Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-22
CLERKS MUST Be ENROLLED
Congress Adopts Registration to
Keep Track Of Graft.
REGULATION OF LONG STANDING ABUSE
The Total Allowance for Clerk Hire is
to be $500 Per Annum; and this
Sum Must be Accounted for in Bona

/
to be $500 Per Annum; and this
Sum Must be Accounted for in Bona
] Eide Service.
For years efforts were made to en-
rol the clerks Of members OF the
house, writes the Washington cores
pondent of the Charlotte Observer.
The clerks and secretaries Of sena-
tors were on the rolls.
There Is no reason why the house
| members employees should not be-
except that representatives had selfish
| reasons for not putting the names and
the amount paid where it could be ex-
amined by newspaper representatives
| and constituents.
Congress has enacted law requir-
ing the enrolment Of clerks to repre-
sentatives.
It went into effect the first Of July.
The only trouble with the provision
is that it did not go far enough, and
fix the pay of the Office force Of the
congressman. The senate fixes the
y,
Each house member gets $4,000 for
clerks, and he can use it for one or
two. Many of them will carry out the
spirit of the law, and hire two, one
for $4,000 and another for $1,000, and
have real efficient office crew to do
his work and attend the requests of
his constituents. Some will reward
frinds, who remain in the state, and
carry on their private business while
poor little women will be given paltry
sums to do the Washington work.
The representative, under the old
law, could pocket all or a part Of the
amount allowed him for clerk hire
just so he declared at the end of the
month he had paid it out "for clerk
hire"
A few members used 1t to curry ia
vor with Washington women. A small
per cent, lived up to the letter Of the
law, and paid the full amount for
service.
The new law removes the tempta-
ton for a member to pocket the
money and in that way add to his own
salary. He cannot do that now, for
he must enroll clerks for the full
$4,000. Under the present arrange
ment a member can enroll his wife or
daughter or both, or his son, or any
other member or two members Of the
family and keep the entire sum he
draws for himself and clerk hire in
the family.
The truth Is somebody in the con-
gressman's district Is entitled to the
pay he receives for clerk hire, and a
most embarrassing question for any
congressman, If he had not been care
full where he expended his clerk hire
money, would be, What did you do
with It?
Many congressman are criticised
and censured privately for putting
members Of their families on their pay
rolls. Often the criticism is just for
the relatives never do any work to
earn the money; but somebody else
accepts a portion of the sum to do the
drudgery The congressman who
mans his office with his son or daugh-
ter or wife to have the work done we'll
is to be preferred to the one who hires
any sort of person to do it
A congressman needs a good office
force. He owes his constituents that
much, for his office is their office
when they come to Washington.
In days gone by l have seen per-
sons in the office Of North Carolina
congressman, who did not know
| where the capital of the state was,
who the governor of any state was,
and who never heard Of the Mecklen-
| burg declaration Of independence.
Some of the best clerks 1 have ever
seen in Washington were the sons of
the congressman they served. A clev-
er wife makes her husband O. good
clerk, and his Office bears a good rep
| utation.
II were running in North Carolina
against any man in congress, 1 would
ask a few simple questions and de-
mand answers. would ask: What
have you done with the money Uncle
Sam allowed you for clerk hire? Who
are your clerks? Where do they
live?"
That would be all. Many house
| members stand square to the wind
on big issues, and are always ready to
be counted, but fall on the trifling
things, which, after all, count for a
great deal.
The new arrangement makes the
| representatives job worth while. The
sum Of $4,000 is not to be earned ev-
cry year by everybody. The work is
not hard but e9acting.
Here is the new law: CLERK hire,
| members and delegates: For clerk
of each member, necessarily employed
by him in the discharge Of his official
and representative duties, $4,000 per
| annum, in monthly installments, ST.
| 4OS,OO0, or so much thereof as may
be necessary: Provided that no part
| thereof shall be paid to any men,
| ber."
A joint resolution adopted by the
house provides that the $4,000 may be
paid "by the clerk Of the house Of rep
resentatives to two persons to be des-
| ignated by each member, the names
Of such persons to be placed upon the
payrolls Of employees of the house"
The clerk is subject to removal "at
| any time by such member with or
| without cause"
In compliance with this legislation
the clerk of the house, Tyler Page, has
sent out the following to all members:
| You are respectfully invited to file
with the clerk on the earliest practi-
cable date the names Of the persons
you desire to designate to be your
| clerks and to state that amount OF
compensation you desire each to re-
ceive.
.Jt is raalized that for lack of time