Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-26
INJUSTICE TO CLERKS
CHARGED TO FARMERS
Congress Represented as Fearful of
Displeasure if Pensions
Are Voted.
Writer Contends That Men Who Till
the Soil Are Not So Mar
row-Minded
To the Editor of The Star:


Another Flag day has been celebrated
with song. sentiment ard general glori-
fcation. but when the Vice President
called attention to what America stands
for now he omitted to state that 1t is
the one country in the world calling it
self civilized which discards its depart
mental clerks In the eighties, Another
man has suspended his clerical work for
this government at the age of eighty
six. almost while rural members of the
House were quoting that ancient for
nuia nothing can be done this session. :
And why, pray? Because the farmers
would object and rural members might
fail of reelection.
1t appears that there is a fourth estate
in this country, TO which Congress has
never deferred. when increasing its own
wage-but of which it stands greatly in
awe when the clerks are mentioned and
whom II should have feared before add
Ing forty-two members to the already
over-grown House. at the cost of 81 ,00u-
600 annually, when economy was the
password of the party. Now the farmer
is a broad-mineed, liberal man, as frank
and free his own fair fields, and it
surely is unjust and ungenerous to pile
the disgrace of the nation on his square
shoulders. The blame rests with Con-
gress entirely. If a man would rather
be right than he senator and would
explain as earnestly and ardently as he
would advocate his own interests to his
constituents there would be difficulty.
Individually man is not so inhuman.
II is the mass of men and a distant
view that make them so brutal. When
the farmer takes broad survey of the
situation he may fully realize that he has
allowed Congress great latitude, even
permitted /
condition to the extent of the great
change from IS a day during THE session
and locked for absence-to practically
5000 a year. nearly SO day. a frac-
ton over 81 an hour for each and every
day and hour of the year: an allowance
of S125 for stationery each session
which may he drawn in money by any
member whose correSpor dence is not too
large to be supplied from the committee
room: 40 cents a mile mileage, and other
pleasure.
perquisites which can only be discovered
by intimate acquaintance with contingent
expense accounts. There is no whisper
OF docking any longer and leaves of
absence can be obtained for business or
Moreover millions of the peoples money
have been expended for marble palaces
that luxuriously appointed offices may be
offered those whom the country engages
to serve it. All this has been accom-
plished in but little more than century
Yet the farmers have made no moan 1t
Is only when the clerks are under con-
sideration that that powerful class rules
Congress. Yet, if they fully understood
the situation, they would realize that
along with the rapid advancement of all
government officials. from the President
down, the clerks have suffered continuous
depression. an hour and a half has been
added to their daily time substitutes are
no longer permitted in case of illness. and
all former privileges are withdrawn. they
may not have an additional half-holiday
on Saturday, although it is the legal right
of all in the District of Columbia, and the
average of clerical salaries has been re-
duced from $1,000 a year to $1,000.
A comparative study of the two classes
clerks and congressman. would enliShten
the farmers as well as rural members.
Further enlightenment might be obtained
by comparing this country with Europe.
Perhaps it is not as well known as 1t
should be that the United States pays
enormously more for its legislative serv-
ice than any other nation; that $40 a day
is the highest pay for any European leeis-
lator. while some have to exist 81
day. which is the lowest. The noble par
lament of Great Britain stands alone Is
the one legislative body which served
without compensation of any kind. except
honor. until quite recent years, and now
only about 5000 a year is considered
adequate since ii is not intended to pay
salary for the service, but simply to
0efray the necessary expenses, as was
the original design in this country. And
all these governments retire and pension
their clerks.
Now. considering all these things, the
enemies of the clerk in this country
should put themselves in his place long
enough to imagine how it feels TO drop
from an honored position component
part of this great government to be
classed with day laborers. branded with
the crime of approximation. called gov
lv,6 10 tn n Ia H.
out any consideration whatever, while
Congress appropriates thousands for auto
mobiles for high officials, and raises five
thousand dollar salaries to $500, plus
clerk hire and stationery allowances.
K. NJ. CARRINGTON.