Evening star., 1932-04-19
M'DUFF|E PREDICTS
CONGRESS PAY CUT
IN HOOvER'S PLAN
Chairman Says Committee
Can't Find Way to FurIough
House and Senate.
SAYS PRESIDENT LEFT
PROBLEM TO PROBERS
Staggered Plan of Employment to
Be Presented in New
Measure.

Chairman McDuff1e said today the
Special House Economy Committee had
not yet been able to determine how
President Hoovers furlough plan could
be adapted to Senators and Representa-
tives, and it looked like the members
OF Congress will have to take a cut" in
pay.
McDufie added the House would have
an opportunity next week to vote its
choice between a fiat salary cut and
the hve-day work week and furlough
plan proposed by the President. The
omnibus bill will be presented as an
amendment to the legislative supply
bill, which carries salaries for members
of Congress.
We are trying to perfect the Presi-
dents plan, but find it can not be wen
aoapted to the legislative branch of the
government" the chairman said. I'VE
nave yet TO ind out how to furlough
senator or member Of the House.
Expects to Take Cut.
mo wonder the President did not
submit that in his program He left it
10 the committee. 1t looks to me like
the members of Congress will have to
take a cut, even if the Hoover stagger-
ing plan OF employment is adopted"
/ McDuf1e favorS an IL per cent fat
cut on all Federal salaries above 81 900,
estimated to save $67 100000.
He explained the committee was CIV
ing Iurther study to the Presidents fur
lough plan, lin an effort to get it into
shape for some Republican member of
the committee to present it as a substi-
tute for my proposition"
we want to give the House an op-
said.
Changes under consideration in the
PRESIDENTS plan propose a fiat reduc.
ton OF 10 per cent, without any ex-
emptlon, on salaries of members of
congress. This would reduce their nav
$1,000 instead Of $500, as under the
McDufne plan. A fiat reduction of ga
per cent Is contemplated in the clerk
auoWance to members of Congress and
In the salaries of congressional EN-
Ployes. This figure was based on the
FreSident's 30-day furlough plan, which
W0uio result In reduction of about
813 per cent.
Meanwhile Congress now stands ytr-
tually committed to a program of re-
ouction In expenditures more drastic
than its most sanguine members really
had expected to achieve.
Three Reductions Voted.
Three actions brought this about.
The unheard-of procedure in the House
OF accepting without conference the
| whole 10 per cent cut made by the
Senate in the Interior Department ap-
preparation bill: the instruction of the
Senate to its Appropriations Committee
to cut 10 per cent on the TreaSury-Post
Office supply measure, and the Senate's
approval of 81 100000 reduction in the
prohibition enforcement fund.
Acceptance of the Interior bill amend
ments, accompanied by Speaker Gamers
statement that ne favored the same
| treatment for the rest Of the big money
bills, was opposed by only AZ members,
although it involved approval of such
stupendous cuts as a reduction to S6,-
10000 in the Hoover Dam construc-
tion fund, from the original $10,00O,000
requested by the budget.
When the Senate ordered the Treas
ury-Post Office cut it passed the most
difficult hurdle in the 10 per cent re-
duction program, opposition having
centered largely on that one bill.
Today another sharply trimmed ap-
propriation measure was before the
House, the one for the Navy, ordered
taken up in place Of the appropriation
for Congress itself. The latter bill was
put aside for a week at least, to give
the special Economy Committee time
to perfect an amendment carrying the
entire retrenchment program OF pay
reductions abolition and consolidation
of Federal activities.
Adams Backs Economy Move.
Secretary Adams today announced
support of the Vinson bill to abolish
the Office of Assistant Secretary OF the
Navy for Aeronautics.
; In proposing a study of the adv1sa-
bility of consolidating the Budget Bu-
reau and the General Accounting once,
Senator Reed, Republican, Of Pennsyl-
yania introduced a resolution yesterday
criticizing both of these agencies. Inc
resolution was referred for report to the
Committee on Expenditures in Eexecu-
tive Departments, of which Senator
Steiwer, Republican, of oregon is chair
man. Senator Reeds Resolution read
as follows:
''Whereas there have been numerous
complaints of unreasonable delays IN
disposal of matters referred TO the
General Accounting Office Of arbitrary
and contradictory opinions from tne
comptroller general of the United states
on points of law, of friction between
the General Accounting Once ana the
executive departments; and
Whereas the Bureau of Budget has
failed to effect economies for which 1t
was designed or to reduce executive es-
Inmates to the point necessitated by an
unbalanced budget; and
whereas the General Accounting
Office and the Bureau Of the Budget
are alike charged by law with respon-
sibility for promoting economy and Ell
iciency in public expenditures: There
fore be it
Senate Report Asked.
Resolved, that the Committee on
Expenditures in the Executive Depart
ments of the Senate be directed to
study the question of consolidating and
reorganizing the general accounting
Office and the Bureau Of the Budget
under a single administrative head, re-
Sponsible to Congress or TO the Pres1-
dent, and to report its recommends
tions to the Senate at the earliest prac-
ticable date"
John Thomas Taylor, vice president
of the National Legislative Committee
of the American Legion, has sent PRO-
tests to members of Congress against
the Presidents proposal to cut off $780,
900, 900 in benefits to the veterans.
The American Legion urges you to
vote against these arbitrary cuts in the
benefits to the disabled" Taylor wrote.