Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-08
Extra Session Reveals
High Cost of Congress
BY DREW PEARSON.

While a good many senatorial critics
heaved signs Of relief that the special
session Of Congress had adjourned for
short rest, probably not many realized
that to stop Congress and then start
1t again cost the taxpayer nearly O
quarter Of q million dollars.
In other words, the lengthy debates
which the Senate staged on the tariff
all during the Summer cost the tax
payer little more than II Congress had
not been In session. This Is because the
overhead cost Of running Congress goes
on just the same whether 1t Is in ses-
sion or not. Thus far the Senate and
House clerks and stenographers are re-
tanned on an annual salary and the ex-
pense of paying them goes on whether
Congress is in session or not. Only
the pages are paid on per diem basis.
The chief item Of cost in adjourning
Congress and then converting 1t again
Is in the travel expenses Of its members
to and from their homes. For this they
are given allowance of 10 cents mile,
which, committed on Q round-trip basis,
means 20 cents q mile.
This Is paid at the beginning of every
session, whether they return to their
homes or not. Thus, q Representative
or Senator living in California, WASH
ington or Oregon, 5000 miles away, can
collect a total Of 100 for q 5000
mile trip between sessions, even though
he may not leave Washington.
Fol-. this travel expense Congress APP
propriates annually lily $4,000 for the
Senate and $l7S,O00 for the House OF
Representatives, making a total Of
$226, 900.
Aside from this, the expense of OPEN
ing Congress Is not very great. The
Presidents message is printed in the
Government Printing ONCE without any
considerable increased cost. The Senate
and House page boys are rehired for the
session and the cost Of printing the
Congressional Record takes q Jump.
While Congress Is in full swing the
cost Of the Congressional Record Is be-
tween SIS and $50 per page per day,
depending upon the number of tables
carried. The cost of setting the type
for tables and figures is higher.
During congressional recess q num-
Der Of printers and other employees are
dropped from the Government Printing
once, and night work Is usually sus-
pended While Congress is in full swing
the Printing once works night and day,
so that the Congressional Record may
be on each members desk when he
comes to his ONCE in the morning.
There are also q quantity Of bills and
EcSOluIlOAlS W VIC pElltCO. however, V1S
overhead expense of the Government
Printing once goes on whether Con-
gress is In session or not.
X \ \
While President Hoover has been try
ing to reduce expenditures for most
branches Of the Government, he has
just recommended to Congress that it
materially increase its appropriations
for itself. AS compared with an expense
for both houses of Congress Of ST..
50O,0 600 for this year and $2l, TOO, 900
for 1880. President Hoover recommends
$28, 879, 900 for 1881
This increased expense. however,
does not mean that the cost Of run
ming Congress actually Is increasing.
The increase Is due to the building pro-
gram to provide new Offices for MEM
bers of Congress. At present the Senate
and House once Buildings are over
crowded. so that many members are
given only one room for their use.