Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1920-06-24
PRESIDENCY OFFERS
MANY CONVERSATIONS

The attractive position OF the
presidency OF the United States no
longer seeks the man. Particularly
this year. men; many of them. are
seeking the job. Although each
president in turn declares that IL is
an empty honor. so fraught with
burdens as to be undesirable. vet.
invariably, a president seeks anoth-
er term.
The work is tremendously hard, of
course, but there are compensations.
Mr.. Wilson, who came to the White
House poor man, will leave it
fairly we'll to do. His salary is $75,-
eco a year. II he saved two-thirds
of this in eight years time his saw
ings would amount to 100000.
The truth is that president need
not spend half of $4,000 a year un-
less he chooses. He has few neces-
sary expenses. because Uncle Sam
pays nearly all his bills. To begin
with. the nation provides him, with a
paiatial home. completely furnished.
rent free. He gets his fuel and
= light for nothing and the wages OF
most OF his servants are paid OUT
of the treasury. Even his wife's
maid and his own valet draw their
stipends from the government.
The four "chambermaids," all OF
them men, who do the upstairs work
in the White House are on the gov
ernment payroll So are two women
employed in the laundry, the butler.
two chauffeurs and the housekeep-
er. Mrs. Wilson has a social secre-
"ry' but her salary comes out OF a
congressional appropriation.
The president has food to buy and
clothes. He pays the wages of n
COOK, scullion and three or four
o'her servants. Barring incidentals.
these represent his expenses, except for
the cost of entertaining. President
Roosevelt spent many thousands Of
collars to entertain, but in this line
the Wilson's have exercised a notable
economy.
The nation has spent more than
s+,oO0,OOO on the White House. in
Guiding its upkeep. More than ST.
100000 has been spent for furniture
ana furnishings. The cost of up
keep Is now $4,000 a year. but at
frequent intervals Congress is called
upcn to appropriate big additional
sums for specific purposes.
Should the presidents wife want n
new carpet, or curtains, or a piece
or furniture, she is not Obliged to
consult her husband on the subject
She merely tells the majordomo to
buy 1t, and when the bill comes in.
he pays it out of government funds.
The presidents wife can give a
really gorgeous entertainment at q
comparatively small cost For music.
she has the free services of the Ma
rine band, one OF the finest bands in
tho world, and, being the president 9
own, Is at all times at her disposal.
Nothing to pay, and she might have
concert every morning at breakfast
If she chose.
Then, there is the matter of flow
ors. They are expensive. but the
first lady of the land doesn't have
to worry about florists bills. She
cred every morning from the green
houses If she so wished. The green
houses are supposed to belong to
the District OF Columbia, but their
output is entirely at the disposal OF
the mistress of the White House.
II she wants orchids, one of the
finest collections OF plants of that
kind in the world is at her disposal
One green house. whose output
goes exclusively to the White House.
Is n grapery. in which are grown for
the presidents table, Hamburg. Mus
cat and other choice varieties of
grapes.
The president and his wife do not
nave to pay for the stationery they
use, or for the kilograms they may
choose to send on personal matters.