Evening star., 1932-04-05
PRESIDENT INSISTS
ON JOINT BOARD TO
MAP EXPENSE CUTS
Sees No Way to Obtain
Maximum Reduction With
out Committee.
LEGISLATION OFFERED
TO CARRY OUT PROPOSAL
Jones Sponsors Measure in Senate.
Billion-Dollar Revenue Bill
Received From House.

Answering congressional attacks upon
his economy suggestions, President Hoo
yer said today that without the crea-
tion Of a joint congressional executive
committee to consider the question, he
could "see no way by which there can
be a maximum reduction of expendi-
tures."
Only a short while before, Speaker
Garner had told newspaper men that
If the President sent to the Capitol
specific suggestions for cutting Federal
cash outlays, the House would approve
them and do it quickly.
Mr. Hoover, at his semi-weekly press
conference, outlined three general di-
rections" in which he believes Federal
expenses may be reduced by as much
as S200, 900, 900 in an effort to balance
the budget in conjunction with the new
tax bill
Urged Step Seven Times.
Referring to one of these, reorgan-
ization and consolidation of Govern
ment functions, he asserted he had rec
commended such step seven distinct
times, but that "the action recon-
rnended has not been taken"
The other two directions were direct
reduction of appropriations and altera-
ton of existing laws to reduce present
unnecessary functions.
In the Senate, Chairman Jones of the
Appropriations Committee introduced
legislation to carry out the presidential
suggestion for a commission to go into
the e~question.
Speaker Garner, in guaranteeing
House action on specific administration
proposals, said: IF Mr.. Hoover has moth
ing to recommend, that is different
matter and it is mighty late in the
session for him to try to get anything
done through commission"
win Be Referred to Committee.
In order to achieve prompt results,
the Jones resolution provides that the
proposed commission report its findings
to Congress within 30 days from the
passage of the resolution. The reSolu-
ton was not taken up Immediately, but
must be referred to the Committee on
Expenditures in the Executive DEPART
ments
Senator Jones proposes that the COM
. mission be composed of nine members.
Three would be Senators, appointed by
the Vice President three Representa-
tives, appointed by the Speaker of the
House, and three selected by the Presi-
dent.
At his press conference today Mr..
Hoover sought to explain more definite
ly his reasons for calling upon Congress
for appointment Of the special COM
mission to cooperate in drawing up
an economy program. He said he was
merely asking for what he considers
an organized non-partisan cooperation
by all the forces of the Government to
reduce expenses.
The President contended further
that what he described as the National
emergency insistentfy demands relief
for the taxpayer and that there must
be some definite plan to cut down ex-
penses.
Presidents Statement.
The Presidents statement follows:
What I asked for in my message
yesterday was organized, non-partisan
cooperation by ell forces to reduce
Government expenses in the national
emergency, which insistently demands
relief for the taxpayer.
There are three general directions In
which expenses can be reduced:
First The direct reduction of appro-
priations within the authority of eX-
iSting laws creating and specifying va
rious activities of the Government.
"A definite program to this end was
placed before Congress in the executive
budget proposals, in which there was
a reduction of 1868, 100000 for the
forthcoming year. I welcome and hope
for further cuts by the Congress pro-
viding such reductions do not destroy
essential functions, and that they are
genuine and do not merely represent
postponed appropriations until de-
ficiency bills next December.
''Second-There are a large number
of expenditures within the bureaus and
departments which cannot be reduced
without a change in the laws so that
the Executive or the Appropriations
Committees can reduce such expendi-
lures.
Many Suggestions Made.
In this direction the departments
heads have appeared before many dif-
ferent committees in Congress in the
last months and have pointed out a
Continued on Page 2, Column g.