Evening star., 1946-05-07
Interior Funds
Cut 5096, |ckes
1enureAssaiIed
House Committee Rops
'Inefficiency, Gross
| Extravaganza
BY the Assoeioted Press


Committee today recommended
an unprecedented slash of near
ly so per cent in the Interior De-
partment's budget for the fiscal
year starting July !.
Without mentioning the name Of
former Secretary Harold L. Ickes.
who resigned last February, the
committee assailed what it called
"ineficiency and gross extravagance
in certain agencies" and demanded
that the department place its house
in ORDER
The time has come" the COM
mittee said in a report sending the
sl74,652,579 measure to the House
floor for debate tomorrow, when
expenditures must be curtailed to
the greatest possible extent to tho
end that there will not be consist
emily mounting appropriations for
the various bureaus and agencies"
1t said it was hopeful that under
the dynamic leadership" of the new
Secretary, j. A. Krug. the depart
ment will be placed on a more eff
cient basis and that he will replace
ineff1ciency and extravaganza in cer-
tain agencies with economy and eff
ciency"
The Sl74,652,579 the committee
recommended for the department is
a reduction of $172,113,25l from
Budget Bureau estimates and $24,-
POL ,248 below current year funds.
Every Agency Cut.
Every agency and bureau of the
far-flung department which op-
crates from Maine to Alaska to Ha-
waii felt the effects of the commit
tees slashing. sharpest dealt to any
department.
One OF the deepest cuts was made
in the budget of the Southwestern
Power Administration, an agency
personally supported by House
Speaker Rayburn. The budget esti-
mate of s23,323,0O0 was hacked to
s3,29S, 900. The agency had asked
the money for transmission lines
from hydroelectric power dams in
the Southwest and to construct
steam plants to augment the water
power as part of a long-term pro-
gram costing $500, 100000.
The Reclamation Bureau was on
the receiving end of the largest
moneyed reduction. The commits
tee trimmed the services s166 6,894,.
055 estimate to s72,281,475, with the
explanation that materials for
many construction projects are not
available and the money cannot be
spent at this time.
Typical of the knuckle-wrappina
the committee gave many of the de-
partment's agencies was the advice
to the Indian Service to be LESS
extravagant and far more thrifty
in the expenditure of funds" be-
longing to Indians.
Revenue Increase Urged.
The committee reiterated previous
urgingS that efforts be made by
the department to bring its rev.
enues up to par with operating ex-
penses. During 1945. it ssaid, net
revenues exclusive of trust funds
reached an all-time high of nearly
$50 900, but probably will drop
slightly until 1948.
Mr.. Ickes resigned from the cabi.
net as the outgrowth of a bitter
dispute with President Truman over
the latters nomination of Edwin
w. Pauley to be Undersecretary of
the Navy. The nomination later
was withdrawn.
The committee report stated that
Its action in cutting the Reclama-
ton Bureau estimates was decided
largely by the fact that the bureau
mad on hand, as of January /, 1916,
Sl35,376,3 1903 in unexpended funds.
This. added to the Sat $3.50, 900
requested for construction work
alone, would give a total of $685.
7o6,3o8 to be expended on projects
during the 18-month period begin.
ming with the first of this year.
the report said 1t added:
The committee is convinced that
such an enormous sum, which is
many times prewar appropria tions
Tor this purpose, is not warranted or
necessary at this time and it has
grave doubts that the bureau could
expend funds approaching such a
total during the 18-month period.
This conviction has been doubly
strengthened by the recent order
giving priority to veterans housing,
insofar as the purchase of building
materials is concerned"
Representative Jed johnson, DEM
ocrat, of Oklahoma, chairman of the
subcommittee, questioned witnesses
at length during hearings on the ap-
preparation bill about DR.. Ruth
tSee INTERIOR, Page AID