The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-01-12


 EdsOn duller read n g than amail-order catalog and while i it's sedative qualities might make 1t the perfect companion for an air raid shelter, it is not recommended as substitute for whodunit?
 Of course it takes book of these Chicago telephone directory, bull choking proportions to account for ways in which $5 billion might be sepnt and a national debt of $l10 billion be accumula ted by July l, 1943. It takes in such wide variety of items-thousands of them. On page 573, for instance, you learn that the Department of the Inter for contemplates spending only $135 O00 next year, instead of $780, 000to aid the Indians in the culture of fruits, grains and other crops. On page is the estimate of $4,000 for the purchase, exchange, driving, maintenance and operation of an automobile for the vice president. On page 1031 is an estimate of $16,- $40 to run the dog pound for the District of Columbia.
 This hits the middle, beginning and end of teh budget book, but it is also being facetious, and that is not polite in wartime. Also, why pick on chickenfeed items like these when there are millions and tens of millions and hundreds of millions and billions and tens of billions and half a hundred billion to be spent? EXPLAINS
 TO PRESS
 The President does not read this message to Congress himself, but in a rather amazing session which he calls his annual seminar with the press, he goes over this message sen- tence by sentence. with frequent in- terruptions for questions and ex- plantations. The session lasts two hours. As only about 50 newspaper men instead of the usual 100 attend this session, chairs are provided - the gilded kind usually put around teh edge of a ballroom for wall flowers and guys with two left feet. Budget Director Harold D. Smith and couple of his aides sit behind the President to answer embarrass- ing questions. The President opens the meeting with a crack that are supposed to be very few newspaper men who know the difference be- tween a dollar and a dime, and few Presidents either.
 The budget itself. the message, the tabulationS and all the columns of figures are a matter of record but from the presidential aides at this conference, there are num- Der of tips on the shape of things to come. And to hit teh highlights, here are just few:
 Only about 35 per cent of the na- tion's steel production now goes for war; but this will be raised to 50 or 60 per cent.
 Shipbuilding, originally estimated at a possible maximum of six mil lion tons a year, will be raised to eight million, and perhaps to 10 mil- lion tons in 1943.
 Fifty thousand planes a year used to be thought an unattainable goal, but by sharpening their pencils the production men have found ways to step it up to 600OO or even 125 ,OO0 year. The types of planes, combat, bomber, training and so on. will hereafter nt be specified.
 The $56 billion budget does not include anything for St. Lawrence power and navigation project, nor for any project now before Congress in the form of a special appropria- ton bill.
 The budget includes only an ini- tial $136 billion for the war. Large supplemental requests will be made later, as will additional requests for farm aid, WPA, youth program and others.
 It is easy to say that appropria- tions for fighting the boil Weevil or catle ticks should be cut, but since we are constantly fighting nature in order to kepe from being enveloped by nature those appropriations can't be let go.
 FEWER ".. HIGHWAYS
 It will be hard for Congress to cut highway appropriations But as Budget Director Smith points out, lack of steel for reinforced con- crete roads may now limit actual highway construction, leaving Con- gress over-appropriated.
 A proposal will be made to Con- gress to change teh social security laws so that poorer states will get larger proportionate federal grants than richer states like New York.
 The President still opposes the general sales tax, but he does favor additional selective excise taxes to raise revenue, to curb the demand for civilian goods, to put the brake on inf1ationary problems, and to provide a brake that can be taken off after the war.
 The public will be encouraged to buy bonds instead of redecorating the home and making similar eX- penditures.
 Most hopeful and encouraging as poets of war financing are that the interest rates are loWer--2 1-2 per cent today as against per cent and better in 1917, that imitation is be- ing prevented by price control, and there is possibility of keeping up the national income after the war, taxes being kept up at the same 1 time to reduce the national debt.
 
 MINK FARM PROSPERS