Evening star., 1922-03-04
HOUSE APPROVES
DEFICIENCY BILL
District Included to Extent of
s411,00O Out of $780,
100000 Total.

The House passed the second def
cheney bill carrying q total of $685.
100000. of which approximately SAIL
900 IS for the District. late yesterday.
without a record vote. These funds
the present fiscal year ending June
80. next. or moneys previously due.
The largest item is s94.000,000 for
the Veterans Bureau. A provision
which would limit to $6,30o,O00 the
amount the Navy Department would
spend for fuel during the next four
months remained in the bill without
provoking discussion.
One of the few amendments adopted
increased the total for the enforce
ment Of the maternity act during the
remainder of the current fiscal year
from s370.O0O to 100000. The bill
also carries s5,o0O.O00 for the initial
payment to the republic of Colombia
a settlement OF the Panama canal
controversy.
Reject HeIium Proposal.
With less than 100 members on the
floor an amendment which would
have made S150.000 available for de-
velopment of helium, with view to
using it to fill dirigibles. was re-
ment was offered by Representative
Lanham. democrat. Texas, who
pleaded with the House to be more
liberal in providing funds for ex-
perimentS in the use of the gas,
which is non-inflammable. and for
conservation and development OF the
supply. The recent Roma disaster
never would have occurred. Mr.. Lam
ham declared, if the airship had been
filled with helium, instead of hydro
gen gas.
The helium plant, at Fort Worth.
Tex. said to be the only one in the
world capable of producing the gas
in large quantities., has been closed
since last November 80. Mr.. Lanham
said, because funds have not been
available to continue operations.
Chairman Madden of the appropria-
tions committee opposed the amend
ment on the ground that the subcom-
mittee drafting the Army appropria-
tion bill was making an investigation
to determine what appropriation
should be made for helium develop
ment. Congress, Mr.. Madden held.
should not authorize further expendl-
lures until the subcommittee had
made its report. No request has come
from any government department Tor
additional funds to produce helum
year. he added.
More Than $1O.OOO.OOO Spent.
During the discussion Chairman An
thony of the subcommittee which is
studying the helium situation. as
serting that Congress had been fair
" liberal" in providing funds for
helium production, said that more
than $4,000. 900 had been expended by
the government since the beginning
of the war in experiments with the
gas and in developing the plant AT
Fort Worth. I;
He declared that experience had
shown it was impossible with exist
ing facilities to produce large quanti-
ties of helium without excessive and
impractical expenditures. Expert en-
gineers have reported. he added. that
material changes must be made in the
Fort Worth plant before it can be
operated again on an economlcai
basis. ..
Mr.. Anthony's estimate that 1t
would have cost $1,000, 900 to have hll-
ed the airship Roma with helium was
challenged by Mr.. Lanham: who de-
clared the cost would not have oeen
more than $216,000-
The Fort Worth plant during the
five months prior to it's closing, ac-
cording to Mr.. Lanham, produced
s,5OO,O00 cubic feet of hel1um-neariy
twice the amount OF gas needed, ne
said. to have filled the Roma.