The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-19
SPEAKERS SALARY IS
 MADE LITTLE LARGER
Senator Bailey Talks Against White House and General Extravagance and Believes s5o,ooo is Enough
 for President.

for an increase of the salary of the Pres ident to s100OOO, and of the salaries of the Vice President and speaker Of the House of Representatives to $2O.OOO, each con- tained in Senate amendments to the executive, legislative and judicial appro- priation bill, were taken up in the Senate today and the point of order made against them by Senator Borah was further con sidered, resulting in the adoption of an other amendment fixing the speakers sal at1y at sl5.ooO.
 Senator Fulton spoke in favor of Sem ator Borah's point of order. He said it had been announced that owing to the unsatisfactory condition of the national treasury there would be no general rivers and harbors bill this year, and added that if such great Improvements are to be in- terfered with this was not a proper time to increase this salaries.
 Senator Depew, Elkins, Bourne and Owen favored the increases proposed in the Senate amendments, while Senator Bailey opposed them.
 MT. Bailey declared that every position in the gift of the government should be sought for the honor and not for the emolument, and that the salaries should be only sufficient to provide proper living and education of children
 Too Many Entertainments.
 We are told here that the salaries are inadequate to provide entertainment which high officials are expected to give' said MT. Bailey. T am inclined to think that it would be a fine thing to reduce sal aries if to reduce them would reduce the amount of entertaining. I have found that men who entertain most are not the men who do the public work best and if these men want to spend their time in entertain ment they should not spend the people s money"
 Speaking of lavish entertainment MT. Bailey said:
 If private citizen of New York wants to give feast to monkeys he merely wants to entertain his ancestors, and he has a right to do it. If the President is not rich enough to give a great banquet, jet him give a modest one and invite men for what they are worth instead of for what they possess"
 He said very few of the working men in Congress waste much of their time at these great entertainments.
 Inouring of Senator Warren, in charge of the appropriation bill, how the Pres ident spent the $25,0O0 allowed him for travelling expenses, MT. Warren replied that he had never made inquiry on that subject.
 "When Congress voted that s25,c00 for his travelling expenses I suppose we are to leave it to his conscience" he added. q would rather trust the President 3 conscience than his judgment" replied the Texas senator.
 Violation of Constitution.
 MT. Bailey further declared that in his Judgment the payment of that $25,000 for travelling expenses was a violation of the provision of the constitution, which forbids an increase of the Presidents sal- ary or emoluments during his term of office
 'He took what things we gave him freely" suggested MT. Warren.
 unfortunately" replied MT. Bailey, "the constitution does not require the President to take our judgment, but rather commands him to exercise his independent judgment and to veto what we do if he thinks we ought not to have done it."
 Judges Earn Enough.
 Speaking of entertainment in Wash fngton MT. Bailey characterized them as places where the men dress up like head walters and the ladies hardly dress at all" he opposed increases in sal aries of Judges and said it would be better to cut down their work than to increase their salaries. The judges. he declared, are amply paid consider ing their right of retirement and the salaries that most of them earned prior to receiving their appointments.
 There are many people in this coun- try" said MT. Bailey, with what was generally accepted as reference to his own case, "who think a senator ought not to have any business while in the Senate. So far as I am concerned do not want to have senator who has no business. do not want to see this republic run by politicians" He wanted the right to lay aside something for 8 rainy day by practicing law when Congress is not in session. He declared that if money is to be given for entertaining. the Vice President should have $6O,O0O year.
 Political Bric-a-Brac
 "The Vice President" he declared, lis . piece of political bric-a-brac. He has nothing to do but entertain.
 Vice President Fairbanks then an- nounced that he would submit the point of order to the ~enate. By vote of S4 to 32 the amendment to increase the salary of the speaker of the House was declared to be in order.
 MT. Borah then offered an amendment to the amendment making the salary e15. 900 instead of $20,000 as recom- nended by the committee, and the amendment prevailed by vote of 34 to 32.
 The amendment as amended placing the salary of the speaker at $15,000 was adopted by vote of 37 to 27.
 MT. Warren gave notice that he would coll the bill up again tomorrow, and said the committee would regard the vote on the speakers salary as in- dicating the sentiment of the Senate toward other increases.