Evening star., 1925-03-07
Press Generally Attacks
Pay Increase for Congress

Several points of view are ex-
pressed by the press of America to-
ward the raise in salaries for ma
tional legislators passed during the
closing hours of the Sixty-eighth Con-
gress. While the preponderance OF
| this opinion is recorded against the
| increase, there are not a few papers
| to express approval of the move.
Even some of those supporters of
| Congress, however, decry the manner
| in which the increase was Effected
| as a rider on an appropriation bill
and without record vote, save
supplemental vote in the Senate.
Reasonable objection does not lie
| against the salaryincrease bill passed
| by the United States Senate and House,
declares the Philadelphia Bulletin, which
adds. "If the public does not elect
| $4,000 men to pass laws for the
Nation, the fault lies with the voters"
| On the other side of the argument,
the Springfield Republican says: ITO
| call it a steal would be unwarranted.
But 1t is the most unmistakable grab
ever known. Congressmen en- are in
position to help themselves, so they
| reach in. The poor devils of Govern
ment employees with less reach and no
power to vote away the peoples
money are left in the cold. II nobody
were looking, under the circum-
stances, the Congressman would be
happier still" In the belief of the
Canton Daily News; Except as opin-
ion may divide on the fundamental
question as TO whether or not public
officials should receive any salary at
all, there can be no question of the
rightness in the increase Of Senators
and Congressmen which was voted
the other day. But there can be found
no words sufficiently severe to con-
denim the cowardice and trickery by
which that action was taken in both
the Senate and House without record
vote"
would be an economy" thinks the
Indianapolis Star, 'if 1t would insure
getting $4,000 Congressman, which 1t
would not" And the Pittsburgh
Gazette-Times adds: ITO earnest, de-
voted, competent Congressmen--Sena-
tors or Representatives-the country
| would be glad to pay even more than
the $4,000 provided in the new sal
ary bill, but relatively few in either
House qualify" The Akron Beacon
journal remarks: Last time Con-
gress increased its members salaries
from $4,000 to $500 the people yelled
highway robbery Accustomed to so
many hold-ups now, in both private
and public life, they are likely to
view the $4,000 raise with caimness
and thank their lucky stars that 1t is
no worse.
X i X i;
Congress" in the opinion of the
New York Herald-Tribune, was not
in a very favorable position to ask for
generous compensation" 1t adds:
MANY voters will wonder why public
servants who squander the Taxpayers
substance and seek to deny him tax
relief should have made such a record
an argument for salary boost. But
this Congress is not the sort of Con-
gress to refrain from bestowing favors
on itself merely because they have
not been earned The Philadelphia
Public Ledger says: congressman should
have an increase Of pay" But, 1t adds:
The trouble is, that q do-nothfng,
blundering and discredited Congress
has taken upon itself the job of
raising congressional pay. The in
slant reaction of the average citizen
is that the Sixty-eighth Congress has
been overpaid. 1t will be admitted
that an able Congressman is worth
every dime of $4,000 q year. This
Congress has been anything but able"