The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-26

man and asks how about cutting A
 couple of billion dollars off the ap- propriations, as Albert w. Hawkes., president of the U. s. Chamber and others have suggested, the usual answer is, That's an interesting idea what would you suggest we cut? We're always open to proposals for economy"
 So 1t isn't just the $5,985 900 900 second lease-lend request that the Appropriations Committee Is con- sidering now with dead pan serious ness, but 1T other items totaling $2l9, ,832, ,484,39. These are requests from various government depart- ments that have accumulated with the Appropriations Committee since the new fiscal year began July l.
 n IN
 THE RED
 The sad fact is that 17 govern ment departments have already run behind on their estimates. for tho current year and they want more dough. So the Appropriations Com- mittee has figured 1t will tack these $219 million on to the $5,985 million lease-lend request and pass the whole thing as one bill. And why notp For why worry about such little thing as $2l9 million for do- nestle use when you're appropriat- ing nearly $5 billion for lease- -lend?
 Chairman Cannon gives every as- surance that the Appropriation Committee Is fully aware of It's re- sponsibility to scrutinize every item on every bill. The $985 million lease- lend bill, you are assured, has al- ready been cut twice-cut Go the bone. The concept of any appropria- tion, no matter how accustomed 1t was in the first place, being cut to the bone and still having only SIS million less than $6 billion remain ing as the bone rather staggers your imagination.
 As for the $2lo million-plu being requisioned for domestic use and tackled onto the lease-lend appro- priation bill just to get 1t passed, there are some interesting items. NEEDS SHOOTING IRONS
 Biggest item is a request of $l20,- ee6,000 from the Navy for ordnance and ordnance stores. Well, If the ] Navy is to shoot on sight. 1t prob ably needs something to shoot with. |
 Then the Tennessee Valley Au- thority wants $40 million for its big | dam deal, so 1t can make more elec- | tricity to make more aluminium.
 The treasury wants $25 million for | the Coast Guard and the Office of | Scientific Research and Develop | ment wants just under $17 million | for the purposes best stated in their respective names. Since both of these are defense measures, they'll probably 90 through without ques- ton.
 Next in size on the list is @ re- quest for an appropriation for sun- dry Items you know, needles, | pins, maybe new broom or dust | pan to keep house with. This re- quest comes from Harold Ickes' De- partment of the Interior, and for | these Sundry items all that is re- 4uCoIGQ Ao piG,SoV, tTO'oO. NlMASo NylUkl~ | erspoon, please make Q note to fol- | low up on this and see what Harold | wants that 39 cents for. Here, cer- tainly, is one item that can be cut.)
 This sundry item business even | goes over into the sedate State De. partment, usually one of the most frugal of all federal offices, but which must now have an additional $3032,S0 = for sundry items.
 The smallest item on the list is a request for a paltry $l4,385 for the National Mediation Board, the out 1t on which rests the responsibility for preventing a railroad strike, If permitted to come off, would tie the defense effort and the whole coun- try in 14.385 different kinds of knots.
 Tn view of all the billions and millions that are being asked for in this appropriation bill, don't you suppose, if you wrote your congress man real hard, he'd vote another $15 for few boxes of cigars for the National Mediation Board, just to make their appropriation come out even at $14,4O0?