Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-26
Mars1a11tO1U71 Girl Receives
Much Newspaper Publicity

Mrs. Leona Wells, a former well.
known Marshalltown girl, and daugh-
ter Of John w. Wells, Of this city, has
been receiving more newspaper public
ity during the past two weeks than any
other woman in the country.
The fact that it was discovered" by
Washington correspondents that Mrs.
Wells was the highest paid woman in
the governments employ. which came
about thru Mrs. Wells appointment as
assistant clerk of the senate committee
on appropriations-the most important
committee in the senate-led to the
publicity.
The discovery" however, was not
particularly new. as Mrs. Wells has
been the best paid woman on the gov
ernment's payroll since July ]. 1909,
when the office of superintendent of
abolished
Has Done Some Big Work.
Mrs. Wells has had charge Of some
big pieces of work during her eleven
years work in tho senate. Her first
important assignment was the omni-
bus claims bill as assistant clerk of the
committee on claims. Then her trans
fer to the military affairs committee
| brought her the work of the Browns
Vile investigation, the detail and cleri-
cal work of which she handled alone.
For this work congress. by a special
act and without knowledge on her
part until after ii was done, voted her
$4,000 extra pay. Her latest appoint
lnent on the appropriations committee
places her in one OF the most import
ant positions of senate appointees.
New York Worlds Story.
The New York World tells of how
Mrs. Wells keeps tabs on the billions
spent by the nation in the following
article:
"A billion dollars is appropriated for
the general running expenses of the
government and other purposes at
every regular session of congress. and
the clerks and assistant clerks to The
committee on appropriations Of the
house and senate have the responsible
ity of preparing the various bills APP
propriating this enormous sum.
For the first time in the history of
the government woman has now been
appointed to assist in the compilation
of this important work.
Mrs. Leona M Wells, of Wyoming,
>
ate. become known as the highest paid
woman on Uncle SANS payroll. From
the assistant clerkship of the powerful
senate committee on military affairs
she has been promoted to a similar po-
sition with the more powerful senate
committee on appropriations.
1T is a political appointment which
Mrs. Wells has received, as was her
first appointment as an employee of the
senate eleven years ago. But she has
been in politics i'll Wyoming, where iile
dreams of the suffragettes have been
realities for several decades.
Mrs. Wells has been doing a mans
work, not only in voting and in filing
the office of election clerk in her vot
Ing precinct, but as an employee Of the
senate for over decade. And she has
found her sex, she says, a handicap in
only one way-she has not the privt-
lege of the senate floor during the ses-
sions Of the senate. as have the men
occupying similar positions around the
upper house of congress.
Highest Paid Woman on Uncle Sans
Payroll.
at has been enormously reported
from time to time that Miss Margaret
V. Kelly, of the treasury department,
was the highest salaried woman on
Uncle Sans payroll. Mrs. Wells has
been drawing the largest salary from
the government given TO one Of her
sex for some years, and now that she
has been appointed to an assistant
| clerkship to the powerful committee
on appropriations Of the senate she has
| cinched the distinction for some time
| 70 come, as she received a substantial
| increase when she was transferred to
| that committee from the military
committee.
The senate committee on military
affairs was much written and talked
| about while it was conducting the in
vestigation of the Brownsville affray
one of the most thorough and longest
| Investigations ever conducted in the
senate, covering a period of more than
years time. The mass of clerical