The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1931-04-30
BREACH W|DENS
TN|XT BORAH
AND HOOVER
Senator's Attack of Admin
istration's Fiscal Record
Stirs Political Speculation
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES

The GOODNESS existing between
President Hoover and Senator
William E. Borah, who was his
staunchest campaign supporter,
was re-emphasized in pointed
fashion today when the Idahoan
made public a thinly-veiled ara
highly caustic attack on the
Administrators fiscal record.
Senator BOrah'S statement con-
stituted a reply to Mr.. HOOver'S
recent assertion that the AdmiuiS-
tratiOn will see to- it that next
years appropriations are SlaShed
some S3OO,OOO,OOO if Congress
will only refrain from going on
a spending spree.
BIames Departments
The fiscal troubles in which
the Administration finds itself
with a deficit of approximately
$500, 100000 in the Treasury this
years. not the fault Of Con-
gress, Borah asserted, but with
the executive departments OF the
Government. In the last Congress,
he pointed out, Congress trimmed
appropriations $25,000,000 under
what Mr.. Hoover recommended in
the budget.
After pointing out that appro-
priations have mounted from
slightly more than a billion dol
lars in 1914 to nearly five bill
lion dollars for the current fiscal
year, Senator Borah declared that
the blame lay not so much on
Congress as with the bureau
cracy being built up" by the
Executive Departments. He con-
tinued:
"The fact is, that Congress
is constantly being besieged by
the Executive Departments for
much larger appropriations
than Congress is willing to
grant"
Slap at Commissions
A pointed thrust at President |
Hoover's penchant for appointing
commissions was contained in the |
Idaho Senator's statement, which
said:
"In the last two years Since
the advent of the Hoover Ad-
miniStratiOn) we have created
2G Government commissions
with their thousands of en-
plOyes. Congress must bear its
portion of the responsibility for
these commissions. But only
one, or possibly two originated
with Congress.
There are now more than
100000 persons in this country
on the public payroll, Senator
Borah pointed out, which means
that every 10 persons gainfully
employed contribute to the support
of one person on the public pay
roll. When the French revolution
broke out, he said, the ratio was
five to one.
High Praise for Coolidge
Senator Borah took another in
direct thrust, at Mr.. Hoover by
pointedly referring to President |
Coolidge as one who really made
a sincere effort to cut down ex-
penditures." He paid no similar
compliment to the present admin
iStratiOn.
Politicians about the Capital
were inclined to attach consider
a Bile significance to Senator
Borah's caustic criticism of the
present trend of things in Wash
ington. TIE intimacy between the
President and the Idaho senator
during the 90 campaign lasted for
about year after the advent of
the new administration. It then
cooled rapidly, and during the
past year Senator Borah has not
crossed the threshold of the White
House save once or twice, and only
then on formal occasions.
Speculation Aroused
Near the close of the last Con-
gress, Senator BOrah was invited
to the White House for discus
sion of legislative matters with the
President, and it was limited that
their difficulties were to be patch
ed up. But the hints never ma
and Senator BOrah'S
statement today rather empha-
sized that the atmosphere between
the two men is still frigid.
All of which may or may not be
in the campaign Of