Evening star., 1943-06-06
Farm and Navy Funds
May Postpone Action
On Mcclellan Bill
Fireworks Expected in
Senate Over Outlay for
!, Agriculture Department
BY J. A. O'LEARY.


The McKellar bill to require
Senate confirmation of thous-
ands of Government employees
making $4,000 or more a year
will have to compete for Senate
attention this week with two big
appropriation bills carrying to-
tai of more than $25 100000, ,OOO
to run the Navy and Agriculture
Departments for the next II
months.
The Senate Appropriation Com
mittee yesterday approved the big
gest Navy bill to date, $24, 1850, ,427 1913
and an agricultural bill of $780,
$4,000 for all phases of the farm
program.
When the Senate meets at noon
stomorrow the McKellar bill will be
sthe pending question, but a move is
respected almost Immediately to
Agive the right of way to the farm
sbill and later to the Navy measure.
q Senator Mcclellan, Democrat, of
sTennessee expressed the belief last
fnight all three bills can be disposed
sof this week, but this depends on
show much debate they provoke.
Z 90 Farm Bill Fireworks Likely.
Z No controversy is in sight over
sti1e Navy supply measure but the
afarm fund bill, however, is expected
sto furnish plenty of fireworks.
The naval bill contains more than
$4,000, 100000 for new ships and
.s6,500, 100000 for naval aviation, in
addition to funds for pay, main
stenance, subsistence, training and
sother necessities.
I 1t sets up funds for an additional
#27,642 combat and training planes
con top of the 27,5OO naval planes
$heretofore appropriated for.
: If the Senate follows an already
ywell-established pattern on war fund
appropriations the naval bill Is as
@sured of speedy and possibly unop-
%posed passage.
Supporters of the McKellar con-
sfrmation bill could grant unanimous
consent tomorrow to lay that meas
sure aside temporarily, in which case
sit would come back before the Sen
~ate automatically as soon as the
appropriation bills are disposed of.
Possible Procedure.
g If unanimous consent is not given
"a formal motion could be made to
proceed with either of the appro-
>priation bills. If such motion car
ried, the McKellar bill would lose
Its present preferred status. That
would not preclude later attempts to
get it up, but it would not have the
parliamentary advantage that would
go with laying it aside temporarily
by unanimous consent.
The action Of the Appropriations
Committee in restoring the program
of the Farm Security Administra-
stion may provoke controversy in the
SENATE. In Its Original draft Of the
agricultural bill, the House commit
tee two months ago recommended
that the functions of the FSA be
turned over to the Farm Credit Ad-
administration. ASA .-s .
When the bill reached the House
floor this transfer was ruled out of
sorder, which had the effect of leav-
s1ng the agency out of the bill in
sthe House.
The Senate Committee authorized
,FSA to obtain $97 100000 from the
Reconstruction Finance Corp. for
eloans and gave the agency S29, ,607,-
s573 for administrative expenses. For
the farm tenancy program the Sen
ate Committee authorized RFC
loans up to s30Oo0,OOO and admin
,istrative expenses of $1,326,O7O.
FSA Fate in Doubt.
4 If these additions are approved
sby the Senate the ultimate fate of
sthe FSA will still rest with a con-
ference committee. The same is
true of the National Resources
Planning Board, which the House
eliminated and the Senate restored
TO the independent offices bill.
That issue is still in conference.
In another bill-the urgent eff
Cheney measure-conferee are still
at odds over whether the President
should be prevented from allocating
any of his emergency funds to the
Planning Board, the FSA or any
other agency except the War and
Navy
. Another important change the
Senate Committee made in the arm
bill yesterday was to increase the
fund for soil conservation pay
ments from >$300,OO0,0O0 to S4O0,-
100000.
While the cash total of the naval
bill as reported to the Senate is
S2,6l3 100000 less than the House
allowed, the reduction is merely a
deferment of money to be appro-
priated later. The Senate Commit
tee transferred approximately that
amount from cash to contract au-
thorlzation under the heading of
ordnance and ship maintenance.
The agricultural bill, as reported
to the Senate. carries a net in
crease of $105, $4,000 over the
House
If the McKellar bill fails to reach
a vote this week it will find itself
caught during the next two weeks
in a rush to pass at least five more
annual appropriation bills that
must become law by July /. They
are for the Interior Department.
State-Justice-C ce-Commerce, miscella-
neous civilian war agencies, the Dis
trict government and the Labor
Federal Security agencies.
Then will come the series of con-
ference agreements on these and
several other appropriation bills al
ready passed. So if the McKeIlar
bill does not pass this week its
passage this year may depend on
whether Congress takes summer
recess after the money bills are
out of the way.