The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-17
Retirement Of Hughes Again
Brings Up Subject
of Salaries,
Times TVdshin0ton Bureau,
1922 NetO York AVenme.


ing the necessity to earn more
money, washington is now engaged
in discussing one of its favorite
topics-the small salaries paid Gov
eminent officials.
Most everybody in official life looks
upon official salaries as insufficient.
This is especially true of those who
have to hive on their salaries. A large
portion of the men in public life have
independent means and are able to
spend much more than their Gov
eminent pay in keeling up with the
routine of official life. A few have
not These have hard time of it.
They are forced to worry as much
over their household bills as over the
details of their jobs.
The development of Government
salaries is interesting. Thomas JEFF
ferson, who first filled the office
now being vacated by Secretary
Hughes, received $4,000 a year. The
slime was paid Alexander Hamilton,
who then had Andrew Melons job
at, the head of the Treasury De-
partment. The one other cabinet
job, at the outset of our Govern
ment, was that of the Secretary OF
War. He was paid only $4,000. In
cidentally, the chief clerk of the
State Department got $500, while the
chief clerk of the Treasury got only
$500. All other clerks got $500--or'
less. This was in the days when
dollar bought a lot of groceries.
Justice Got $4,000
In that same first period of the
Government the chief Justice re-
ceived $4,000 and his associate
justices $500. The President OF the
United States had his salary fixed
at $4,000 after George Washing
ton had filed the office for six
months to determine what it actually
cost man to be President. The
Vice President was given $1,000.
The Senators and members Of the
House fixed their own value at Sc
a day and mileage. The law provided
that they should be paid only for
days they attended sessions, save
when they became sick on the way
to Washington. For avoidabie alb.
sences they were to, be locked the
fun amount Of their days pay.
Whether any member ever was
docked can not be said; the law
is somewhat the same today, but
there is no record of members being
docked nowadays.
The first attempt of salaries to
catch up with the higher cost of
living appears to have been made in
1916. The Senators and Represent
atives decided they were worth
$1,000 a year to the country and
that the speaker and president pro
tenn. Of the Senate were worth
$4,000. The following session, how
ever, the act decreeing this was
repealed and the $6-a-day wage re-
stored. Then in 1918 they boosted
themselves 50 day, making it So.
Given Increases
The act OF 1916, however, had
raised the Secretary Of State and
the Secretary Of the Treasury to
$1,000, the Secretaries of War and
Navy to $4,000 and the Postmaster
General and the Attorney Gensral
to $4,000. These raises remained in
force until 1853, when the salaries
of all Cabinet members was made
$4,000, and the same was given to
the Vice President.
In 1856 the congressman fixed
their own salaries at $4,000 a year,
with $4,000 FOR the speaker and the
president pro tenn. OF the Senate.
Some time between 1855 and 1878
they were raised again to $4,000.
A conscientious search through the
statutes enacted in those years
failed to reveal the act in question,
but. Tyler. Page, clerk Of the House,
says it was in 1866.
In any case, It must be so, as
revealed by the story of the famous
Salary Grab Act" of a187S. Con-
gress that year raised the Presi-
dents salary TO $4,000 year, the
Vice Presidents to $4,000 and the
same for the Cabinet members. To
themselves they voted $500 a year
the amount they now receive-and
to the Speaker and President Pro
Tenn, $4,000. Their action caused
a terrific uproar, but It was largely
due perhaps. to the fact that they
made the salary increase applicable
to the members Of that very Con-
grtss.
& Because of the outcry Congress at
the following session repealed all
of the act of 1873 except that part
giving the President $4,000. This
left their salaries at 5000, the Vice
Presidents at $4,000, and the same
Tor the Cabinet members.
These figures remained unchanged
until 1907 when the members raised
the congressional salary to $500
and the Vice Presidents and Cab
met members to $4,000 and those
are their wages today. The Presi-
dents salary was increased in 1909
to $4,000, with an allowance Of $685.
600 for travelling expenses.
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