Evening star., 1945-06-17
17.Mi|Iion owl Cut
May Be Restored by
Senate Subcommittee
BY J. A. OLEARY.

The Once of War Informa ton ap-
peared likely last night to get back
at least SIT 1000, 900 of the money cut
from its budget in the House when
a Senate Appropriation subcom-
mittee rewrites the $752. ZOO, 900 sup
ply bill for 19 civilian war agencies
Tuesday.
Involved In the same bill is the
future of the Fair Employment Prac-
tice Committee, whose s599, 900
budget for the year commencing
July was omitted in the House on
the theory that other committees
were still considering separate legis-
lation to give permanent status to
that agency.
The separate FEPC enabling act
was tied up In the Rules Committee
last week by Rtie vote, however, and
its current appropriation runs only
to June 80.
Senate Group Asks FEPC Funds.
Senator Myers, Democrat, OF
Pennsylvania, and a group of other
witnesses, went before the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee in
executive session yesterday to plead
for inclusion of the FEPC budget
for another II months in the war
agencies bill.
The S178,0O0000 budget of OPA
to keep it going after June 80 like
wise was left out Of this general war
agencies bill by the House pending
decision by both branches on ex-
tending the life of the Price Control
Act, which also expires June 30.
The House Banking Committee
completed public hearings yesterday
and meets tomorrow morning to
pass on the Senate bill. extending
OPA for a year, with Republicans
planning fight to make it a six
month extension. Since some eX-
tension Is foregone conclusion, 1t
is expected that funds to meet OPA
operating expenses will be added
D. either to the war agencies bill or to
a general deficiency bill expected to
! be drawn up in the house later this
week.
/ Congress Speeds Work.
Both branches of Congress will
work at top speed for the next 10
days to finish up half dozen money
bills that face a June 30 deadline.
including the $4,000, 100000 Army
budget to push the war against
Japan, which President Truman
transmitted to the House last week.
While waiting for these appropria-
tion measures to come from COM
mittee. Senate leaders will press
for final vote by Tuesday or We'd
. nesday on the three-year extension
of the foreign trade agreement act,
! which expired June l2
Some opponents of tariff cutting
as a means of increasing foreign
! trade yesterday conceded the ad-
ministration will succeed in restor-
Ing the House provision allowing
! the President to reduce present i'm
. port duties by so per cent. The
. opposition has been trying to hold
. the bill to straight extension of
the old law, which limited tariff cuts
; to so per cent of the 1880 rate
schedule.
Tariff Vote Will Be Close.
Although the vote will be close,
reliable sources estimated the ad-
ministrati ton would win by a mar
gin of five votes. The vote may be
even closer on the fight Senator
OMahoney, Democrat of Wyoming. |
is leading to require Congressional
approval of future trade agree
ments.
Indications last night were that
q strong effort will be made in the |
Senate to put the FEPC funds in
the war agencies bill, but it was
not certain what the exact recon-
of the subcommittee
would be.
! With regard to Owl, the testi-
mony OF military leaders in support
of continuing the agency's European
functions is understood to have car
ried weight with the Senate SUBJ
committee members.
: For the past year Owl had s53,-
o75.367. For the year ahead the
Budget scaled this down to $4,000
900. The House Appropriations
Committee again applied the prun-
ing knife by approving only s35 ,O00,-
900. When the bill reached the
House floor another s17OO0.0OO was
'lopped off, leaving the agency with
ss18 100000 for all purposes. Indica-
stions last night were the Senate
Subcommittee will go back at least
TO the s35,Ooo,OOo total, and may
raise it even closer to the budget
estimate.