Evening star., 1938-01-16

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through the General Accounting Of
f1ce. The House committee had taken
. the view that. regardless of the mer-
its of the group health movement,
the allotment was not authorized by
law and expressed the view such ex-
penditures should not hereafter be
made without specific legal author
ity.
May Ask Fund Reduction.
So far as could be learned. the Sen
ate subcommittee did not consider it
necessary yesterday to add to the
House provision already in the bill, to
. require General Accounting Office re-
view of next years expenditures.
There were reports last night, how
ever, that the Senate subcommittee
may recommend substantial reduc-
ton in the s2s.0O0,Oo0 limitation on
administrative expenses of H. o. L. c.
for the next fiscal year
There were indications also that the
subcommittee is recommending reduc-
tlons in the items for rural electrifica-
tion and the Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics, and restoration of a
. House cut in the Tennessee Valley
Authority appropriation. 1t is under
stood the Senate group did not re-
store House cut of more than $780,
600 in administrative expenses of the
Social Security Board.
Principal Not Abandoned,
Although the move to give the Pres
ident Item veto" power Immediately
through the Weodrum amendment to
this appropriation bill, appears dead
as the result of yesterdays develop
ments, it does not mean that the
principle of empowering the President
to disapprove part of bill has been
abandoned.
On the contrary, some members OF
%the Appropriations Subcommittee IA
vor the proposal but believe it re-
quires change in the Constitution,
or, at least, legislative measure out
lining its terms more specifically
The amendment the Senate group
rejected yesterday was sponsored in
the House by Representative Wood
rum, Democrat. of Virginia and pro-
vided that. with the exception of vet
erans' compensation, the President
could, by executive order. eliminate
all or part of any appropriation item
IN this or any other supply bill, such
. order to take effect so days after SUBJ
mission to Congress.
Hearings to BE Held.
Efforts to give the President item
veto power will be continued before
Judiciary Subcommittee. which will
hold hearings January 81, on pro-
posals to accomplish it by constitu-
tional amendment. Senators Nc
Carran and Vandenberg have sepa-
rate constitutional amendments pend
ing.
Senator McCarran. who has been ad-
vocating such a change in the Con-
stitution since 1884, has written te
Chairman Dieterich of the Judiciary
Subcommittee, emphasizing the point
that any constitutional amendment
looking to relieve the Executive from
signing items in appropriation bills
to which he could not properly give
his sanction, should provide specifi-
cally that the disapproval or objec.
ton OF the Executive as to any par
ticular item or as to one or more Of
such items" should be made at the
time he signs the bill.
Senator McCarran then pointed Out
that the Woodrum amendment in the
Independent Offices bill would allow
the President to disapprove individual
items after he had signed the bill
Such provision, Mr.. McCafrsn wrote
y without constitutional sanction
Although the filibuster against the
anti-lynching bill is still in progres.
IN the Senate, the independent of.
aces appropriation bill probably viii
be given the right Of way this week
u It Il reported from committee to-
morrow.