Evening star., 1924-01-09

tai $261.727,966, OF which $1,647,70O Is
for st. Elizabeth's Hospital, Columbia
Institution for the Deaf, Howard Uni
versity and Freedmans Hospital, the
Interior Department appropriation
bill for the fiscal year 1925, which Is
| the first Of the big supply bills to be
| reported to this Congress. was sub
| mitted in the House today and will
be taken up for consideration tomor-
row.
The estimates upon which this bill
| Is based were submitted by the Pres
ident in the budget. The total of es-
Inmates submitted was $272,069, ,331.
In addition to the regular annual ap-
preparation. the estimated permanent
and Indefinite appropriations for the
nseai nsS year 1924 aggregates s27,24s.-
, the Interior Department for the fis-
| cal year 1925, s299,312,600.
Cramton Explains Bill.
Cnairman Cramton of the subcom-
mlttee which framed this bill eX-
pIained in his report to the House
that the permanent annual appropri-
atoms are those which occur auto
matically each year without annual
action by Congress, and the amount
which the committee considered in
framing the bill is the aggregate of
the estimates for the Interior De-
partment customarily submitted for
annual action by Congress.
The total regular annual appropri-
atoms for the Interior Department
Tor the current fiscal year amounted
TO S297,520.009. The sum of $261, 727,-
965 recommended in this bill as COM
pared with the regular annual ap-
propriations for the current year and
the estimates for 1925 Is S35,792.044
less than the total of the 1924 appro-
priations and s10.341,366 less than the
amount requested in the estimates.
The outstanding figures that con-
tribute most largely to these differ
ences are reductions below the 1924
appropriation Of $30,500.0O0 for Army
and Navy pensions. s2,304,000 for the
reclamation service and sSS9,140 for
construction of the Alaska railroad,
and reduction below the 1925 budget
of $7,500,000 for Army and Navy PEN
sionS.
Deaf Institution Figures.
The appropriation for the Column
bian Institution for the Deaf of $109,-
600 Is entirely in accord with the
budget figures. with a net increase Of
$4,000 above the current law.
For St EliZabeths Hospital the
recomme nded appropriation is ST.
008,000, which is S13S. 500 less than
the current appropriation and s512,-
600 less than the budget recommen-
, dations. The sum of 100000 for
/, maintenance is carried in the bill,
which is 100000 below the current
year and s450,000 below the budget
Representative Cramton in his re-
port explained that the population Of
the institutions has increased, but
the reduction made by the commi ttee
Is wirh the expectation that patients
cared for in this institution upon
order of the Veterans Bureau shall
q 40 ,rHft
| rate by the Veterans Bureau out Of
funds which that bureau has avail
able for the purpose
Repairs mt St Elizabeth
The sum of $4,000 additional is
given to st. Elizabeth's Hospital for
| repair of buildings and grounds In
lieu Of the item Of $4,000 for begin
| ming remodeIing of the heating,
power and lighting plant. for which
a total Of $4,000 would be neces-
sary, the bill carries an authorize
ton for the use of certain other
funds which Will make possible the
entire work Of remodeling at an
early date.
For Howard University the bill
carries $365, 1000. which is an increase
Of $132,50o above the current appro-
priation and a decrease of $450, 900
under the budget estimate. The item
for addition to the Medical School
building and equipment totaiing
budget was eliminated
For salaries and general mainte-
nance an increase of $4,000 above
the current law and the budget is
given. and $4,000 for equipment for
the manual training department is
given above the budget figures, but
continuing the current law. For the
assembly hall and gymnasium. $751;
500 is given for the completion of
this work. in accordance with the
| original authorized cost, instead Of
$127,500 as recommended by the bud
get for continuing construction.
For Freedmen's Hospital the bill
carries $165,700. which is $7,100 under
less than the budget recommended
tions. For salaries $4,000 is recon-
m ended, which is $4,000 above the
current year and $4,000 below the
budget
Patent once Gets More.
The total for the patent office car
! ried in the bill is s413.315 above the
budget The increase above the bud
get is brought about by the desire of
the budget to provide the commissioner
of patents with equipment and tempor-
ary additional personnel to enable him
| to bring the work of the Office up cur
rent within a reasonable time.
Under the bureau of pensions the ap-
propriations for payment of Army and
| Navy pensions proposed by the bill is
$222, 100000, which is $30,500,000 be-
low the current law and s7.500,000 be-
| low the budget, but Is believed by the
committee to be ample for the payment
| of pensions in 1925 under existing law
A reduction of $4,000 from the
budget figure for the salary role in
the Office of the Secretary of Interior
is due to acceptance Of a suggestion
from the Secretary that the number
| of inspectors be reduced and bet
ter salaries be provided, enabling the
Secretary to maintain more efficie mt
and economical administration of the
department with a net reduction in
salaries of the amount named. The
, salary role of the solicitors Office is
reduced $4,000 below the budget.
Cut In Land Office.
In the general land office there is
| reduction Of s16.5o0 below cur
| rent law and the budget in clerk
hire and contingent expenses In the
! office Of surveyor general.
The abolition of twenty-one land
| offices wherein the amount of bus1-
mes does not appear to justify the
ex pense involved in maintenance and
| the consolidation of the offices of
| re egister and receiver in fourteen
others makes possible reduction of
S173, 900 below the current year and
SOS, 900 below the budget.
The committee has rearranged the
Items in the Indian bill eliminating