The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-03
u. S. SALARY
PAID TO WIFE
OF TESS SON
She's One of His Several
Secretaries but She
Lives in Toledo.
Ply RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press stan Correspondent
lcopyrleht. 1872. By united rrsssI

fCopTrirht. 1882. ov United Press
WASHINGTON. May 3-Being
not only a United States senator
but also chairman OF the Repub-
licsn national committee. Senator
Simeon D. Fess OF Ohio is a very
busy man indeed.
That is why he must have secre-
taries scattered around in various
places.
He has several in his senatorial
Office on Capitol hill.
He has others in his Republican
national committee headquarters
downtown-but here the taxpayer
gets a break. because these are not
on the government pay roll.
Senator Fess also has his daugh-
ter-in-law doing clerical work" in
her home in Toledo. O.-st S2,25O
8 year, government money.
Dorothy Fess is listed in the Of
fetal congressional directory as one
OF the assistant clerks Of the sem
ate library committee of which her
father in-law is chairman.
Tess Is Not Unique
Her address Is given in this direc-
tory-issued last January-as the
Carlton hotel here. But when 1t was
tried 10 reach her at the Carlton,
the desk clerk reported that Sena-
tor Fess lived there, but that he
couldn't recall any one named
Dorothy Fess.
She lives with her husband, Lehr
Fess. a lawyer in Toledo and for
mer parliamentarisn Of the house Of
representatives here when his ia
ther was in that branch.
Senator Fess Is not singled out as
unique in doing this. The practice
is common in both houses and in
both parties.
The senate Democratic leader has
a brother-in-law. the president Of a
bank in Little Rock, Ark, on the
senate pay roll.
Gamers Son on Pay Roll
Speaker Garner has his son on
the pay roll to represent him in
Uvalde. Tex.
Representative Henry T. Rainey,
house Democratic leader, may, as he
did in an interview last week. con-
denim this practice as a means oil
building political fences back home
at government expense. But he is
assailing a practice that rapidly is
growing in favor here.
Various forms OF the family pay
roll racket are worked in congress:
The pin money which congress-
mems wives draw as clerks for work
some Of them never do.
The college boys and girls who
draw pay from the house and senate
pay rolls.
The aged relatives and the I'M
successful in-laws.
The political heelers back home
taken care of at government eX-
pense.
But. the United Press has dis
covered no indication that con-
eressmen feel conscience stricken in
face of the unemployment situation
which has become increasingly
acute in many sections.
wives and Children First"
wives and children first" is a
popular rule in the congressman
code.
Perhaps so to 60 per cent of the
members practice It, regarding IL
as a vested right.
It is one of the first things the
new congressman is tipped of TO
by older members when ne arrives
here.
That is why the house voted down
two to one-but without a record
vote-the attempt OF Representa-
tive Grant E. Mouser rep, o. TO
include in the omnibus economy
bin a provision against employment
of absentee relatives.
There is a classic story here oil
a niddle-vestern congressman who
died a few years ago. He had his
wife on the pay roll. She got a
divorce. Did he strike her of the
nav roll? No. He gave her the
clerk hire as alimony.