Evening star., 1945-05-26
$500 Expenses Held
Fair for Lawmakers

Fair for Lawmakers
Writer Urges Congress Members
to Face Pay Question Squarely
By David Laurence
Members of Congress are going
through a rather uncomfortable expe-
rience these days on the matter of their
salaries. Some Of them are frank and
outspoken about the need for more
money to meet expenses incurred in the
line OF duty and others are fearful they
may be criticized for boosting their pay
at time when wages are frozen.
This is the kind of question which is
diff1cult to handle because the members
who. are up for reelection next year
can be attacked in the primaries and
also in the final elections by opponents,
whereas two-thirds uf the Senators do
not come up for reelection next year
and will not have to face the issue.
This does not mean that the cleavage
that has appeared thus far is confined
to those who are up for election and
those who are not. On the contrary, in
the ranks OF opponents of the proposal
will be found many members who are
not required to face an election for
some time to come.
This problem is one that ought to be
faced squarely and without hypocrisy.
The Little Steel wage formula provides
for an increase of Is per cent in wages
over and above January 194l. Also
workers have been able by overtime pay
and other devices to increase their earn
ings. They also have been able to leave
one job for another with higher pay
and get more earnings that way. Yet
members of Congress have had no in
crease in salary for many years.
Affected Both Ways.
The real reason why the Sena tors and
Representatives deserve an increase in
pay is that their expenses have gone up
and their salaries are subject to taxes
Just the same as everybody else so that
they have been affected both ways.
Most people in the white-collar class
have also suffered a reduction in take
home pay and moreover have not been
able to switch jobs during the war period.
But the heavy expenses of member of
Congress are due to the fact that the
oretically he is supposed to maintain a
residence in his district and in WASH
ington, too. Congress long ago recog-
nlzed that a member should sbe paid
transportation going from and coming
to Washington when special session
is called and at the beginning and end
OF a regular session. Yet again and
again a member of Congress finds it
necessary to go home to see his con-
stituents and he has to pay his own
transportation.
Then there is the matter of entertain
ment. Constituents come to Washing
ton and many of them feel the member
of Congress should buy them a lunch
or take them out to dinner. II the
constituent is particularly influential.
the member wants to be the host. In
the long run and year in and year
out, this amounts to a sizable sum. Yet
no tax deductions are given for such
purposes, whereas a businessman or
sales manager in private business who
makes trips does get chance 10 charge
the expense to his firm and the COM
pany is allowed to deduct the item as
an expense for tax purposes.
The courts ruled recently that judge
who maintained home at a State cap
ital where the court was in session could
not get as a deduction from Federal
taxes the expenses he incurred in main
tanning home in his original place of
residence.
Look to Outside Sources.
While $4,000 a year seems like a lot
OF money, it is nearer $500 after the
tax collector takes his share. Out Of
this sum the member must pay for two
residences and entertain hundreds of
his constituents year. The unfortunate
consequence of this is that too many
members Of Congress have financial
worries and are tempted to look for
outside sources of income. Some Of
them practice law and take fees on cases
presumably unrelated to Federal busi-
ness. Others deliver lectures and accept
fees from organizations that have been
known to make the fees larger than
usual in the hope of currying favor
with member of Congress.
The job of Senator or Representative
is worth at least $4,000 a year to the
Nation. For members of the cabinet
get that sum. and they have all sorts Of
perquisites to 60 with the job, such as
an auto at Government expense There
are various plans but what is beislg pro-
posed in the main now is an expense
allowance of about $4,000 a year for
each member of Congress.
This is fair solution of the problem
and members of Congress ought to vote
that for themselves with a feeling that
it is more important to put an end to
the possible abuses through outside
sources of income for members of Con-
gress than it is to face the criticism OF
a self-granted increase in pay.
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