Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-03-02
THAT Is WHAT ooNGREssMEN
ARE ALLOWED FOR TRAVEL.
ING ExpENsEs-A ROOSTER
PAFRIor WOULD WIPE OUT
THE GRArT--"sKEETERs" AT
THE NORTH POLE.
CBy Ralph NJ. whites de-,

Washington, March 2.-Aga'n Is
the matter OF mileage allowed mem
bers OF congress up for consideration
and in an probabil ty no change W II
result.
1t Is not generally known what
mileage I'm a congressional sense,
real , means. Not one in. ten men,
bers of congress knows what 1t is
until after he has taken his seat In
the capitol and begins To seek infor-
matnn in regard TO how he may
connect with his salary and the per-
quisites OF h 5 new office. Then Il
bursts upon him all at once with
the warmth aad radiance OF sun
shine coming out from behind a
g'oomy cloud.
Mileage H graft. pure and simple,
ana also legal. 1t is 20 cents a,
mile for the travel of a member OF
congress from his home to washing
ton at the beg inning OF each session
and from the capitol to his home at
the end of each session. Think of
Observation-Disclosures This NILE
age rate was established in the DAYS
when the customary methods OF tray
Ell were the stage coach and canal
boat, but even then IL was I'm ex-
cess OF the actual cost OF trave Yet
congress has found II such a comfor-
tah'e little addition TO salar es that
has never seen At 20 make Il con
form TO the real cost OF transpor-
tation.
When mileage is spoken OF pub
Dcly, the publ c generally thinks Il
means just the cost of transporta-
tion. But consider for moment
that 20 cents mile Is ten times
the actual rate--two cents a mi e.
charged in most cases; is more than
81 times the three-cent rate and
i've times the 1our-cent rate.
Suppose a congressman lives only
forty miles from Washington-say
Baltimore. For round trim he
can draw 20 cents a nile for the
forty miles each way, or SIG. The
rp paying full fare each way f. but
S1.25 or $3.50 for the round trip.
which aeaves a profit OF 1880 on
that little jaunt.
But suppose the congressman lives
m Charleston, w. Va, which is. say
375 mi es. The fare Is 81 each
way, or $22 for the round trip. Sup
pose our Charleston statecman takes
his wife and daughter with him.
The fares Of the three, coming and
go ng, would amount to $66. Al
drawing room each way, dinner and
breakfast each way, and SO in tps
each way, make the round trip for
the congressman and his family,
travelling in al the luxury possible
cost him an even hundred dollars.
His own separate mileage bill.
which is paid by the government at
the rate of 20 cents mile, amounts
to $50. The congressman's profit,
IN spite Of the added expense OF car
rying his wife and daughter with
him, Is $50
We ], Representative Cox, OF Indi-
ara has introduced a bill to wipe
out all m Iieage, and who-save the
congressional benefiiciarles OF the
absurd graft--shal gay he is wrong?
Also, who chan say he will sue
coed?
A feature about the matter that
overlooked by the public entirely
but not by those congressman who
We near Washington Is the Unequal
ity IN the working OF the graft. Il
have pointed how IL profits the Bal
tlmore congressman only $3.50 a
session. New take the case OF the
congressman who has his ares and
ponates harbored on even 1000
niles from the capital His round
TRIP, 1000 miles-and there are
some who turn IN much more mile
ag than that--costs him not m re
than $50. His mileage amounts to
$500. That leaves him $34O net.
No wonder he favors 2O-cent M Ie-
age and that the Baltimore congrs3s-
man is little iore.
Another thing not many years
ago all the congressmen-weH, al
r1Ouf all ~ gbarn frayero.a - -. -.