Evening star., 1951-08-02
Congressman Want
Pay Raise but They re
CageY on lining Il
By the Associated Press


raise the salaries of Congressman
since one of them quit this week
in order t. make some money for
his wife and children.
Don't look for much to come of
it, though. Members of Congress
would like more take-home pay
as who wouldn't-but they're
mighty cagey about voting them
selves az increase. For one thing,
the voters might not like it. And
there's an election next year.
Every now and then a Con-
greSsman gives up his job to make
more money In private industry.
But few have been as frank about
their reasons at Texas-Ed Gossett,
who stood before the House Tues
day and announced:
1T has become absolutely i'm
possible for a man to do his full
duty as Congressman and to do
his full duty to his family, espe-
cially If he has five small chill
dren. It is for the GoSSett family,
and not for myself, that we return
to Texas
In His Seventh Term.
Then after six terms and a
part of a seventh, off Mr.. Gossett
went to a $25,o00-a-year job as
general counsel for utility COM
pany.
Some of his neighbors in the
plain-spoken Texas delegation
thought Mr.. Gossett had a point
there.
ut is sad commentary on pub
lie service that officials like Ed
GoSsett must be, lost to the people
because the salary which is offered
for this position is inadequate for
the raising of family" declared
Representative Lucas, Democrat,
of Texas.
And Representative Thompson,
Democrat, of Texas. said he knew
other Congressman who were
thinking of following Mr.. Gossett's
example.
Let US hope" Mr.. Thompson
told the House, that those of US
who remain behind him IN the
Congress may have the courage
to take the obvious course to elm
mate the financial aspects of the
problem.
Many Items Involved.
congressman already make con-
siderably more money than most
people. Their salary is $12,500 a
year. Then there's a tax-free ex-
pense allowance of $2,5oO. Plus a
20-centS-a-mile travel allowance
(once each way per session. to get
them home to Washington and
back.
In addition to stationery, tele-
phone and similar allowances,
there's around $4,000 a year for
office help-and some members
devote part of this to a wife
secretary.
But there's another side to the
story:
With few exceptions, your Con-
gresham has to maintain two
homes-one in his district, the
other in or around Washington.
Elections being the uncertain
things they are, he hesitates to
buy home in Washington. So
he winds up renting a place for
$50 to $3.50 a month.
But Keep Coming Back.
Then there's entertainment. It
may or may not be the expensive
cocktail party-giving type. At
the least, it's picking up the
luncheon check day after day for
a party of half a dozen folks
from home.
There's the contribution prob
lem. congressman feel obliged to
give to just about every worthy
cause that comes along.
And, above all, there's the cost
Of getting reelected. 1t costs
some a power Of money to keep
coming to Washington term after
term.
The great majority keep COM
ing, though-or trying to come,
And that's what convinces one OF
their number, Representative Bur-
dick, Republican, of North Da-
kota that no pay raise is needed.
The job is attractive enough as
it is, he argued-must be, or peo-
pie all over the country wouldn' t
be fighting to get it.