The Winslow mail., 1923-04-06
j. 6. LAWMAKERS
SALARIES SMALL
HARD TO "GET BY" IN WASHING
TON ON $500 A YEAR,
SOLONS SAY.
BILL ASKS $500 INCREASE
Senator's and Representatives Do Not
Complain Openly, but Drafts on
Their Purses Are Heavy, including
Charity Demands, Loans, etc.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

Washington. - 1t probably can be
taken for granted that most OF the
members of congress elected last fall
are hoping in their hearts that by
some fortuitous chance the bill that
Representative Upshaw presented to
increase the pay of senator's and rep
resentatives from $500 to $4,000
year will be sanctioned so that they
can reap the benefit.
Generally speaking, it may be said
the chances seem to be that the in
coming congress will withhold it's ap-
prov,l of the Upshaw measure, not
becal Sc it does not want the money
put because of fear of criticism from
the country.
1t may seem strange to men Of small
salaries to hear that a great many
congressman, who are not spend
thrifts by any manner of means, have
hard time living on their incomes,
at least while In the city of Wash
ington. AS a rule senators and mem
bers do not complain openly, but the
drafts on their purses are heavy, not
only to meet the high cost of living
in Washington but to meet charity de-
mands, loan demands and many other
kinds of demands.
It was not so many years ago that
the senator's and members Of con-
gress voted an increase in their sal
aries from $1,000 to $500. At the
same time there was an increase voted
in the salaries Of many other officers
of government. The excuse was the
high cost of living, and as America
probably realized, it was more or less
legitimate excuse. The increase
passed with barely word of protest
from the country. 1t may not be so,
however, if an attempt is made to
tack another twenty-five hundred on
to the existing congressional wage.
Some Urge $4,000 Year.
There are some Americans who have
urged that representatives and senators
in congress should be paid at least
$4,000 a year. Men who have urged
this have said the comfortably large
salary would induce men of high po-
enter politics and thus the country
would benefit by better-considered
legislation. This argument may Or
may not be we'll based. AS things
are today, the average ability in con-
gress Is fairly high, but not excep-
tionally high. In truth, the judgment
of men seems to be that representa-
| ton in the two houses of congress is
| that of the average quality of Ameri-
can mentality and American manhood,
and that this quality Is just what the
spirit of our institutions demands.
Some years ago, before the great
| war, congress raised the pay of
| army officers and did it ungrudgingly,
| for it was shown that with the in
crease in prices of things the army
men could not live on their pay and
| keep out of debt. 1t was just
about this time also that the pay of
| the President of the United States
was increased, and with the increase
there was the passage of bill pro-
viding for money to pay the Presi-
| dents travelling expenses.
| 1t was Theodore Roosevelt who,
Ehile president, urged that an allow
| ance be made to the chief officer of
| government for his expenses While
travelling. Roosevelt, however, was
careful to ask that the law granting
the money for transportation should
not take effect until he had gone out
of office.
There have been times when con-
| gress showed an evident desire to
grab a little something to put down
to its own cash account. About fifteen
years ago one session of congress
lasted until noon of the December day
that the new session began. The rep
resentatives argued they were en-
titled to mileage for the new session,
although they already had drawn
| mileage to pay their way to Washing
ton for the previous session, and OF
course there was no chance to go
home and back again between sessions
when one merged into the other, as
was the case in this instance.
The representatives looked about
| for someone VINO WOulu De DTdNe
enough to put in bill providing for
mileage for miles never travelled
They had great difficulty in finding a
volunteer. Finally, however, they in
duced a representative who afterwards
became vice president Of the United
States to introduce the mileage bill
1t should be said for him that he be
neved technically the mileage measure
was legitimate. He introduced the
bill and the house somewhat vocifer-
ously approved.
Then came not a murmur but a roar
from the country. The representatives
were called grafters and other things
not quite so polite.
Harding Plans Twenty Speeches.
1t is understood that President
Harding on his early summer triI
through the country will make twen
ty speeches in twenty principa
places. Men close to the administra
ton say that 1t Is the intention o-
the President TO try to create Sucl