St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-01-01
FULL PAY FOR KNOX
CONGRESS is EXPECTED TO
RAISE HIS SALARY.
Gets Only $1,000 Year While Other
Members of Taft Cabinet Re-
ceive $4,000 for Their
Work.

Before the final adjournment of the
s1xty-irst congress it is probable that
the salary of Secretary of State Knox
will be restored to the amount paid
the other members of the cabinet,
$4,000.
At present Mr.. Knox is serving the
government at a cut-rate figure OF
$4,000 year because of technical
constitutional prohibition that would
have kept him out of the cabinet had
the salary of the Office remained at
the sum it was when Mr.. Knox was
invited by President Taft to become
| premier. The constitution prohibits
any member of the senate or house
| from accepting an Office in the execu-
tive department of the government
the emoluments of which have beeI
increased during the term for which
he was elected. While Mr.. Knox was
a senator the salaries Of members OF
the cabinet were raised from $4,000 to
$4,000 year.
In order to get around this techni-
cal obstacle the salary of the secre-
tary of state was reduced to $4,000,
and there then remained no reason
why Mr.. Knox should not take the Of
| fee. The intent of the trainers OF the
constitution was plain, and 1t was
! equally plain that it had not been VIC
| lated in this instance. This provision
was embodied in the basic law to pre-
vent congressman from voting to Gre
ate jobs with big salaries and then
| taking the jobs themselves. Not even
| the rankest partisan suggested that
the prohibition applied to Mr.. Knox's
case, except technically, and the best
| lawyers of the house and senate
agreed that even this technical OBJ
stacle was removed by the reduction
of the salary to $4,000.
Leaving, as he did, the most lucra-
tive law practice in Pittsburg to enter
the public service, where the emolu-,
ments of Office do not begin to pay
household expenses, it could scarcely
be charged that salary was matter
of concern to Mr.. Knox. But 1t is not
likely that President Taft will con-
sent to Mr.. Knox serving the govern
ment in the highest capacity next to
the chief executive and being third
in line of succession to the presidency
at salary less by one-third than any
other member of the cabinet and lower
than is paid to some of the subor-
dinates in the department of state.
On March 4, 1911, the term for
which Mr.. Knox was elected as sena-
tor from Pennsylvania will expire, and
after that date the constitutional pro-
vision relating to the salary of his Of
fee will not apply. So that after that
there will be no reason why the full
salary of secretary of state should not
be paid him. The present congress
will also expire on that date, which
makes it probable that when the ap-
preparation bills are being made up in
the winter of 1910 the pay Of secre-
tary of state will be advanced to $12,
600, to take effect on or after March
5, 1911.
1t is expected that this congress,
either at the approaching session or
at the one following, will provide for
the office ofunder secretary Of state,
which Mr. Knox suggested during the
final session Of the last congress, but
which proposition was defeated.
Events since the Inauguration of the
new administration have demonstrated
the necessity of an official such as
Mr.. Knox asked congress to provide,
and have shown that the staff of the
state department as it was then or
ganized was entirely inadequate to
properly manage the governments
foreign business. That this congress
is inclined to be more reasonable was
shown by the lump appropriation of
s1OO, 900 voted to the state department
during the extra session to be expend-
ed by Secretary Knox at his discre-
ton for purposes of advancing our
trade with foreign countries. Under
this appropriation Mt. Knox got his |
under secretary in the person. of
Henry M. Hoyt, who, though bearing
the title OF counselor and not being
given all the duties that would devolve |
upon the under secretary, yet is a !
great help to his chief, and whose ad- |
vice Mr.. Knox was particularly anx-
ious to have.
There were no arguments advanced |
against the proposition to create the
Office of under secretary of state I'M
less the remark of Champ Clark, the |
Democratic house leader, that at |
sounds so English, We knaw," is con-
sidered an argument In view of our |
active participation in world politics, |
our share in the development of China |
and our trade relations with South |
America, to say nothing OF the in
creased work devolving upon the state |
department following the enactment |
of the new tariff law, it is highly prob |
able that the recommendations of Sec
rotary Knox along these lines will be |
given due consideration at the next |
session of congress.
Washinston's Oldest Woman.
Washington has an oldest woman,
Cha jc Aunt Pafcv Smith 1,,b, --ox&!