Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-06
Pay of American Consuls
Richard Spillane in PHILADELPHIA Ledger.

In calling attention to the wretched pay of
our consuls, our commercial agents and our
diplomatic representatives, the Corn Exchange
National bank has done good work.
You cannot expect fine workmanship if you
use cheap tools picked up from the bargain
counter or at rummage sales. Neither should
you expect the best of service from Anderpad
men.
1t is marvel that we have had good men
IN our consular service. Some of them have
been of very great service. There probably are
few more valuable men in the consular work
OF any nation than George H. Scidmore, who
has been in Japan for US for many years. yet
ne has received only a pittance One United
States consul in Latin-Amercan port did
work during the war that was of inestimable
worth to this country, yet he does not get as
much as some Western Union messenger boys
who are in the Wall street district in New
York earn.
Recently when the government was looking
for especially high-class men to 60 into for
elgn fields and study particular industries
man of unusual ability who had been manager
of great wholesale dry goods establishment
and owner of large department store offered
his services. He spoke four languages. He
thought he could be of much value in broaden
ing Americas cotton and wooden trade. He
has fair income, but when he found that he
had to submit to a rigid examination and trot
down to Washington at various times and then
wait four or six months for a verdict and if
he was successful he might get job paying
$4,000, or at the extreme $500, he decided he
did not care to make the sacrifice. so he re-
sumed business, and now is the head of con-
siderable establishment
American consuls are not paid on an aver
age as much per day as plasterers or riveters
or locomotive engineers, yet they are expected
to live in style to maintain the dignity of this
great nation, be able to look after the COM
al and a,.~ ~e xL&.s -.
the foreign field to which they are assigned
and generally be credit to America
William c. Redfeld, secretary of commerce.
is practical man. He knows business from
the manufacturing end as do few persons who
have held office in Washington. He has been
remarkably efficient in his administration of
the Department of Commerce, but he is ex-
pecting too much of consuls and is not doing
justice to them when he permits them to
struggle along on pay that does not assure to
them decent living.
Mr. Redheld fgurativey might camp on
the steps of the capitol for week or month
or two finding diversion now and then by
throwing his card or brickbat at congress
and blithely announcing he would continue the
pleasing practice until he got enough money
to pay decent salaries to Uncle Sans consular
representatives in every part of the world.
The foreign trade of this country is $l0-
00O,00O,000 annually. 1t is difficult for the
human mind to grasp the immensely of this
sum. 1t is going to be bigger, much bigger
Its growth depends to degree upon the class
and character of the men who represent us in
the fields abroad
American business cannot afford to have
the old stingy system maintained. Good men
are worthy of good pay. In the consular serv-
ice this is especially true at this time when we
are entering upon our great enterprise in world
trade, for which we spending in ships alone
a colossal sum-