New-York tribune., 1909-02-26
P4RSfHONY.

The House of Representatives showed petit
Jogging and overparsimouiois disposition when
il refused on Wednesday 10 approve the Increases
of sa larv for the President, the Nice-PTesldent,
the Speaker Of the House. the Supreme Court
justices and other federal judges embodied by
the Senate in the legislative. executive and judi
ciaI appropriation bill. Those Increases were
thoroughly discussed when they were proposed
a month or more ago. and there was q general
recognition of their propriety. It was agreed
that the President. the presiding officers of the
two houses and the judges deserved better pay.
Living in Washington and in every other Ameri-
can city and town is becoming more expensive.
and the compensation which was adequate
generation ago is not adequate now.
The salary of the President has not been IN
creased since 1873. At that time the salaries Of
the justices Of the Supreme Court were also
raised. the compensation Of the Chief Justice
being put at S1O50O and that of the associate
justices at $4,000. few years ago Congress
voted the federal Judges of all grades an increase
in pay Of about % per cent. The salary of the
Chief Justice is now $4,000 and that of each
associate justice is S12.500. It is proposed in
the Senate's amendment to give the Chief Jus
tice S1550O and each associate justice $4,000.
That would he an advance Of 30 per cent on the
salaries in force ten years ago. But Congress
did not hesitate year before last to increase the
salaries Of Senators and Representatives 30 per
cent and members of the House who gave them
selves the benefit OF a 30 per cent raise exhibit
Inconsistency and ungraciousness in now denying
the judiciary equally generous consideration.
1t is true that the compensation of the Vice
President and the Speaker of the House in
creased two years Ago from $1,000 TO $4,000.
But the Importance and dignity of these two
offices require that they should carry emoluments
greater than those Of the head Of an executive
department. The change, now suggested repairs
a former misjudgment in rating AS for the
President the demands on his private purse have
been swollen enormously since 1873. He ought
unquestionably to have a more liberal salary.
The action of the House in pretending TO give
him S25.O 600 more is in The nature of subter-
fuge. since the legislative. executive and judicial
appropriation bill for 19O9'10 cuts off the travel
fund of $4,000 now put TO his credit. If the
House has its way the nominal increase OF
$4,000 will benefit the President only In so far
as he can keep his travelling expenses below
$4,000 a year; and Ii is act to the interest of
the country to limit his opportunities Of travel,
since there is an obvious advantage in his visit
ing all parts of the Union and keeping in per-
sonal touch with the people of each section.
No sound argument was made In the House
against the salary increases. II IS true that
there is now a deficit in the revenues, but that
deficit is only temporary The change in the
salary of the President ought not to he treated
as a current matter. affected by the present state
of the revenues. An Increase must be authorized
now or be postponed for four years. and long
before four years are past the poverty argument
will cease TO apply. To give the President
100000 after omitting the present $4,000 al
lowance for travelling expenses would involve
an increase Of only so per cent in compensation,
and the House did not find stupendous objec-
tions to n 30 per cent increase when it revised
its own salary list two years ago. II it wants
to practise parsimony, why did It not begin at