 Generally, the members were selected for their expertise and not for their political loyalty to President Smetona or the Lithuanian Nationalist Union.The council was well funded and its members received high salaries.For example, in 1937, the state budget allotted 785,000 litas to the Fourth Seimas, 266,000 litas to the President, 381,000 litas to the Cabinet, and 310,000 litas to the State Council.