Evening star., 1940-04-05
Economy Advocates
In House Face Hard
Fight Over Relief
$500, ,000, 900 Increase
Proposed i, $685., 600, 900
Fund for W. P. A.
BY the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
House economy advocates were
rolling up their sleeves today for one
of the toughest bouts of the ses-
sion-a battle to prevent a $500, ,OOO,-
600 increase in the proposed $685.
100000 w. P. A. fund.
Relief moved to the top of the
card after the House yesterday
passed the s784 4999.O94 Army bill,
the last of the sessions II regular
appropriation bills. AS approved by
the House, these measures provide
for total expenditures of $6,120,123,-
932
This far, the House has managed
to hold spending below President
Roosevelt's budget estimates, with
a single exception. It jolted the
economy program only on the Labor
Department-Federal Security bill,
tacking on about s67,OO0,OOO pri-
marily for the c. C. C. and the Ma
tional Youth Administration.
In several instances, however, the
Senate already has boosted the
House figures.
On the relief question, the move
for heavier spending found support
In both House and Senate.
Pepper Opens Relief Drive.
No sooner had House Appropria-
tions Subcommittee started hearings
on the w. P. A. estimates yesterday
than Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida launched an effort to add
$15O000, 900 to the current years re-
lief fund of $1.477 100000.
Senator Pepper asserted the in
crease was needed Immediately to
prevent real suffering" before June
30-when next years relief money
becomes available.
The House committee heard Col.
F. G. Harrington, w. P. A. chief.
outline the present relief situation
and explain how the $685. 900 ,O0O-
the amount W. P. A. would get under
President Roosevelt's tentative relief
estimate Of SLIPS, 900 ,0O0-would be
used.
Col. Harrington testified behind
closed doors, but afterward some
committee members said the $685.
100000 would carry an average of
100000 persons on w. P. A. rolls
for the year starting July /. That
would mean, they said. a reduction
of approximately 100000 from the
total on the rolls this month.
1t is to Offset large-scale reduc-
tions that the boost-relief- funds
movement has started. Legislators
from urban districts said the move
ment had a good chance of getting
its objective
In approving the huge Army bill
without a roll call, the House not
only sustained its Appropriations
Committee in slashing SGT 1857 $50
from the amount recommended by
President Roosevelt, but trimmed
off an additional $1,000 900 intended
to buy more land for Fort Knox, KY.
$66,474,151 Less for Army.
AS finally approved, the measure
carried $66.474,151 less than the
Army had for the current fiscal year.
Almost half Of the huge fund
voted yesterday was earmarked for
pay, food, clothing and transporta-
ton of the expanding Army and for
new construction at military posts.
In addition, the measure carried
approximately $103, 10000 for NUM-
tions, including $61 .25O,0OO for So
called critical items of equipment
such as anti-aircraft artillery, tanks,
antl-tank guns. semi-automatic
rifles and heavy artillery; $12,0O0,-
600 for seacoast defenses, including
fixed and mobile coastal guns, and
$l8,500,000 for new motor vehicles
for the Regular Army and National
Guard
The bill carried a total of $685.
762 1852 for the Air Corps, but that
included funds for only 81 new
planes. The Army originally re-
quested money for 1876 planes, mostly
for rotating reserve" but the
War Department. agreed that the
rapidly expanding productive Ca
pacity of the Nations aircraft in
dustry made large plane reserve
unnecessary.
just before final passage of the
bill, the House swamped a pro-
posal by Representative Marcan-
tonic, American Labor, of New York
to send the measure back to the
Appropriations Committee for a
horizontal cut of 10 per cent. Acting
Speaker Rayburn, Democrat, of
Texas announced the standing vote
Of the motion as 178 to II.