Evening star., 1945-06-09
House Republicans
Take>Credit for Cut
In owl Allotment
BY the Associated press.

BY the Associated Press.
House Republicans today
claimed credit for the success of
an economy drive against the
Office of War Information, while
Democratic leaders pondered
over a heavy voting majority
that doesn't always vote.
A reduction of $17,00o,000 from
1916 fiscal year funds Of the owl
represented a clear-cut Republican
victory.
It may be a short-lived victory.
The Senate frequently has restored
such House-voted reductions and
the House has acquiesced or COM
promised by accepting half of the
Senate's increases.
Almost q Party Vote.
The 138-to-128 House vote that
left owl only $18,000,000 for the
next fiscal year was almost party
vote.
Not single Republican opposed
the cut in Owls domestic and
European activities, while 20 Demo-
Gratis and a Progressive joined lit
Republicans to support it. The
cut does not affect the agency's
Pacific operations.
Almost 100 Democratic votes
failed to show up for the balloting.
Normally almost all would have op-
posed the reduction. Republican
absentees numbered about 10.
Ramspeck Deplores Absenteeism.
IF is unfortunate" commented
Democratic Whip Ramspeck, that
so many members are absent on a
vote of such Importance
While Mr.. Ramspeck had moth
ing to say concerning action on
Democratic "absenteeism," party
lieutenants asserted something un-
doubtedly must be done if the top
heavy Democratic majority is to
mean anything in showdown.
Representative Taber, Republican,
of New York lambasted owl as "a
terrible setup" in offering his mo-
ton to slash its funds.
IaDer CenSureS waste.
Lets put an end to this waste"
he told the House, calling his pro-
posed reduction conservative" and
insisting Owl could operate effec-
lively on $7,500,000. Large news
agencies such as the Associated
Press and the United Press, he de-
clared, operate all over the world
on much less than the $4,000, 900
left for owl, land they cover over
thousand times as much"
Owls was the only allotment re-
duced as the s752, ,764 $50 War Agency
supply bill was passed, ISL to 2, and
sent to the Senate. Almost every
item previously had been pared by
both the Budget Bureau and the
House Appropriations Committee.
A Republican drive to eliminate
all funds for the Office of Economic
Sterilization and the Office Of Inter-
American Affairs and to cut the War
Relocation Authority's appropria-
ton begged down. An amendment to
eliminate the entire fund for the
OES carried first by an 87-to-69 vote,
but was defeated finally, 113 to 100.
No attempt was made to include
funds for the Once of Price Ad-
ministration and the Foreign Eco
nomic Administration. Both were
left out by the Appropriations Com
mittee pending disposition of legis-
lation affecting their operations.
Floor Fight Diverted.
A move to insert the budget esti-
mate of $599 900 for the Fair EN-
ployment Practices Committee,
which the Appropriations Commit
tee omitted, also failed after a
heated FEPC debate almost led to
blows between Representatives
Chelf, Democrat, Of Kentucky and
Marcantonio, American Labor, Of
New York. Legislation to make the
FEPC a permanent and statutory
agency is before the Rules Commit
tee, which has scheduled a vote for
next Tuesday.
A House attendant hurriedly
stepped between Mr.. Marcantonio
and Mr.. Chelf as they moved toward
one another.
For the second time in the day
the New Yorker accused FEPC op-
ponents of double dealing" and
fighting the bill behind closed
doors"
Mr. Chelf shouted:
III say to the gentleman that
its things like that-your attitude
that explain why you don't have
more support than you do"
The two rushed toward each
other, shouting and gesticulating
From somewhere a House employe
stepped between them while the
presiding ofi1cer banged his gavel.
Order was restored In few minutes.
Siomese Twin High Student