Evening star., 1939-02-23
Independent Offices
Bill Back in House
With Changes
7. ". A. and F. H. A. Items
Must Be Approved
By Conferees
b the Associated Press.

b the Associated Press.
The $1,898, 100000 independent
offices appropriation bill was back
IN the House side today-returned
by the Senate after two controver-
sial alterations had been made.
The measure contains funds to
operate nearly 40 Federal agencies
during the next fiscal year ending
June 30, 1910.
The chief reason for sending 1t
back to the House was to obtain
agreement on items totaling ST.
100000 to continue construction of
dams by the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority. These were inserted by
the Senate after the House had re-
jected them.
Another alteration of considerable
Importance was the elimination by
the Senate of passage authorizing
the Federal Housing Administration
to use $2,50O0O0 of next years fiscal
funds to meet pay rolls after
March /.
Some Senators contended this was
a violation of the budget law, al
though F. H. A. officials had con-
tended expansion of their duties
had increased expenses and threat
ened to deprive hundreds of en-
ployes of their salaries from March
! to June 80.
Conferees Are Named.
To adjust differences in the bill,
Vice President Garner named the
following Senators to confer with
House committee: Senators Glass,
Democrat, of Virginia. Byrnes,
Democrat, of South Carolina; Rus
sell, Democrat, of Georgia; Adams,
Democrat, of Colorado: McCarran,
Democrat, of Nevada; Hale, Repub-
lican, of Maine, and Townsend, Re-
publican, of Delaware.
The only record vote in the Sen
ate on the huge appropriation meas
ure came when the chamber refused,
49 to 81, to strike out a $4,252,0OO
fund to begin building the Watts
Bar Dam on the Tennessee River.
Although the Senate controversy
centered around the T. v. A., with a
total appropriation of 39,O03 900,
this item was only small portion
Of the total.
Other Appropriations.
Largest appropriations were for
the Veterans Administration, $751;
093.000; Social Security Board, $780,
100000; Maritime Commission, $780,
100000, and authorization to contract
up to $250,OOO,OOO; Civilian Con-
servation Corps, $295 900 900; Rail-
road Retirement Board, $123, ,404. 900;
Civil Service Commission, $91 ,404,-
600, and Rural Identification Ad-
ministration, $42,790,OOO.
Other appropriations included:
Federal Power Commission, $2,715,-
600; Federal Trade Commission,
$2,324, 900; General Accounting Of
flee, IS BOG, $40; Interstate Commerce
Commission, s8,908,O00; National
Labor Relations Board, $3,189, 600;
Securities and Exchange Commits
sion. $5.370,0OO; Home Owners
Loan Corp, s2450O,OOO; Public
Works Administration. s20,0O0,000;
Reconstruction Finance Corp,
S9,ZoU,OUU, ana civil AerOnautlcS
Authority, $21,218OO0.
During the day, Chairman Glass
Of the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee received from Daniel w. Bell,
acting director of the Budget Bu-
reau, reply to his request for
an explanation of the F. H. A.
deficiency.
F. H. A. officials had told the
committee the deficiency arose be-
cause OF Budget Bureau advice.
Mr.. Bells letter said the Budget
Bureau had acted under a provision
Of the anti-deficiency law authoriz-
ing it to waive the usual require
ments as to apportionment of funds
in cases where unforeseen circum-
stances arose.