Evening star., 1932-01-20
Individually Opposed to Blan-
ket Provision in Agricul-
turaI Measure.
HOOVER Is AGAINST
GENERAL REDUCTION
Would Agree to Some slashes, How
ever, in Interest Of
Economy.

The Houe Rules Committee Is pre-
pared to turn down the request of Rep
resentative Will r. Wood, former chair
man Of the House Appropriations Com
mittee, for a special rule making in
order on the agricultural appropriation
bill now before the House blanket
provision for reduction in salaries
throughout the Government service ap-
plicable on all other departmental ap-
preparation bills as a limitation.
Although Representative Wood has
not yet furnished in writing to Chair
man Pou of the Rules Committee his
statement, and although no discussion
on the subject has been had by the
Rules Committee and no meeting OF the
Rules Committee has been called to
consider this question, it is authorlta-
t,vely forecast that the Rules Commit
tee will decline to grant special RUE
along this line.
Individually Approved.
Members of, the House Rules Com
mittee individually, and as they nave
discussed the question among them-
selves, informally are pretty well agreed
that they will decline to grant any sucn
blanket rule especially applicable TO an
appropriation bill.
Their attitude will be that If a vote
in the House Is desired upon the ques-
ton of salary reduction and II actlon
by the rules committee Is needed 10
give privileged status to such le8lSia-
tion the matter must come before the
Rules Committee as an independent
measure and only after consideration
and hearing before the proper COM
mittee to which such legislation should
be referred.
In other words, the Rules Commit
tee members believe that the ques-
ton Of pay-cut legislation should be
thrashed out on it's merits. They think
it should be dealt with in the House
as a subject entirely by itself and not
as a legislative rider on any appropri-
alton bill. They believe that the House
would stultify itself in acting or In
sending to the Senate any bill OF SO
much Importance and so highly con-
troversial unless through hearings and
a report from the proper legislative
committee the House would be able TO
give reasons for its action and definite
detailed information, which Is not now
available.
Unaffected by TabIing.
The fact that the House Committee
on expenditures in the executive de-
partments has tabled the four bills intro
duced providing for slashing into the
Government pay roll will not affect the
Rules Committee in its decision not TO
grant Mr.. Woods application for a
blanket permit. which would give him
a short cut toward forcing vote in the
House on this question.
It can be stated positively that the
Republican members of the House and
the Democratic members in a big ma
jority support the Presidents position
that there should be no blanket re-
duction of salaries in the Government
service. The leaders and parliamentary
authorities both on the Republican and
Democratic sides are prepared to oppose
any effort to place on the appropriation
Hoover Against General Cut.
President Hoover was represented to-
day as welcoming any further reduc-
ton in the Governments budget and
will seriously study proposals with this
object in view, but that he still main
tains his position of opposing Federal
pay reductions If there is any likelihood
of lowering the efficiency or morale Of
the Government.
1t was stated in the Presidents be-
half that his attitude is not new one
and that he has made it known for a
long time. His first desire is for re-
ducing the expenses of the Government
as much as possible and to go as far as
possible In order to meet the Treasury
deficit, but that he will not con-
sent to slashing so literally as to
impair the functionlng of the Govern
ment.
Opposes General Cut.
Moreover, Mr. Hoover is known to be
opposed to any plan providing for a
general cut In salaries of employees. To
more than one person he has made his
position in this connection perfectly
clear, but, in the interests of economy,
it is thought that he might agree to
wage reductions in individual cases.
In this connection Mr.. Hoover, who,
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