Evening star., 1932-04-14
.ASHURST ASSA|LS
'PENNY-P|NCH|NG'
DepIores Plan to CurtaiI
Funds for Public Buildings
and Roads.

Efforts to reduce the pay of Govern
ment employees and suggestions for the
curtailment of funds for the public
building and road construction pro-
grams were deplored in the Senate to-
day by Senator Ashurst, Democrat, of
Arizona, who urged Congress not to
resort to "penny-pinching cheese-par-
ing" economy.
The question OF holding down Gov
ernment expenditures came up when
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat, of Ten
nessee. moved to instruct the Appro-
priations Committee to cut the Treas
ury-Post Office bill 10 per cent below
the House total, as has already been
done on two other supply bills
This bill carries S108 900 900 for con-
tinuing the public building program, of
which not to exceed $l5,000,0O0 would
be for Federal buildings in Washington.
johnson Discusses Plan.
Senator johnson, Republican, of Cali
fornia. discussing the McKellar motion
said that one day there is talk OF
curing unemployment, partly through
a building program, and the next day
there is talk of cutting down q part
Of the appropriations. He said there
was nothing wrong with changing q
policy but suggested Congress would
be putting itself in a paradoxical posi-
ton.
Senator McKellar argued there was
no purpose to overturn the buildine
program, but to cut down slightly on
Government expenditures. Calling at
tention again to the large deficit ir
the Treasury, Senator McKellar said
he did not know where the money
was coming from unless there is gov
e>nmental economy
Senator Ashurst, joining the views
expressed oy Senator johnson, declared
no constructive step toward curing un-
employment has been taken since Con-
greSs met in December He advocated
bond issue to permit the continuation
of the public building and Federal road
construction program as means oi
putting men to work.
Sees Early Absorption.
He predicted such a bond issue oi
four or five billion dollars would be alb
sorbed in II days at par.
Senator johnson said he understood
10 per cent of the men In the Post
ONCE Department are on salaries that
Congress cannot cut He INQUIRED
therefore, II it was the intention in this
department. 10 apply a 10 cent cut tc
the appropriation for 80 per cent of the
employees
Senator McKellar replied that instead
OF cutting off salaries of employees he
would favor making the 10 per cent
saving by reducing postal subsidies He
said he was particularly opposed to cut
ting the lower salaries.
Senator johnson replied that If that
was the plan, the Senate could act on
the subsidy items itself and there would
be no need for the adoption of the 10
per cent order for the committee.
Senator McKellar answered that his
experience in trying to reduce items in
the Agricultural bill when it reached
the floor had demonstrated the difficulty
OF trying to obtain economy in that
wav.
The Senate is debating this after
noon on the State, Justice, Com
merce and Labor appropriation bill,
having passed the Interior bill late yes
terday, with reductions which brought
1t down to approximately $4,000, 900,
or 10 per cent below the House total
The same gross reduction Of 10 per
cent has been made by the Appropria-
tions Committee in the State, Justice,
Commerce and Labor bill, in accord
ance with instructions given it by the