Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-12-14
PRESIDENT FACES
EXPENSE PROBLEM.
His High Cost of Living Re-
solves Into "Cost of
High Living"

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14-"The rent
Will be twenty dollars. we must allow
a, dollar and a half a day for the
table, coal costs in the neighborhood
of six dollars and half ton; light
ing will be three or four dollars. aud
the telephone will be four dollars.
The wife needs a new suit and she
really ought to have it, poor girl:
then the boy must have shoes and
little Mary needs many things. | my
self ought to have an oyercoat and a
hat, and it will take about three pairs
of rubbers to get us through this wet
weather Street-car fare figures up
mighty fast, too, and we haven't
been to show for goodness knows
how long. The wife simply must take
that trip next week to see her folks,
and my salary is less than one hum
dred dollars a month";
Thus meditates the average clerk or
our cities upon the vicissitudes IF life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
But if he is dlllgent in business he
may yet stand before kings, he may
even be President of the United
States.
Now the connection between the
economic mediations of hundreds
dollar-a-m month clerk and the Presi-
dency of the United States Is that
the secretary of the treasury has
just submitted to Congress figures
which include an estimate for the
salary of the President of the United
States and for the maintenance and
upkeep Of the White House, his Off
cial residence in Washington. BY
carefully examining the estimates
and by thoughtfully reading the med
itations on household expenditures of
the hero of this romance, the reader
will, think. gather some idea OF
what the relation is between the two
ideas.
For the salary of the President
of the United States" the secre-
tary of the treasury estimates,
$4,000; for mileage allowed for
the President of the United
States the secretary continues,
"s25,o 900. For ordinary care, re-
pair and refurnishing of the Ex-
ecutive Mansion and for purchase.
maintenance and driving of horses
and vehicles, to be expended by con-
tract or otherwise, as the President
shall determine, $4,000; for extraor-
binary repairs TO the Executive Man
sion, for recovering walls, reup-
holstering and recovering furniture,
painting. decorating, purchase of
idraperies. china, etc, $4,000; for fuel
for the Executive Mansion and green
houses, $1,000. For other repairs and
maintenance, s19,5o0." Making a
total, you observe, Mr.. Hundred
dollar-a-month Clerk, of the rather
neat sum of $4,000.
These are the expenses which the
secretary OF the treasury, meditating
in much the same way as does the
clerk who is figuring on shoes and
overcoats, estimates Will of necessity
be incurred by the President of the
United States. Furthermore, expert
ence has proven that he is about right
and that the President spends just
about this much money every year.
And some of our Presidents have de-
clared that this sum is all insufficient
to meet their demands. Also certain
benevolent old gentlemen are rather
inclined to think that the government
should, after the expiration of the
terms of Office of it's Presidents, PEN
sion them in round sums for the re-
mainder of their lives.