Evening star., 1928-12-14
TREASURY FUND
BILL TO CONFEREES
Items in Building Program
Here Left Unchanged
b by Senate.

The Treasury-Post once appropria-
tion bill, passed by the Senate yester-
day afternoon, is on its way to confer
ence today. with indications that the
conferees will eliminate the amend
ment which Senator Bruce, Democrat,
of Maryland had put into the measure
without debate, to increase the ap-
preparation for prohibition enforcement
from $13,500.000 to $270,62 1874. Eff
forts that have been made on former
occasions in the House to obtain so
large sum have failed.
This appropriation bill provides funds
for going forward with the Government
building program in Washington and
ell of these items were accepted by the
Senate without change. and will not be
involved in conference. Included IN
these public building items is authority
to increase the cost of the proposed
Archives structure from $6,900,000 TO
$8,750.000. The measure also makes
available another installment of $5,0o0.-
600 toward purchase of all the privately
owned land in the Pennsylvania ave-
nue-Mall triangle.
$1,119,65O,199 for Expenses.
For all expenses of the Treasury and
Post Office Departments including pub
lie building activities throughout the
country, the bill came into the Senare
carrying a total of $1,I19,650,1s If
the Bruce prohibition amendment
should remain, the final total would be
greatly increased
Declaring the appropriation would
wreck the Governments fiscal pro-
gram, leaders Immediately laid plans TO
kill the increase when the bill is con-
Sidered in the conference with the
House for adjustment of differences be-
tween the two bodies.
Unable even to explain his amend
ment because of the rush with which 1t
went through. Senator Bruce later eX-
planned that "if We can't repeal the dry
act let's enforce it right" He said he had
suggested the increase because Com
missioner Doran of the prohibition unit
had declared recently that it would take
$300,000,000 to enforce the law. To sup
port this increase for enforcement work,
the Maryland Senator said he now pro-.
posed to prepare a bill authorizing
enough new Federal courts to cover
the land and take care of the enormous
increase.
Bruce GleefuI Over Success.
Senator Bruce laughed aloud to the
dismay of the small group. of Senators
on the floor when his amendment was
declared approved and the bill inamedi-
ately thereafter declared passed. He
was OF the floor when the Treasury bill
first was passed. Returning, he asked
reconsideration. Chairman Warren of
the appropriations committee objected,
but at the request of Senator King,
Democrat, Utah, he yielded
The amendment by Bruce. merely
proposing that the figures on a certain
line on certain page of the bill be
changed, was read by Senate clerk.
Senator Moses, Republican, New Hamp-
shire, the presiding officer, declared it
adopted without waiting even for the
Marylander to explain his amendment.
Other Members Amused.
As Mr.. Bruce laughed Chairman War
ren turned to the amendment, read 1t
over and then laughed himself. He
showed other members on the floor
what they had just accepted, and they
all decided the laugh was on them
selves, confident that the conferees of
the Senate and House would not accept
the enormous increase.
Otherwise there was no consideration
of prohibition for which funds were car
ried by the billion-dolla measure. Nor
was there. any discussion whatever
The principal discussion of the bill had
revolved about proposals to increase
the salaries of Undersecretary Mills of
the Treasury and Director Lord Of the
budget from $4,000 to $4,000. These
amendments were withdrawn In the
face of stiff opposition.