Evening star., 1932-11-27
bingham TO HEAD
ECONOMY PROBE
Senate Subcommittee to
Meet Thursday to Map
Plans for New Savings.
Continued From First Page.)

of obtaining this co-ordinated data.
1t will be within the scope of the
subcommittee's inquiry to consider how
the payless furlough for all Government
employees has worked during the present
fiscal year and whether it should be
revised.
The forthcoming study of the subject
will offer an opportunity for the con-
sideration of changes in some OF the
sections of the present economy law
which have led to complaint. or which
have proved difficult of administration.
Married Employees Status.
One section of the present law which
has provoked controversy is the pro-
vision requiring married persons to be
dismissed first when a reduction In
force is necessary if the husband OF
wife also is employed in some branch
of the Government.
While steps may be taken to correct
inequalities in the economy act as it
now stands. there are certain to be a
variety of suggestions for further econ
omies, judging by the statements of a
number of Senators who have already
returned to Washington. What form
these new proposals will take, or how
much of total saving will be attempt
ed is speculative until the economy sub
committee gets down to work, begin
ming Thursday.
Ali of the big annual appropriation
bills now being worked out in subcom-
mittees of the House Appropriations
Committee-the Treasury, Post ONCE,
State. Justice. Commerce and Labor,
Agriculture, Army and Interior Depart
ment bills-are based on a continual
tion of the Legislative furlough" sys-
TEN Of cutting Government salaries 815
per cent.
Budget estimates submitted carry that
percentage cut throughout the entire
Federal service.
Budget Estimates Cut.
Since the budget figures were SUBJ
mitted to the House Appropriations
Committee to be worked upon in ad-
vance of the formal presentation of the
budget to Congress by the President
and following the economy conference
of the President with his cabinet more
than a week ago, the earlier budget esti-
mates have been quite heavily cut, espe-
cially in the figures for the postal
service.
While the budget items are all still held
strictly secret, the hearings held thus far
have shown considerable feeling among
members Of Congress that the Budget
Bureau should be legislative rather
than an executive agency, because the
members Of the Presidents cabinet, who
are the departmental heads, are closer
to the Executive than the chief CT the
Budget Bureau. An effort may be made
in the coming Congress to make this
shift In the budget system as part OF
the plan for efficient economy through
,, reorganization Of the Government
| service
Some CT those who have been at
tending the hearings are pointing out
that the President failed in the budget
this year to take account Of economic;
ordered in the economy bill passed at
, the close of the last session and i'm
pounded. Congress appropriated cer-
| tain moneys and then impounded part
! of such amounts. But in the present
budget, it Is claimed, the President takes
the entire amount appropriated for use
as a comparison with the amount he
asks in the new budget estimates.
Slash in Civilian Items.
It is also emphasized that in Army
and Navy appropriation bills it will be
| the civilian items that will be slashed
| heavily rather than the military items
| To illustrate-suppose the cut in mill
| tary items on its face value is a re-
duction of $4,000, 900, of which $12.-
| 0,00O was ordered in the economy bill
the remaining .c 100000 cut is rela-
lively small matter. On the other hand
| if the civilian or non-military items
show a reduction of IS per cent, II
| means, members Of the committee argue
| that the rivers and harbors, flood con-
troll and other public works programs
are to be slashed heavily, while the
military appropriations would remain
about the same, not even taking into
consideration the greater purchasing
power of the dollar.
In drafting the appropriation bills
| the House Committee is going ahead
on a strict economy and retrenchment
program.