Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-11-06
CONGRESSMAN NEGLECTFUL.
Sneak Away From Congress Hall But
Draw Full Pay and Mileage.

If the law is complied with strictly,
thousands Of dollars i'll congressman S
salaries and mlleage would be saved
to the government because OF the
long continued absence OF ove three
hundred OF the members of the house
OF representatives. however, to ind
out why the law is not complied WIIn
in this respect, is very mucn IKE your
pet dog CHASING his own tail-each
Official of the government sends the
inquirer on to the next man, and
meantime the speaker Is signing the
papers which result in one full
month pay being sem to every mem
Der of the house.
There are several members of the
house who have been drawing Sl7.SU
a day 10 rsaIary and from ~ to 80
cents per mile for mlIeage-forty if
only the regular session and SU If an
extra session, as is now the case
who have until recently not been at
the~Capitol at all this session. Only
recently the members OF one Of the
principal committees found an entire
stranger sitting in their midst, and
were surprised to learn that the meek
stranger was a new member who had
been absent continuously almost from
the first day Of the session, and had
been drawing pay at the rate of $1,000
a year
Probably few people, outside OF the
congressman themselves know that
there is a law requiring congressman
to forfeit their pay when absent due
from other causes than sickness. But
there is a law on the books. The
provision which covers the subject is
found in sections 40 and Al of the Re
vised Statutes of the United States
which reads as follows:
THE secretary OF the senate and
the sergeant-at-arms OF the house, re-
sp~ectively shall deduct from the
monthly payments of each member or
delegate the amount of his salary for
which day that he Ihas been absent
from the senate and house respective
~ assigns a reason for such absence
the sickness of himself o rof some
member of his family.
Section 41.-When any member or
delegate Withdraws from his seat and
does not return before the adjourn
ment of congress he shall, j naddition
to the deducted salary 70 reach day,
forfeit a sum equal allowed by law for
his travelling expenses in returning
home; and such sum shall be deduct
ed from his compensation; unless his
withdrawal is with leave of the senate
or house of representatives respec-
tive
Something will have to be done to
keep members in their Seats" said a
leading Democratic congressman a
few days ago. Members of Congress
who are supposed to make laws
should not themselves break hem
with such ease of conscience"
If the house should adjourn now, or
before the regular session meets in
December, there are few, a mighty
CIV congressman who would not col
lect that forty cents a mile for his re-
turn home and back to Washington
again, though he probably would no
use a penny of the amount for actual
travelling expenses.
Notwithstanding the law as quoted
above the sergeant-at-aEms of the
house and the secretary of the senate
is paying the salary checks because
the clerk signs the vouchers because
it is a habit, and the general situa-
ton is that unless some one gets up
on the floor of the house-which is
Eot likely to be done-and calls atten-
ton to the law, the checks will con-
tinue to be paid.