Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-11-17
MARYLAND GENEROUS IN
SUPPORT OF GOVERNOR
Pays Only $4,500A Year Salary But
Provides Big Sum For The
Executive Mansion.

maryland pays It's GOVSTHOF OuIy
$4,000 a year. AS the salaries OF
Governors go, that is very small.
Pennsylvania is the most generous,
with a yearly wage of $4,000. ILL
nois stands second, with $4,000, and
there are six other States that pay
$4,000 each a year. There are only
eight States in. the Union that pay
less than Maryland.
Or course, the Governor of Mary
land gets the Executive Mansion at
Annapolis to live in. But that is not
all. A good many States furnish
houses Tor their Governors and then
leave it to them to stand the cost of
maintenance and operation. Not so
Maryland.
The Goveror of Maryland starts off
with mansion maintenance fund" of
$4,000. That would seem to be a
fairly handsome an.rLnt to spend for
living even in SO large a mansion as
that at Annapolis. AS a matter of
fact, Governor Richie did not spend
it all in 1921, returning about $12,-
900 to the State Treasury.
Nor is it necessary to spend any of
that, sum on repairs or in replacing
furniture or other equipment. The
State provides a separate mansion
repair and replacement fund" Of S.
900 year to cover such expenditures.
In 1921 Governor Richie spent some
81 400 more than his allowance on
these items, his total disbursements
under these heads for the year being
$6,4S3.
The sum of $4,000 is also set aside
for general repair and replacement
fund on all the public buildings in
Annapolis. This fund is expended
under the general direction of the
Governor.
Nor would it seem that the cost of
fuel and lights in the Executive Man
sion need be deducted from these
funds. There is another sum of $751;
900 put in the hands of the Governor
by the Legislature to pay for heating
and lighting all the public buildings
in Annapolis, which includes the Ex-
ecutive Mansion. And in 1921 coal
was so costly that Governor Richie
spent $4,000 in keeping the public
buildings lighted and warm.
Maryland does not think that it's
Governor should be compelled to sup
port an automobile at his own ex-
pense. 1t gives him another sum of
$4,000 as an automobile maintenance
fund. That is almost as large as his
salary, but it was all spent in 1921.
Finally the Governor of Maryland
gets contingent fund" of $4,000
to cover extraordinary and unexpected
expenditures in the public interest. If,
for instance, the President of the
United States or other high officials
should be the guests of the State of
Maryland the Governor would be au-
thorized to entertain them out of the
contingent fund.
1t should be understood, of course,
that the Governor submits vouchers
for all expenditures made from any
of these allowances.
In 1921 Governor Richie returned
to the State Treasury nearly $1,000
out of the $4,000 appropriated for
contingencies.
About sixteen years ago practically
no allowances were made by the State
to the Governor outside of his salary.
Up to that time rich or well-to-do
men had been invariably selected for
the office. When poor man was
elected it became clear that to main
tain the Executive Mansion alone
would more than exhaust the Govern
or's salary, and living and other al
lowances have been made every year
since then.
Taken altogether, it is probably
true that no State in the Union is so
generous in providing for the support
of it's Governor as is Maryland.
Compare the provisions made for
the Governor, for instance, with the
salary and allowance of a Senator of
the United States. The latter gets
500 year, but outside of travel
ing allowance of 20 cents a mile and
email sum for stationery he rec >Ives
no perquisites except a room in the
Senate office building, where he may
10 his work.