Evening star., 1938-02-17
FOUR j. s. UNITS
TO SPEND MORE
Department Supply Bill,
Given House, Exceeds
Current Expenses.

lot CAe SLaCe, JUSTICE, COIuEscfCc huu
Labor Departments were provided IN
the "four-department" appropriation
bill, reported to the House today. The
total is $2,172, ,799 more than the cur
rent appropriations and $l,838,54 less
than the budget recommendations.
BY departments, the appropriations
are: Commerce, S46,899, $50, an in
crease over current appropriations Of
$3,511,318 and $116,940 above the
budget estimate; Justice, $42, 2,229, ,745,
an increase over current appropria-
tions Of $742.415, but decrease of
s1,433,456 under the budget recon-
mendation; Labor. s24,332 $50, an in
crease of 1851 ,030 over current ap-
preparations and decrease of $112,-
S10 under budget recommendations +;
State, $l6,608,750, a decrease of 81
731 ,963.32 under current appropria-
tions and decrease of S409, ,220.73
under the budget recommendations.
For the first time the appropriations
for District Court and the United
States Court of Appeals for the Dis
trict of Columbia were listed under
the Justice Department budget The
court fund is $27,260, which is SAT-, ,305
less than the current appropriations
and $500,805 less than the budget
estimate. The big decrease is due to
inclusion Of salaries for judges and
employees, fees of jurors and wit
nesses, pay of bailiffS, printing and
binding and miscellaneous expenses in
the lump sum appropriations for the
courts under the Justice Department.
Courthouse Repairs Cut.
The courts item includes s16,26O
for repairs and improvements to the
District Courthouse, which is $3,4l5
less than the current appropriation
and s84O less than the budget recon-
mendation. For repairs to the United
States Court of Appeals Building
$1,000 is provided, which is $6,500
more than the present appropriation
and $825 less than the budget recon-
mendation.
Previously the expenses of the two
District courts, it was explained by
Chairman Mcmillan of the subcom-
mittee in charge of the bill. had been
appropriated in the District Appro-
priations Act. Any doubt, he said,
whether these courts were Federal
courts in every sense of the term
has now been dissipated as result
of the recent Supreme Court decision.
The Budget Bureau, at the recon-
mendation of the Attorney General,
transferred these appropriations from
the District bill to the Justice bill.
As submitted by the budget, the ap-
preparations for these courts appear
under 10 heads The committee saw
no reason, Chairman Mcmillan fur
ther explained, why these appro-
priations should not be consolidated
with the general appropriations pro-
viding salaries and expenses for all
Federal district and appellate courts.
Only Two Items Separate.
This, grouping has been made, with
the result that only the two items
mentioned above for repairs and up
keep of each Of these two court
buildings have been retained as sep
arate appropriations.
The Appropriations Committee ac-
cepted the language submitted in the
budget estimate providing that the
District shall pay for proportionate
share of the expenses of each one of
these courts, based upon the approxi-
mate ratio of local cases to Federal
cases.
The bill as recommended carries
$270000 for the National Training
School for Boys in Washington. which
is $4,000 more than the current
appropriation and s18,66O less than the
budget figures
Nearly the entire increase over the
1888 appropriations for the four de-
partments in encompaSsed in one con-
tract authorization approved by the
last Congressional of S2,000,00O in
serted in the appropriations for the
Bureau of Air Commerce in order that
that bureau might proceed to contract
for the installation of additional air
navigation aids.
Auto Amounts Set at S1,8O0.
In reporting the bill, the Appropria-
tions Committee standardizes the
amount allowed for the purchase of
automobiles for cabinet officers at
$1,000 instead of $2,5O0, including
exchange of an old car which had
previously been allowed. The bill
carries appropriations for new cars
for the Secretaries of Commerce and
Labor and the Attorney General.
Chairman Mcmillan said the same
limitation will be placed in other ap-
preparation bills which carry funds
for purchase of automobiles for cab
met members.
Travelling expenses for these de-
partments have been consolidated un-
der the immediate supervision of the
head of each department. Hearings
before the committee showed that
during the first six months of the
current fiscal year by such an ar
rangement in three departments where
the experiment was tried, a total saw
Ing OF travelling costs of approximately
100000 was made.