Evening star., 1933-03-10
CONGRESS WEIGHS
HALF-b|LL|0N CUT
Roosevelt Seeks Dictatorial
Power for Drastic Slash
,,-', in u. S. Costs.
Continued From First PsSe)

xfging that organizations position and
6lans would be issued by noon.
Most of the kilograms to Senator's
called on them to oppose hurried
changes in the law reducing veterans
benefits. , . ANY reduction until the
Joint Congressional Committee reports
= unslterable opposition to grant
ting this dictorial power to the Presi-
dent
The Joint Committee to which the
kilograms referred, composed of five
Senators and five members Of the
House, under the craftsmanship Of Rep
resentative McDuffie, Democrat, Ala
bama, has surveyed veterans benefits In
hearings that opened in December.
Members Disagree.
No report has been made because
members have been unable to agree.
Senator Robinson, Republican. of
Indiana, avowed foe of cutting pay
ments to former soldiers, viii make
q minority report giving his views If
the committee eventually decides to
recommend reductions
Decreases aSgregatinS approximately
$3.50 ,000, 900 were proposed to the COM
-mittee by the Chamber Of Commerce
OF the United States. the National
Economy League and several other Or
ganizations, while the American Legion
and veterans groups opposed any tam
pering with the existing set-up.
Such quick action by the new ad-
mnistration apparently caught Amer
lean Legion ofacials OF guard.
Desperate efforts were being MADE
BY them this morning TO ASCERTAIN de-
tails of the proposed bill. which they
understood was to be presented to Coll
tress this afternoon.
It was only late yesterday afternoon
that Legion leaders fully realized what
was taking place There had been no
indications to them from various sources
consulted that the matter was to be
brought up so Immediately.
kilograms were dispatched at once
to various State Legion departments
urging opposition to giving "dictator1al
authority regarding veterans legtsia-
ton, to the President.
Patmans Position.
At the House of Representatives Rep
Resentative Patman, Democrat, Of Texas.
proponent OF veterans dement's and
+. cash payment of the bonus, told re-
porters: I'VE know certain cuts can
be made but we want them made by
fhe Veterans Committee. which has
been studying this problem and knows
where reductions can be made WIN
Justice"
eve are going to oppose any attempt
10 put such O bill through today. rep
fesentatiye Patman said. land will In
list that it be referred to q committee.
"We are not going to stand for any
act on service-connected disabilities
- Patman said he thought the entire
: Veterans Bureau could he sooiHhsa
10 advantage.
extraordinary measures to expedite
the Rooseyelt proposals to reduce Gov-
eminent expenses and provide employ
ment were decided upon by the House
Democratic leaders.
The stringent rule 0 caucus VIII
be invoked. It was determined, TO bind
the tremendous party majority benand
the Executive.
Representative Byrns OF Tennessee.
the Democratic floor leader, made sne
announcement today ut 1880 an.
Speaker Rainey said that every enort
would be made to enact the two pro-
posals in order that Congress may
recess next Wednesday.
House Democratic leaders have under
consideration q plan to create Q special
budget committee to consider the econo-
my proposals.
They also plan to organise the Labor
Committee to handle the $500, ,000, 600
reforestation employment proposal.
The Ways and Means Committee,
however, will pass on the bond issue
part Of the legislation.
Fsza Based On Tarin Act.
Mr.. Roosevelt's plan ~ to veterans
on i,,An soil tuoa ha cod The
flexible provision OF the tariff act. which
permits the President to increase or
= lower duties en- the basis Of recommen-
dations made by the Tariff Commission.
The compensation to veterans ana
the salaries of Government employees
could be raised or lowered on the value
pf the dollar, under the proposal.
Rainey said that President Roosevelt
"believes that with the savings he can
effect and the passage OF the beer Dill,
that the budget can be balanced. t
Revenue OF about $150,00O, 900 an
nually is expected from the legalization
Of beer.
President Roosevelt's far-hung un-
employment plan for enlisting 500 600
idle men into a civil corps similar to
the Army and placing them In camps
In various parts of the country was
reported virtually ready for submis-
sion to Congress.
Speaker Rainey told newspaper men
such a project would be part Of the
Chief Executives proposal for $780,
100000 bond issue for public works
probably to be dispatched to Congress
tomorrow
The camps would be located at points
strategic to public construction, re-
forestation and reclamation projects, he
soil ho enlisted would he
fed and housed and given compensa-
ton of not to exceed 81 day for their
work.
Mr.. Roosevelt already has outlined
his ideas for one extensive project CEN
tering around Muscle Shoals and has
others in mind.
Camps Strictly Civil.
The camps, Rainry said. would be
patterned. in part. after the unempl0y-
ment camp in New York State in which
the President Is interested. 1t holds
well over 1000 men.
The camps would be strictly civil in
nature and military training would not
be employed, but men could be dis
missed for infractions of camp rules.
A plan initiated previously by 6ena-
tor Couzens, Republican, of Michigan,
to open citizens military training
camps on q year-round basis for ap-
proximately 10000 homeless and unem-
ployed youths between the ages OF is
and 81 was defeated in the closing
hours of the last session.
An item of $22 900 900 for such a
purpose was approved by the Senate
as part of the War Department ap-
preparation bill, but after repeated
reflsals by the House to accept it, was
dropped.
President Roosevelt's plan was de-
scribed as providing that any of the
men employed In the camps and hav-
ing dependents would be required to
send part of their small compensation
to contribute to their support. They
would be allowed to obtain discharges
at any time they could obtain better
jobs.
Rainey said today that. although the
total outlay for such plan would run