her standpoint, ought to decide that question without discussion the council.

Q. M. Gen. STOWITS. I move that that word "stenographer" be anged to "secretary," and that the whole subject matter be rered to the commander in chief, and at a price not to exceed the ary paid last year.

Comrade WILETT, of Iowa. I will second that motion.

Comrade PARKER, of Michigan. Commander in Chief, I know you not get first-class help for less than $1,200, if you can get it for elve hundred. I pay four girls in my office as much as that per ar. Of course they do special work, and this is special work. If ss Flood can be retained for that price well and good, but if Miss food can not be obtained for that price then the commander in ief ought to be allowed to pay more.

Comrade JEFFRIES, of Florida. I think so, too. The only objecon I find in my mind to the motion of the comrade is the limitation. do not think that the commander in chief ought to be limited in at way. I have in my experience had to have the use of a good any stenographers at different times, and some of them for a long me, and a good stenographer is very difficult to find. They reire judgment, and they want education.

Comrade PARKER, of Michigan. That is it. They want to know the business.

Comrade JEFFRIES (continuing). You must have a stenographer for a position of this kind who is sufficiently educated to write the English language in proper form, and they must have a ready mind well as quick fingers, and they must have sound judgment. I found in my experience I am not doing anything now, but heretofore I found that my business was very materially helped or very seriously hurt by efficiency or incompetency on the part of the stenographer, as the case may be. I think our commander in chief ought not to be limited. Naturally the commander in chief is not going to pay an excessive salary, but he ought to be permitted, without restriction, to pay what is necessary to get a thoroughly efficient Secretary.

Q. M. Gen. STOWITS. I amend my motion by allowing the commander in chief and the new adjutant general to do just as they please.

Comrade STERRETT, of Missouri. I am opposed to the spirit of increasing expenses, and I am very seriously opposed to it. I was going to try and put myself in the position where I would say nothing on this subject. If you are talking about $1,500 a year for a stenographer, that is nonsense.

Comrade PARKER, of Michigan. I may be a little high, possibly. Comrade STERRETT (continuing). If you will allow the expression, it is “damned nonsense." It is useless to talk about the administration of 1900-1901 being a foolish one, or that it required a $1,000 or a $1,200 or a $1,500 stenographer when it was done for $480, and done efficiently, and there was no objection. It is foolish, absolutely foolish, to talk about all these large salaries. You are not going to limit the commander in chief in efficient work. Under Commander Nevius's administration it was done for a little over $260, I think the quartermaster will tell you, in the back room of an

used the back room of an apothecary shop in the city of Jersey Ci with no regular stenographer at all, and conducted that work, a it was well done. It was well done in that way.

Comrade JEFFRIES, of Florida. I object to talking about the ec mander in chief and the back room of an apothecary shop.

Comrade STERRETT (continuing). An apothecary's back room usually respectable. There is no objection if a man uses it beca it is his office. I don't see any reasonable objection. I am oppos to just what we have argued over at these meetings for 24 years. have belonged to this council for that time, and the same sort thing comes up each year, and I am a little in earnest about it. do not think we ought to do that. I think the resolution itself full and complete. I am satisfied that the commander in chi won't expend an excessive amount per annum, but to continue increase expenses when we have been decreasing receipts, and whe our per capita tax has been decreasing for all these years, is not the line of conservative business, and I am opposed to it-an very bitterly opposed to it-and I want it to go on the record tha way. I did not expect to say that much.

Comrade WILLETT, of Iowa. I recollect distinctly that this matte was brought up at the national encampment a year ago, and it wa then a question of a raise from a sum, I think, of $900 a year

Comrade REICHE, of Montana. Eight hundred.

Comrade WILLETT (continuing). $800 or $900 to $1,200 a year or a hundred dollars a month. It was then shown that Commander Beers had paid $300 of a $1,200 salary out of his own pocket. We ought not to expect the commander in chief to do that. We ought not to require him to do that.

Comrade STERRETT, of Missouri. I am familiar with that. Comrade Seeley worked at his photographic business and put in but little time. If he had spent the time that we paid him $1.200 for, the $300 would not have been necessary.

Comrade WILLET (continuing). Then the salary was fixed at $100 a month for this stenographer. I have employed stenographers for over 30 years. I am cognizant of the fact that you can not get much of a stenographer to do the business as you would wish and as intelligently as you would desire unless you pay approximately from $75 to $100 per month.

Comrade JEFFRIES, of Florida. You have got to pay $25 or $30 a week.

Comrade WILLETT (continuing). Yes: but you can sometimes get very good ones for a less price. But $100 is a fair price.

Comrade PAKKER, of Michigan. When you get one for less money you do all the headwork.

