Evening star., 1927-09-06

Some observers are inclined to be-
lieve that Senator Couzens of Michigan
was joking when he told reporters
on his birthday anniversary that he
considered Senators overpaid. Those
who take his words seriously insist
that members Of Congress must be
classified, because some are Overpaid
while the Government gets the serv-
ices of others at absurdly small ex-
pense.
Quoting Mr.. Couzens' remark that
there isn't enough work to keep a
Senator busy" and 1--WE are all over
paid" the Dayton Daily News COM
ments: "If that Is all the Senator said,
this was his silly moment. AS Mr..
Couzens isn't given to foolishness, the
chances are that, his sentence con.
tained a wink which can't very we'll
be printed. For while a good many
of the Senators are overpaid, 1t isn't
because there isn't enough work to
keep a Senator busy If that were
so, why is the work Of the Senate so
slowly and belatedly done?
A reform in the dating Of congress
sional sessions is very much needed.
That would end the excessive time
killing incident to a system which
keeps a few congressman from going
to work till 13 months after election
and 8 months after pay starts"
Possibly Senator Couzens Is speak
ing in humor." agrees the Portsmouth
Sun, which finds that the general
opinion has been that the work was
heavy and that the Senators were
light" More specifically, the Chatta-
nooga News offers the view that there
are a few Senators and few Repre-
sentatives who perform very arduous
labors," but that paper adds: Iney
are usually men who would De aple 10
earn their official salaries and more IN
other lines of employment. They are
exceptions, however. A majority IN
both houses is made up OF those VINO,
in professional or business life, would
be doing very we'll If they earned one
half what they are annually taking
from the public Treasury. And they
would have to put in considerably
closer time.''
"a majority of Senators and Repre-
sentatiyes," according to the Columbia
Record, 'are obviously drawing moro
money than they could possibly draw
in any given industry or private Voca'
tion. On the other hand, the congress
sional salary, then or now-it has been
twice boosted in a decade-was a mere
nittance for such a Representative as
the late Thomas b. Reed, the late
Charles F. Crisp or the late Champ
Clark. The salary Is far too small
for the ability of the late Henry CaDot
Lodge or the late Roger Q. Mills: we
disagree with Senator CouzenS tneory
about congressional Vacatiohs pelns
too long, In the first place, Senator
with the ability of James A. Reed OF
Missouri has plenty of useful work to
do during his vacation, If the seasonal
lons between sessions may be called
vacations.
"Many of his colleagues in the
Senote" saws the Williamsporti sun,
twill disagree on the first score (that
they are overpaid), as not all or them
are possessors of millions made py
fortunate investments in the automo-
hiIe Industry. Nor do all of them take
their Jobs so lightly as does the Mlcnl-
gan legislator. Some of them f1nd 800
days per year entirely too short
time for all the duties which are IN
cluded within the scope OF their con-
ception of senatorial responsibilities,
such as prying into every phaae OF
National Government or international
affairs in quest of subjects for criti-
cism or denunciation."
"Well, il the Senator's conscience is
uneasy" remarks the st. Joseph
News Press, there's nothing to pre-
vent his following the excellent ex-
ample of Senator Borah of Idaho who.
for the last two years, has turned
back $2,500 per annum into the Ma
tional Treasury, on the ground that he
was elected to a $500 job and is not
entitled to the $4,000 which Congress
some time ago voted to its members.
The Michigan Senator, OF course,
might fear that such an act on his
part would be misunderstood by his
constituents-that they would jump
to the conclysion that it covered some