for the auditor, and that pay.
ments were confidential between them,
unless made public at the treasury de.
partment.
''That is remarkable attitude to as
sumo toward payment of public funds
under statute" was suggested.
"Well, / have no desire to add to the
troubles of members by making these
things public
Further inquiry developed the fact
that the committe on mileage, which
makes up the table of mileage of mem
bers makes no public report. It's find
ings are sent to the sergeant at arms
and checks given to the members in ac-
cordance Herewith.
In constituting the words of the law
that mileage shall be computed accord
ing to the shortest and most travelled
route between the members home and
Washington, it was said, the committee
recognizes the right of member to be
paid according to longer or the longest
route, if, in his opinion taht be the
"most usually travelled
Will Go Through
Mr.. Crumpacker, speaking of his prop
osition to make the rate of mileage s
cents instead of 90 cents, said taht the
later figure could not be defended now,
whatever might have been the condi-
tions when it was first adopted. ~ fig
ured out hastily he said, "that at cur
rent passenger fares member could
travel frst-class to and from Washing
ton, paying his sleeping car fare and
dining car expenses for himself and wife
at cents mile; and certainly that is