Evening star., 1947-01-22


morrow for the first time since
January cit does $1,000, 900
banking business with two-thirds Of
the 435 House members. +.
This operation, as well as the
cashing of pay checks or personal
checks for Representatives and their
secretaries, is carried on by only
four employees, a cashier, an as
sistant cashier and two bookkeep-
ers, all under supervision of the
sergeant at arms himself.
The three other Office employees,
in addition to a private secretary
to the sergeant at arms, handle
varied duties, such as general direc-
ton of 70 policemen and 20 guides
on the House side OF the Capitol,
keeping order on the House floor,
rounding up members to make a
quorum and taking charge of the
historic mace.
Advances Discontinued.
The banking department has
just undergone General Account
ing Office audit which, according to
Speaker Martin, has disclosed
shortage of s125 900, going back al
most 20 years. The departments
financial methods also have under
gone a change since newly elected
sergeant at arms william F. Rus
sell moved in.
The principal change has been
to discontinue the old procedure
by which House members. with
salary funds on deposit in the
Office, often obtained advances
through a special note arrange
ment. Another change is plan
for future audits every three
months. There had been none in
at least so years.
The rRank" functions as follows:
House members long have had the
privilege of leaving their salary
payments on deposit in the office.
About 300 of the 435 members dur
ing the Seventy-ninth Congress
chose to do this as matter Of con-
venience The rest had their checks
mailed directly to them or to their
banks.
Checks Against Deposits.
Members who voluntarily leave
their salaries on deposit, however.
may not deposit other funds or
otherwise build up a balance in the
sergeant at arms office. Speaker
Martin reported today that approx
mately 300 members in the last
Congress had $1,204, 1864 on de-
posit
Each depositor receives check
book and can write checks, as he
would on any private bank, to draw
on the amounts he has on deposit.
These checks ARE the size of an
ordinary bank check and resemble
one in other respects except that
they have a background engraving
of the Capitol and carry the inscrip-
tion, THE Sergeant at Arms, House
of Representatives"
Each month the sergeant at arms
office sends the individual member
his Cancelled checks and state
ment of Withdrawals and Of the
balance still on deposit. Mileage
money also can be left on deposit,
but it is in a separate account and
can be withdrawn only as needed
for authorized travel expenses.
Cash Kept in Treasury.
All the cash except whatever is
needed for routine daily office oper-
ations Is kept not at the Capitol but
in the Treasury Department, Mr..
Russell explained. The sergeant at
arms is bonded for $50,000 and the
cashier. assistant cashier and book
keeper for $4,000 each.
Until recently. a House depositor
wishing to obtain an advance on his
salary could sign a special form Of
short term note on downtown
bank. the National Bank Of Wash
ington. The sergeant at arms would
take the note to the bank, which
would discount it at s per cent, and
then send the money by check,
minus the discount, to the House
member.
When the members salary came
due the sergeant at arms oftice
would pay the downtown bank the
amount called for on the note.
Usually, the notes were on a month
ly basis. but sometimes they were
extended as long as three months.
Although this procedure has been
stopped, Mr.. Russell said he did not
believe it was abused in the last
few years. 1t carried several safe
guards to protect the Government
against loss. There was a provi-
sion for an assignment to the SER
geant at arms office in event OF
death of the note signer. Moreover,
the Office could count on the $4,000
payment ordinarily made when a
member dies. ..-..
Representatives who leave Con-
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