Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-03

pal assistant Is Assistant Secretary Henry
N. Rose Rose is one of the finest readers
IN the country, and the senator's on the
floor are always glad when he acts as
reading clerk. A few years ago he had an
o1er to engage in private business. but
the Senate, in order to hold him, created
the position of assistant secretary and
placed him in it at a salary Of 5000 a
the superintendent Of the document ROOM
the keeper Of the stotiohery and the
librarian are under the general direction
OF the secretary.
y
Few officers in the government service
have had such a long connection with
1t as Financial
Been With Senate Clerk Nixon, who
1oc1 has been with the
~"A A0O'' Senate since 1867.
He has disbursed over $60.0OO.OO0. When
he began his period Of service there were
fifty-fve senator's; today there are
ninety-two. He has served longer than
any other disbursing officer of the gov
eminent. and next to Judge Mills is the
notary public of longest service in Wash
ington.
Two important employees of the Senate
are the floor messengers, Tom Keller
and Carl Loeff1er. They are in Charge Of
oil pairs whel. votes are taken, and many
time the result of n Senate vote has
hinged on their being wide awake and
having their wits about them Senators
Of opposite views arrange general pairs
with one another, SO that their absence
does not affect the vote of the senate
But on specific questions pairs are often
sw tched and rearranged on the spot, and
In the excitement of close vote much
depends on the ability Of the messengers
to arrange the pairs so that every vote
on their respective sides Of the chamber
may be made to count.
The pages OF the senate are q wide
awake SET Of youngsters. There is a
provision which permits them to be en-
ployed only until they are sixteen. But
the years they are there they acquire
such sangfroid in the presence Of grea.-
ness that nothing in alter lite is too i've
some to dtscOncert them. They usually
60 out into the world and make a. sue
cess Of themselves. The Iate Senator Cor
man started life as Senate page. r.le
records are full Of instances where these
boys have profited by The political ira n
ing of their youth. and have risen to posi-
tons of dignity in the legislative halls of
the country.
The reporters Of the proceedings and
debates OF the Senate are employed OH
differ ent
NUutlaCtS AIC &06UC UdSI5 tllan
With Official Reporters. thu o. ne e oi
Theodore F. Shuey and Edward " Muir
ply have the contract for doing this
work in the Senate. and are paid 5000 a
year. Out Of this they must employ their
own assistants. although the Senate buys
such equipment as graphophones and wax
cylinders. The work they have to do is
not quite so exacting as that of the House
stenographers, s.nce the propensity OF
everybody to talk at the same time is
held in check by that invisible but none
the less effective thing called senatorial
dignity.
There are about seventy committees in
the Senate. Each Of these has it's clerk
and its messenger. while many of them
have two or three additional employees.
When q senator is unable to get all the
help he wants placed on the regular
salary roll he will sometimes succeed
In having the person whose appointment
he resireS placed on the laborers' rod and
paid out of the contingent fund OF the
Senate.
Whenever a Senate employee dies his
estate Is paid an amount equal to a half
years salary, which Is supposed to pro-
vide for all burial expenses. In the House
the widow or other member of the family
Wv 1-AN 1850 cos0hy'
There s no class of employees in the
whole country who are better provided
for than those who compose the ma
chinery Of the Senate and House. With the
most liberal pay, extended vacations and
convenient hours. they need only the as
surance of permanently to make their
happiness complete. In the Senate many
have this. In the House only a few have
It.
1t costs the Senate nearly two million
dollars year to maintain itself. The
salaries and mileage Of senators repre-
sent an outlay OF about $4,000. The
salaries of the employees amount to $685.
600. and the extra months pay they get
adds $4,000 to tn q. The contingent fund,
out Of which the other expenses of the
body are paid. approximates &880.OuO a
year. There are some $40 employees on
the rolls for payment out of the 1855 600.
In addition to these there are q number
of employees who are paid out of the con-
tingent fund. The Senate also bears its
proportion Of the expense Of maintaining
the Capitol police force, its share being
$3S ZOO a year.
Tomorrow-MEETING OF CONGRESS.
Iv.-THE HOUSE EMPLOYEES.