The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-12-04

ington Shows That the Head of the
Nation Hasn't Much Left at the
End of the Year.
Just glimpse behind the scenes in
Washington, the capital of the United
Statesl Lots of persons have shaken
hands with President Coolidge in his
Office in the white house, and many
have met him in private conference.
The country knows pretty we'll just
how the president behaves himself
when the public eye is on hirn-but
what does he do and what kind of a
man is he in private, when surround
ed by his wife and children and a
few personal friends.
How is the presidential household
/ governed? What does the president
and his family eat? How much do
| they spend for the things they eat?
! cry American citizen because it is the
American citizen who foots the bill.
Servant of the People.
In this democratic country the pres
ident is supposed to be the servant of
the people. The people are the mas
tiers and the masters pay the bill It
costs $500,000 a year to have a presi-
dent over these United States of
America.
Uncle Sam has it all worked down
to fine point. The president gets a
salary of $4,000 a year. At the end
OF the year he hasn't much left, though
the government pays for heating, and
repairing and lighting the white house,
where he lives, and pays for lot of
other things that the ordinary citizen
has to pay out of his own pocket For
instance, the government pays for the
food served to the servants in the
white house. There is a certain fixed
sum appropriated for this purpose ev-
cry year and for all the other sums
expended to keep the president going.
The president is supposed to eat
only the best. What would a dip. n
mat of European country think (
he were invited to have dinner at the
white house and the servant brought
out tough beefsteak? Or a can of
peaches that gave the diplomat pto-
maine poison? The reputation of the
United States would be ruined beyond
repair in Europe
Only the best goes to the presidents
table. The food bill costs him about
$4,000 a month"; $4,000 a year. The
average costs are something's like
this-eggs, butter and milk, $500
month; meats, $500; groceries, $500;
vegetables, $500. For a grocer or
butcher to have president as GUS
toner is better than having hun
dred ordinary customers.
Clothing to Buy.
1t is only natural for everybody to
expect that the president and his fam
lily should dress up in only the best.
Washington would throw up its hands
and a lot of persons would faint dead
away were President Coolidge to come
down to his office with his shoes not
shined and his trousers not perfectly
creased. The ordinary citizen can get
away with lot of things that would
be nothing short of crime if presi-
dent tried to pull it over.
At the end of the year, after
president has paid the butcher, the
baker and the candlestick maker, there
isn't much left. 1t is not generally
known that when any organization is
asking for funds for the heather in
Timbuctoo or the benighted in China.
for instance, the president is called
on for a donation. What is more, he
is expected to give and give gener-
ously so that the organization can
start off the subscription list with his
name.
That all comes out of his pocket
and it must hurt at times. A salary of
$4,000 isn't much.
Salaries of Office Help.
The government sets aside another
$4,000 year for office help-for the
stenographers, secretaries and book
keepers to assist in conducting the af-
fairs of the nation. The presidents
secretary gets $500 a year If the
president wishes to pay him more,
we'll and good, but he must not spend
more than $4,000 year on his Of
fee force. If he does he has to pay
it out of his own pocket.
When the president travels he must
have his private car, of course. Think
of the president of the United States
riding in a day coach and having his
ticket punched just like the plain citi-
zen. 1t isn't done The government
sets aside $4,000 every year for trav-
cling expenses and public entertain
ment.
Every so often Mr.. and Mrs Presi-
dent must entertain at the white house.
Foreign diplomats look for free feed
at the expense of Uncle Sam about
every other month. So do a large
number of congressman. On these oc-
casions the white house is thrown
open, everybody dresses up in his
Sunday best, the orchestra plays and
there is a grand feed. Meantime the
grocer and the butcher chuckle
The cost of it comes out of the $25,-
900 travel and entertainment fund.
Should the president overdraw this
account he must make good out of
his salary.
The government pays for heating the
white house. This costs $4,000 a year.
Repairs and keeping the place in con
dition costs about $4,000 a year. Ser
wants cost $4,000 a year In all the
white house expense is $4,000 year