Evening star., 1939-05-28

Before the House and Senate pack up
to go home this summer they probably
will have made this another $1O,OOO,-
000. 1000 session, If not more, despite the
much-heralded economy drive with
which the Seventy sixth Congress got
under way
In January and February the advo-
Gates Of economy, fresh from an elec-
ton in which the Democratic majorities
were reduced in both houses, marched
forth to battle the unbalanced budget
as a means of reassuring business.
Brayely they opened the combat by
looping $150,000, 600 from President
Roosevelt's first relief estimate, to keep
w. P. A. going until July /, and it began
to look as though the philosophy of
spending the Nation back to normal was
falling into decline
But today, after five months in the
legislative trenches, the outlook for the
budget-balancing army is anything but
rosy. Temporarily, at least, it has been
pushed back behind the original skirm-
ish line. An unofficial survey of the
appropriation bills to date shows that
the economy drive met its waterloo
in the Senate on farm benefit payments
and in the House on the War Depart
ment's civil functions bill. which deals
with rivers and harbors and flood con-
troll
OF course, the battle is not yet over,
since congressional action is incomplete
on both of these major questions, and it
still remains to be seen what the House
and Senate will do with the Presidents
request for a $1,762 400 900 work relief
bill for the year commencing July l. 1t
will take nothing short of a major
counter attack, however. in the remain
ing six or eight weeks, to leave the
economizers with much to show for their
1899 record.
Two days ago, the supporters of re-
trenchment on the Senate Approprla-
tions Committee launched a new Of
fensive when they succeeded in striking
out $49, ,995 900 the House had added to
budget estimates in the civil functions bill
for flood control and rivers and harbors.
They did it by such a narrow margin,
however, it is still entirely possible this
cut may be restored on the floor of the
Senate this week.
Five Supply Bills Passed.
OF the 10 regular supply bills for the
new 1910 fiscal year only five have be-
come law, leaving five others in various
unfinished stages of enactment. 1t is
too early, therefore, to say what the
final outcome will show
But unofficial calculations indicate that
as these 10 bills now stand (allowing for
possible changes in five of them Con-
gress has gone $348 300, 900, net, above
the budget estimates.
If the Senate committee cut for civil
functions holds. the record would still
stand at $500 ,000, 900 above the budget
And even if the Senate sustains the civil
functions reduction, it is still subject tr
possible restoration in conference.
This does not mean there has been nc
trimming OF the budget figures. On the
contrary, in eight of these bills a tenta
tive aggregate of more than s76. 500 .OOC
has been trimmed from the budget, q
part OF which is still subject to action by
the Senate or in conference between the
two houses.
As against this pruning here and there
throughout the departments, however
consider what happened on the other
two bills.
The heaviest blow to the economy bloc
came three weeks ago, when the Senate
added farm benefit payments to the reg
ular agricultural supply bill, which ran
it s376540,000 above the budget esti-
mates, making the total of the measure
81 2l8 ,666,000. The Senate increase con-
sisted mainly of the following: For par
ity payments on cotton, corn, wheat, to-
bacco and rice, $225 900 900; for surplus
crop disposal, $4,000, 900, and for farm
tenancy, 25,0OO,0 ,000
Earlier in the session the House had
beaten back the effort to add the parity
payment and crop surplus amendments
and the debate in that body few days
ago, before sending the measure to con-
ference. indicated the farm battle is not
over The showdown will come when the
conferees bring the Senate amendments
back to the House for vote. If the
House should again reject the farm ben
eft funds, or succeed in reducing them
substantially. it would, OF course, go a
long way toward saving the economy bloc
from finishing the session with its back
to the wall.
SAG, 900 Added.
The civil functions bill, dealing with
the non-military public works of the
Army Engineer Corps, left the House
carrying $49, 500 900 more than the budg-
ct had recommended. Whether 1t will
be further increased, or pared down,
awaits decision by the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee.
Thus, combining the agricultural and
civil functions bills, one branch of Con-
gress or the other, has voted to add ap-
proximately $426,OOO,OOO that was not in
the budget. Making allowance for the
$76,500,000 shaved from budget figures
g.