Comrade WiLLFPT (continuing). I beg of you, do not precipitate a debate and discussion in the next national encampment by raising this price above $100 a month, because it will cost anywhere from one to three hours to dispose of it on the floor of the encampment. That has been our experience, and it will be our experience again if it is done. I am in favor of the resolution as it is.

Comrade PARKER, of Michigan. In my remark in regard to $1,500, I was in earnest about that. I may say that I intended to xaggerate for the purpose of emphasizing the point. The

used the back room of an apothecary shop in the city of Jersey City with no regular stenographer at all, and conducted that work, an it was well done. It was well done in that way.

Comrade JEFFRIES, of Florida. I object to talking about the com mander in chief and the back room of an apothecary shop.

Comrade STERRETT (continuing). An apothecary's back room i usually respectable. There is no objection if a man uses it becaus it is his office. I don't see any reasonable objection. I am opposed to just what we have argued over at these meetings for 24 years. have belonged to this council for that time, and the same sort of thing comes up each year, and I am a little in earnest about it. ] do not think we ought to do that. I think the resolution itself is full and complete. I am satisfied that the commander in chief won't expend an excessive amount per annum, but to continue to increase expenses when we have been decreasing receipts, and when our per capita tax has been decreasing for all these years, is not in the line of conservative business, and I am opposed to it-and very bitterly opposed to it-and I want it to go on the record that way. I did not expect to say that much.

Comrade WILLETT, of Iowa. I recollect distinctly that this matter was brought up at the national encampment a year ago, and it was then a question of a raise from a sum, I think, of $900 a year

Comrade REICHE, of Montana. Eight hundred.

Comrade WILLETT (continuing). $800 or $900 to $1,200 a year, or a hundred dollars a month. It was then shown that Commander Beers had paid $300 of a $1,200 salary out of his own pocket. We ought not to expect the commander in chief to do that. We ought not to require him to do that.

Comrade STERRETT, of Missouri. I am familiar with that. Comrade Seeley worked at his photographic business and put in but little time. If he had spent the time that we paid him $1,200 for, the $300 would not have been necessary.

Comrade WILLETT (continuing). Then the salary was fixed at $100 a month for this stenographer. I have employed stenographers for over 30 years. I am cognizant of the fact that you can not get much of a stenographer to do the business as you would wish and as intelligently as you would desire unless you pay approximately from $75 to $100 per month.

Comrade JEFFRIES, of Florida. You have got to pay $25 or $30 a week.

Comrade WILLETT (continuing). Yes; but you can sometimes get very good ones for a less price. But $100 is a fair price.

Comrade PARKER, of Michigan. When you get one for less money you do all the headwork.

Comrade WILLETT (continuing). I beg of you, do not precipitate a debate and discussion in the next national encampment by raising this price above $100 a month, because it will cost anywhere from one to three hours to dispose of it on the floor of the encampment. That has been our experience, and it will be our experience again if it is done. I am in favor of the resolution as it is.

Comrade PARKER, of Michigan. In my remark in regard to $1,500, while I was in earnest about that, I may say that I intended to slightly exaggerate for the purpose of emphasizing the point. The

for stenographer, and I know it from long experience, can save me money and many hours of hard work if they choose, and unless you pay them they won't choose to do it, if you have one. And I know that you can not get them to do it, with the price of living as it is to-day and with all the circumstances surrounding the employment of such people, for any such sum of money, or twice over, that you ould five or ten years ago. I am in favor of leaving it entirely to the commander in chief, just as the resolution provides, with the expectation he will be obliged to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,200, and to have Miss Flood, if possible, even if you have to pay her more than that. She knows all about this Grand Army. Comrade STERRETT, of Missouri. I do not think we ought to undertake to select a stenographer for the commander in chief.

Comrade PARKER (continuing). This is the point: Employ some ene of understanding and information about the Grand Army busiIf you can do that, she is worth a great deal more money than Somebody you have got to spend three or six months in educating. (Cries of "Questive

ness.

.")

The COMMANDER IN CHIEF. Are you ready for the question? (Whereupon, by request, the shorthand reporter read the original resolution, amended by changing the word "stenographer secretary.")

to

The COMMANDER IN CHIEF. All in favor of this resolution will say "aye." Contrary "no." The motion prevails. What is the next order of business?

Comrade STERRETT, of Missouri. I move you that we adjourn to meet upon call of the commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.

(The motion was duly seconded.)

The COMMANDER IN CHIEF. The motion is to adjourn. Before presenting the motion I will ask each member to give to the secretary his home address. It will be a great deal easier to get it now. The motion is to adjourn. All in favor of the motion say "aye." Contrary "no." The motion is carried.

(Whereupon, at 5 p. m., the council stood adjourned to meet upon the call of the commander in chief.)