The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-04
CoNGREsSMEN's FRANKING

Almost everything that comes from
'pe fostotflce Department these days,
or .thar has come from il for a long
tlme, IN the matter Of expenditure, has
| oeen severe reflection upon the abuse
OF the franking privilege enioyed by
members of Congress. That privilege
is unlimited. Members Of CONGRESS- NAV
seno under their franks through the
united States to any part of the coun.
try as many tons of mail matter as
they see fit The recent investigation
winch showed that Senator Lodge had
cansed In one transaction the loss of
S2s,ooO in postage by circulating
through the mails what was in fact.
private publication, which had been so
changed from the matter that the Sen.
ate had authorized as an official docu
ment, that Senator Gallinger of Yer
mont declared the change made tn have
been absolutely indefensible. if not
criminal
Repeated efforts have been made to
limit the franking privilege of mem.
oers of Congress, but, Of course, no one
can take that privilege away from
them, and no one can limit 1t but the
members themselves. A good many OF
these, however, recognize the injustice
OF the present situation, and tho abuses
that grow out Of it, A proposition was
made some time last year to allow the
members of Congress $4,000 on postage
account, and do away with the frank
ing privilege altogether. This. how
ever, was not acceptable to the
members. We think that in the end
some such change may come to
be acceptable, since public opin-
ION is getting very strong against
the abuse Of the unlimited frankjnq
privilege. We Judge that if the mem
bers were given a stated sum of money
in lieu of the franliing privilege, they
would pocket the money and send very
little stuff through the mails. This
would work a double relief. It would
cost the government far less TO give
each member $4,000 for postage than
to carry the enormous mails that have
TO be carried under the franking of
documents Of various kinds 1t would
also very materially tighten the labors,
for we do not imagine that the aver
age Congressman would send matter
through the mails, even to the amount
Of $500, If he were paid the $4,000 in
money and were limited in his free
postage facilities TO that amount. Later
on, Congress could devise system of
accounting, whereby no member would
be allowed more postage than he ac-
tually used, but to begin with lump
sum paid to the Congressman, in lieu
Of the franking privilege, would prob
ably be the most acceptable way to
start the reform.
Senator Kenyon has introduced bill
abolishing the franklng privilege, and
substituting for it series of official
stamps, with strict accounting for their
use. This undoubtedly would be un-
acceptable to the Congressman, and
their reason for opposing it might be
perfectly consistent, because they could
fairly urge that the clerical labor of
keeping the postal accounts of the diff
ferent members would impose an enor
nous expense upon the Senate and the
House We Judge, therefore, that a
mony grant Of $4,000 or $2500 (Which
would make the salary of each member
of Congress $4,000 per year,, would be
the only way to get any real reform
Of the franking privilege. Members of
Congress might be induced to vote for
that, because it would mean that much
money in their pockets; but when it
comes to the question Of the relief of
the mails Of the United States and
putting the Postoffice Department on
paying basis, that is something that
they would not for one moment con