The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-01-04

hard work and more of the duller facts of official life than any known to Inc that is supposed to tell all.
 After the message goes to Con- gresS it may seem to be pretty well forgotten if not positively ignored Actually it isn't. Appropriations committees take it and kick it around. They give the impression of tearing it to pieces, raising this item, lowering that, killing some re- quests for money altogether and then thinking up new ways of their own to spend money which the agencies getting it would never dare to ask for themselves.
 They take out their spite on peo- pie they don't care for, like Harold IckeS and Archie MacLeish and James Lawrence Fly, and they give little more gravy to their favor ite child, the Department of Agri- culture.
 CONGRESS BOOSTED
 ONE ASKED FUND
 A comparison of Bureau of the Budget estimates sent to Congress in Jnauary, 1944, with the appropri- ationS enacted by Congress to cover the fiscal year ending June 30, l945, shows that of the Is major divisions of government expendi- lures. eight were appropri9te ted for practically as recommended in the last presidential budget message. One was increased by Congress and nine were reduced.
 The total net change shows that Congress whittled of the Budget Bureau estimates by only little over 3 per cent. The budget mes sage recommended total appropria- lions Of 66 billion dollars and Con- greSS approved for GA billions. in round numbers. The two billion dollar net saving effected is of course not inconsiderable, but this appar- ent economizing is half a matter Of bookkeeping because in the War and Navy Department appropria- tions Congress merely granted about 9lO million dollars worth of con- tract authorizations instead of &C., tually appropriating the money this year Tor aircraft, munitions and other war production which will not be delivered until next year. The day of spending is therefore sim ply deferred and appropriations will have to be recommended in the Presidents new budget message to cover these war costs on which the government is committed.
 When you eliminate these contract authorizations from the apparent budget reduction, Congressional changing of Bureau of the Budget estimates is shown to be only about a billion and a quarter dollars, or less than per cent.
 EIGHT THEY LEFT PRETTY MUCH UNCHANGED
 The eight major departments of government spending in which Con- gress saw fit to make no major changes on Budget Bureau estimates were, in round numbers: lend-lease, three and a half billion; interest on public debt, three and three-quar- ter billion; executive office of the President, three million; veterans funds, one and a quarter billion: District of Columbia, six million, public debt retirement, 589 million: other retirement funds. 506 million: tax and other refunds, one and a half billion.
 The one item which Congress increased over budget estimate was 55 million dollar raise on soil con- servation payments, bringing the total to 505 million.
 All war activities appropriations were cat by two billion dollars. but about half of this saving was made by transferring appropriation t0 authorizations to let contracts, as mentioned apove. Total war appro' priations for the year were $54 ,588,- 100000, nearly 85 per cent of all government spending.
 Other major cuts which Congress made on budget estimates were a three million dollar, saving on legis- latiVe and judiciary appropria tions, four million dollar saving on So- cial Security appropriations ana a l50 million dollar saving on the exc cutiye departments appropriat tions The executive departments, of course, are Congress pet peeye.