The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-09-26
Are Allowed SIS per Day and Mileage,
But They Lose Money If
They Stay Away
Long.
CONGRESSMAN GET zoo
Those From the Pacific Coast Actual.
ly Make Money by Riding
to Washing
ton.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.-The boys
who ramble around the country on
governmental expense account. have
been raising numerous paens and
madrigals Of Joy over the passing"
by the comptroller OF the treasurer. OF
an expense account which included it's
full share of tips for everybody from
the hat-boy to the Pullman porter.
Just why the great American press
should lay such stress upon this par
ticular decision is more or less of
mystery to folks who watch the comp
troller's decisions from day to day.
for the comptroller. as matter OF
fact, will pass ordinary tipping items
In an expense account just so long as
they don't become too prominent
feature.
Aside from the point of whether
Uncle Sam has actually condoned and
officially recognized tipping on tho
part OF his travelling employees, which
the papers seem to think the case.
whatever leeway the comptroller al
lows doesn't really make up the loss
all government officers declare they
sustain, every time they step out OF
town on governmental business.
Take, for instance, the case OF the
average army and navy officer, who Is
ordered from Washington to New
York for few days duty at the
metropolis. The officer Is allowed
generous mileage for the trip to New
York and back again. but he doesn't
! get one thin dime for his expense
while he's there.
II the officer is running over to New
\ ork for the day and back again, hs
will make money, for the mileage
allowed Is fairly generous and II there
are no expensive hotel bills and tho
| like to pay out of It. he's in way 70
pick up little extra change. But II
he has to stay In New York for two
days or more, he loses money.
The plight of cabinet officer Is
even worse. A cabinet officer, by act
Iof congress, ia allowed IS per day.
plus his railroad mileage, for trips
out of town on governmental busi-
ness. It's a poor cabinet officer, how
ever, who goes out Of town on omciai
business without taking along MS
private secretary and cabinet omcers
and their secretaries can't run very
far on SIS day.
The secretary of war, goes down 70
Tennessee to look over waterways
lproject under the control OF his Of
Ulcers. He has to pay not only his
iown hotel expenses but the expenses
!ot his secretary, minus, however, the
railroad fares involved. Such trips
usually taken in the least possible
time for the cabinet oficer is losing
money han1 over fist and it's his earn.
est desire to get back to the sheds o,
Washington before he goes deeper In
to the financial hole.
Although congress has limited the
cabinet officers to SIS per diem, con-
gress Is much more generous with It.
self and with the president The
president gets $4,000 for travelling
expenses every year and member OF
congress is entitled to 20 cents a
mile for the journey to and from
home every time congress convenes,
lrecesses or adjourns.
In the case Of the delegate from
Hawaii, this makes up tidy little
sum, as it's long way from Wash
tington to the south seas and he's en-
titled to make the trip over every
December and back again when con-
gress quits in the summer. The ay-
erage congressman from an eastern
! or a middle west district, manages to
break even fairly we'll and there's
actual money In 1t for the Pacific
coast members.
But Representative Carlin of Vir-
ginia is the man who loses, despite
the 20 cents a mile basis. It's ap-
proximately five miles from Mr.. Car
Inns district across the Potomac to
| the halls of congress, which nets MIN
! one dollar when congress . conVenes.
another two dollars-going and COM
ing-at the December recess and an
n SyV~yNyl
that's all.