Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-17
HIGH PRICES IN 1885, BYRD TRIUMPHANT
Echoes of Long Ago Agitation Governor Uphods His Stand
for Relief on Income Tax.
INCREASE IN CLERKS PAY NAMED FOR GOOD PLACE
Secretary Opposition Speakers
of the Treasury Develops in Virginia
REPORT SENT TO THE SENATE BITTER FIGHT AGAINST SLEMP
o In EN- bling Posto mce
ployes Family Begin Wednesday.
Statement of Annual Expenditures
for the Support of an En-
ploye's Family.

Somebody somewhere. once-upon-a time
said that there was or is nothing new
under the sun
Ergo it must be SO. because most of the
folks who originated such automatic
statements have made good in the test
of time and have earned the right to the
title of wise men.
Quite recently the high cost of living
was brought prominently before the coun-
try. and the echoes o. the meat boycotts
and general protests OF the wage earners
against the constant tendency toward in
flation in the prices of foodstuffs are still
sounding through the halls of Congress
under the guise of investigations into
this or that phase of the problem.
Plant of Long Ago.
But the high cost of living was the
subject of agitation before any of the
workers of the present day and genera
ton saw the light of day. In this con-
nection an interesting document of the
Twenty fourth Congress has just come
to light in the shape of report Of Levi
Woodbury., then Secretary of the Treas
and the letter of transmittal. addressed
to Martin Van Buren,, then President of
the Senate, read, in part as follows:
Treasury Department,
May 3, 1896.
Sir: In obedience to the resolution of
the Senate directing the several heads
of the executive departments to report
to the Senate their several and respective
opinions upon the justice and propriety
OF increasing the compensation OF All
or any of the clerks i'm their respective
departments. and, If they deem such aug
menta ton proper or necessary in any
case, that they state their opinion OF the
reasonab BILE amount of such augmenta-
ton, | have the honor to report that
copies of the resolution were referred to
the heads OF the several offices of this
department, with a rquest that they
would report to me their views on the
subject as respects the clerks of their
respective offices. Reports from all have
beer. received and are herewith trans
mitted to the Senate.
Increase in Pay Suggested.
that the salaries of those clerks who
now receive less than fourteen hundred
dollars per annum ought to be aug
mented so that the. employees now
receiving eleven hundred and fifty
dollars should hereafter receive four
teei, hundred dollars: those now receiv-
ing one thousand. twelve hundred dol
lars. and those now receiving eight
hundred, one thousand dollars.
Respectfully. LEVI WOODBURY.,
secretary of the Treasury
In connection with this there were
letters to Secretary Woodbury. from
several of his bureau chiefs, from
which the following extracts are given:
Treasury Department.
"Aprils28. 1886.
Sir: Under a full conviction that
the increase in@the price, of ~an-the
necessaries of life has been such as to
render the present salaries OF the clerks
in this office inadequate to their decent
or comfortable support. ] beg leave
respectfully to report in obedience to
your reference of said resolution, that,
In justice, an augmentation commensu-
rate with the enhanced price of the
necessaries of life alluded to should be-
made in those salaries.
"JNO. LAUB. Acting Comptroller"
Diary of Expenses in Evidence.
Treasury Department.
Second Comptrollers Office,
April %, 1885.
Sir am favored with your commune
cation in relation to the resolution of the
honorable Daniel Webster; and. with a
honorable Senate may safely rely on, l
requested Mr.. Seaver, a gentleman In my
Office, who keeps a regular diary of his
expenses, and who is proverpial for econ
omy and correctnesss. to furnish me with
an account of the actual expense he has
incurred for the support of his family
for the last three or four years. These
statements I have now the honor to in
close you, as affording the best informa-
ton i can give.
And. then follows long record of the
expenditures of John Seaver, which shows
that he paid ~ cents a pound for butter.
So for two years hire of slave. SIS. 40
for two hogs and two legs of mutton, -
cents for hair cut, 81 cents for busnel
of oysters, 81 for fifty pounds of coffee.
S1i for 100 pounds of sugar, 81 for two
gallons of lamp oil, $3325 for ia cords OF
wood. including hauling and piling: 81
for two barrels of -four 81 for one yard of
list of other articles at about the same
relative prices.
Annual Expenditures.
Seaver's expenses for the year 1885 ag-
gregated 81. Al .96: for 1884. sl,12O72. and
for 1888. $l.3236l.
There are other letters from other heads
of bureaus, and without exception all OF
them advocate increases in salaries to
meet the then increasing cost OF the nee
essaries of life.
For example. Solicitor of the Treasury
V. Maxey wrote. in part: From the in
formation which has occasionally come
in my way, ! am satisfied that such Is the
increased expense of living in this city
that, without being liable to the imputa-
ton of extravaganza, many of the clerks
with families are suffering much pecu-
mary Distress
NAVY VERnIrTS C0NSInEREn