Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-04-14
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
BY CLYDE H. TAvENNER.
Washington, D C, April 10. 1911.


Washington. D c., April 10. 1911
That the doorkeeper of the House OF
representatives has his thirteen-year-
daughter on the payroll as clerk to the
doorkeeper" at salary of $1,000 year,
with an extra months pay. was one of the
unique discoveries made by Congressman
A. Mitchell Palmer, of the Ways and Means
Committee, while investigating useless po-
| sitions on the House payroll. Palmer
retrenchment program was unanimously
adopted by the Democratic membership,
rejecting the greatest credit upon the young
Pennsylvania member, who has come to
be recognized as one of the strong leaders
OF the House. The position of clerk to
the doorkeeper" will be abolished.
Although the clerks document room
and all the offices therein was abolished
by statute in 1895, the salaries aggregat-
ing IS, $50 went right on. The Republican
machine needed the patronage, and why
be discouraged by little thing like a
statute
Six useless but expensive House COM
mittees will be abolished, saving $4,000
year.
A saving of $4,000 year will be effected
thASuSh WIN bAtC oChNlCCo vi
two attendants to the old library space.
These positions were created when the
library was in the Capitol. The library
was removed many years ago. Since then
the two attendants have had nothing to
attend to but blank space. 1t was an easy
job.
Two night watchmen charged to the
folding room will be dropped. Seventy-four
policemen are on duty at the Capitol, and
unless the two stalwart Republican night
watchmen watched the police, 1t Is difficult
to understand how they put In their time.
Here is another illustration of wasteful-
ness in running the government Before
the telephone was invented telegraph
wire was constructed between the Capitol
and War Department for quick commune
cation. Since the telephone has come into
existence it has been used exclusively.
But the jobs of the two telegraphers re-
manned. At last they are to be abol-
ished, saving $1,000 annually.
During the Spanish wal" says MIR.
Palmer. somebody friend told somebody s
cousin that somebody's aunt had heard
someone say a plot was on foot to dyna-
mite the Capitol Thirty eight extra police
men were added. They have remained
ever since"
The Palmer committee believes the dan
ger is now over, and will have thirty-fo
private policemen and one lieutenant given
permanent leave of absence, thereby
saving $50 900 annually.
Retrenchment in the House alone sums
up as follows:
Saving under Speaker. $3.50; saving
under Clerk, $39,970; saving under Ser
geant-at- Arms, $47,050; saving under
doorkeeper, $31,340; saving through abol-
ishing extra months pay, $4,000: saw
ing through abolishing six useless COM
mittees, $12 1000.
Economy in public expense, that labor
may be lightly burdened," has but just
begun in Washington. One department
after another will be taken up by the
Democrats. and wherever they have the
power, they will abolish useless Offices anC
substitute a business administration fol-
wastefulness and extravaganza.
AN UNREPoRTED SPEECH.
Speaker Champ Clark made an impor
tant speech recently that has not as ye
been printed in any newspaper. 1t wa!
in caucus, at which no newspaper meT
were present 1t was private heart-to
heart talk between Clark and his Demo
cratic party fellows. Here is what Mr.
Clark said. not for the public, but for the
ears Of the Democratic members Of Con
gress
II congratulate Mr.. Palmer and his as
sociates upon their retrenchment program
| congratulate with all my heart anC
strength.
There is only one way to economize
and that is for each man Of us to begir
by economizing at home. To start the bal
rolling propose to do little ecOnomiZini
on my own hook. am going to cut dOwr
my Office staff Then shall 90 further
| am going to save the people $4,000 b!
doing away with the Speakers automobile
If cannot legally get rid Of it, will ruI
il into the Potomac. The Republicans viii
say 1t is cheeseparing and peanut politics
but the people have some sense and the!
will know II we begin by giving up our owl
little crafts that we will then be moral!
fortified to 90 after the bigger ones. Ant
don't care what the Republicans say,
will cooperate with any man In this HOus
who can find place for sensible economy
don't care whether II Is little econom!
or a big economy that is proposed, will
work with any member to bring 1t about !
it is sensible one"
a REPUBLICAN VIEW
"The legislative program outlined b.
Speaker Clark will meet public approval
Il Is progressive and only radical to thos
who hold that legislation in the interest o
the General public is radical and should b
opposed. - Philadelphia North American
Republican.
DEMOCRATS KEEP PROMISES.
The Maine Legislature. Democratic Il
both branches. has just adjourned after
session lasting thirteen weeks during whicl
every pledge that had been made by tn
Democrats in last falls campaign was sub
stantially kept.
CRISIS For REPUBLICAN, PRoGREsslvEs.
The extra session of Congress offers tn
progressive Republicans of the Senate al
opportunity to make the mistake Of thei
political lives. II they oppose Canadian
reciprocity, it will surely revise their pOpu
larity downward. This Is particularly tru
as nationwide proposition. The pro
, gressives cannot now oppose reciprocity OF
the ground that II does not revise the tarii
downward on things the farmer must buy
because bills will accompany the reciproc
ity measure which will revise the tart
down on manufactured articles