Evening star., 1947-04-25
By ]. A. OLeory

House Republicans may offer
to ease up on SOME of the cuts in
the $156, $4,000 Interior bill to
save the measure from being
sent back to the Appropriations
Committee for complete revision,
it was indicated today.
In their drive to trim President
Truman's budget all along the line.
the COP leaders slashed Interior
Department funds by AZ per cent in
the Appropriation Committee.
As the measure approached the
final vote in the House this after
noon, however, the Republicans ran
into determined Democratic effort
to recommit.
Reclamation Concessions Likely.
The concessions likely to be made
by those in charge Of the bill will
be in Western irrigation and recla-
nation projects to keep Republicans
from that section from being lured
into supporting recommittal Of the
bill.
Although the House met an hour
earlier than usual, at IL am, gen.
eral debate was slowing down the
reading of the bill. Republican
leaders said they were confident Of
preventing recommittal.
Meanwhile, Walter S. Hallanan,
chairman of the National Petroleum
Council. declared the House Ap-
preparations group has permitted
some one to attempt to smear the
petroleum industry"
Mr. Hallanan said the committee
report on Interior Department ap-
preparations niisconstrued the in--
dustry's sincere effort to provide
the Government with Industry data
and information necessary to. the
welfare and security of the Nation"
He added:
In the committees recent re-
port dealing with the oil and gas
division of the Interior Department,
the situation is so grossly distorted
as to make it appear that the statis-
tics and studies which the oil and
gas division is requesting through
the National Petroleum Council
are solely a service to the oil and
gas industry.
Statement Called Indefensable.
THE committee report further
states that. the divisions service to
industry is to provide information
which the industry cannot get with
out violating the antitrust laws.
This is wholly untrue and in
defensable statement which would
indicate that the committee has
been grossly imposed upon in the
representations made to it,"
Fighting with their backs to the
wall, House Republican leaders got
the encouraging news from the Sen
ate side that an appropriations
subcommittee had gone even deeper
than the House in reducing the
total of the Labor Federal security
supply bill.
Although the Senate group, head
ed by Senator Knowland, Repub-
lican, of California, was more lib
eral than the House in providing
The Labor Department with operat-
ing expenses, the restorations were
more than offset by a $14,345 500
cut in grants to the States for run
ming public employment offices.
Less Than House Total.
The result Is the $1,676,198 080
or-Federal security bill will go
before the full Senate Appropria-
tions Committee next week carry
ing $685., 700 less than the House
allowed. This is significant for two
reasons: ID it is the first 1948 sup
ply bill to be revised by a Senate
subcommittee; 90 frequently in the
past the House has initiated econo-
my drives only to have the totals
boosted in the Senate.
A charge that the administratio
has a backlog of $4,000 100000 In
past appropriations it could use
against the Republicans in next
years national election was made
yesterday by Representative Jones,
of Ohio during the
fSee AppP0pPTATTONS Do A-61