Evening star., 1939-03-10
D. T.. S|um Clearance
Loan Item Of $500,000
Eliminated From Bill
Treosury-P. o. Measure
Pared, Cutting Out
A. D. A. Provision
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

BY J. A. OLEARY.
The Senate Appropriations Com
mittee today made a net reduction
of $l662 ,240 in the Treasury-Post
Office supply bill. of which s50O,O0O
was taken from the Alley Dwelling
Authority's slum clearance program
in Washington.
While applying the economy knife
to this measure. however, the COM
mittee added $212,8O0 to the legis-
lative appropriation bill, and Or
dered both bills reported to the
Senate
The Senate's action eliminates
entirely the loan item for the Alley
Dwelling Authority. which already
had been cut by the House from
81 ,OO0,0 900 to S5OOOOO. The loan had
been estimated for in accordance
with the Alley Dwelling Act, which
authorized the agency to borrow
81 900. 900 from the Treasury annu-
ally for five years.
Ample Funds Seen.
1T Is the understanding of the
committee the Senate report stat
ed. that the Alley Dwelling Author
ity has secured loan of $6,60O 900
from the United States Housing Au-
thority, and is negotiating a further
loan of $8,400,000. 1t is the feeling
of the committee that ample funds
will be available to the authority to
demonstrate what they can accom-
plish without an additional loan OF
$500,000, and the committee there
fore recommends that the appro-
priation of $500,000 be disallowed
The biggest cut was in the Public
Health Service, where the fund tor
control Of venereal disease was re-
duced from IS 100000 to $4,000 900.
In the legislative bill. $4,000 was
allowed for structural engineering
study of the roof and skylights of
the Capitol, which Capitol officials
have been informed is in such con-
dition they might not hold up under
heavy snow fall.
For running the Treasury and
Post Office Departments, the revised
bill carries $1,698, 8,929,114, which is
$29, 400 900 under the estimates, but
is $l95, ,487 040 above appropriations
for the current year.
Other Totals.
For the Treasury the Senate total
is S907,73l ,6lO and for the postal
service, $791 1877 ,5O4. The reductions
made in Treasury items were parti-
ally Offset by an increase of 1887 ,82O
in the Post Office Department.
| While the Alley Dwelling Author
ity has obtained loan from the
Housing Authority, the funds it had
expected to borrow from the Treas
ury were for a phase of the alley
rehabilitation program to which the
Housing Authority money cannot be
applied.
Some of the hidden communities
the alley dwelling agency was Gre
ated to red rid of are in downtown
sections, where it is not feasible to
rev lace the old dwellings with new
residential property. In such cases
the agency is authorized by its en-
abling act to redevelop the areas
with appropriate commercial prof.
ects, but the loan obtained from the
Housing Authority cannot be used
Tor that purpose, but only for new
slum-c clearance dwellings.
Inspection Item Raised.
The House had allowed $1,000 for
inspection of the skylights and roof
OF the House and Senate. In raising
the amount to $4,000 the commit
tee directed that the inspection be
under the supervision of one Sena-
tor and one Representative, with
authority to employ engineering ex-
perts.
The Senate restored $51,6OO for
Customs Bureau officials in New
York, whose positions were abolished
by the House bill and their duties
transferred to other officials in the
bureau. The Senate committee felt
the House proposal presented a
question requiring new legislation.
The committee also removed a re-
striction the House had placed or
expenses of the Intelligence Unit of
the Internal Revenue Bureau and
also restored to the Federal Alcohol
Administration $25,000 for its in
spection service. The committee sug-
gested legislation to require distil-
lerles to pay annual fees for permit
renewals to make the Alcohol Ad-
mlnlstration lf-sustaining. Fees
that would bring in $500,O0 a year
were suggested. Such fees also would
apply to wholesalers, rectifiers and
importers.
Coast Guard Increase.
The Coast Guard was given an
increase of 1886, $40 for improving it's
stations, including the construction
OF two long-range airplaneS for off,
shore rescue work.
The increases in the postal service
were generally for employment of
personnel and miscellaneous ex-
penSeS.
The Senate committee restored a
$35 900 cut the House had made in
the appropriation for the Govern
ment Printing ONCE.