Evening star., 1947-02-04
Senate District
Unit 10 Take Up
Size Of Staff
Preliminary Study
Shows Need Of Only
z Experts. Buck Says

SnoWs Need or Only
z Experts, Buck Says
By Harold B. Rogers
The Senate District Committee
today planned to consider the con-
troyersial question as to whether
it should employ four full-time pro
fessionai staff members" at salaries
authorized by Congress to range
from $1,000 to 5000.
Chairman Buck said preliminary
study indicated the committee may
need only two such experts-one on
fiscal affairs, the other on schools.
Four are authorized by the Con-
gressional Reorganization Act, how
ever, and the whole problem was to
be land before the committee at its
regular meeting at 2 pm. today.
Partisan Issue Raised.
Already the Democrats on some
other Senate committees have raised
the issue, claiming the Reorganiza-
ton Act directs that the minority
shall be assigned at least one of
these experts. Some Republicans,
during a recent debate on the Sem
ate floor, argued the act intends
that these experts shall be nom
political, sand shall be assigned to
the committee itself.
Some committees already have as
signed help to the minority side.
Senator johnson, Democrat, of
South Carolina, who is minority
leader in the Senate District Com
mittee, feels the Democrats should
he assigned some committee staff
to work for the minority members
of this unit. He and Senator Buck
have discussed the matter, it is
understood.
Senator Buck, meanwhile, has
been studying the staff problem in
conference with the new committee
counsel, James r. Kirkland. He is
not one Of the four professional full
time staff authorized, since he is
on a part-time basis with the COM
mittee.
Buck Considers Needs.
After preliminary survey of the
situation, Senator Buck said: 1--WE
don't want to hire these experts till
we find we need them. Then we
want to get the right men for the
job"
The Reorganization Act says this
about the professional staff:
Each standing committee of the
Senate and House is authorized
to appoint by a majority vote of
the committee not more than four
professional staff members in addi-
ton to the clerical stats on per-
manent basis without regard to
political Affiliations, and solely on
the basis of fitness to perform the
duties of the Office. = Said staff
members shall be assigned to the
chairman and ranking minority
member of such committee as the
committee may deem advisable. :"
The big appropriations committees
are given larger staffs.
A somewhat similar provision for
assignment. of the clerical staff is in
cluded in the act. It says the
clerical staff of six clerks shall be
appointed "by a majority vote of
the committee" and shall be "at-
tached to the Office of the chairman,
to the ranking minority. member,
and to the professional staff, as
the committee may deem advis-
able ="
Bilbo Aides Replaced.
In the Senate District Committee,
the Republicans made clean sweep
of all Democratic aides to Senator
Bilbo, forcer committee chairman.
New appointees were put in their
places.
On the House District COMMITTEES,
Chairman Dirksen, Republican, of
Illinois has reappointed two former
clerks, one for the minority.
Chairman Buck plans to appoint
all subcommittee of the Senate Dis
trict Committee today. They will be
companion groups to the lineup al
ready established in the House Dis
trict Committee. In line with the
growing trend towards joint meet
ings of units from House and SEN
ate, Chairmen Buck and Dirksen
plan to have thein subcommittee
get together for joint hearings on
vital District problems. One of the
most important of these will be
the Districts new tax program.
The District Commissioners eight
point tax plan to raise about $19,-
100000 to help take up the prospec-
tive deficit in the Districts pending
budget for next fiscal year has been
whipped into final shape at the Dis
trict Building. It was ready today
for submission to the Budget Bureau
for fiscal approval, before being sent
to Congress.
When it reaches Capitol Hill it will
be assigned to the fiscal subcommit-
tees of the House and Senate Dis
trict Committees. These groups are
headed by Representative Bates, Re-
publican, of Massachusetts, and Sen
ator Cain, Republican, of Washing
ton. Early joint hearings are in
prospect.
Important Bills Pending.
Several important bills were pend
ing before the Senate District Com
mittee today. They include the
OMahoney bill to establish a new
formula for the Federal payment
toward National Capital costs.
The Senate District Committee
also has before it two different bills
for expansion and improvement OF
the Districts water system.
The bill of Senator McCarran
Democrat, of Nevada for charter
commission to recommend a new
city council-city manager type OF
local government for the city, is be-
fore, the District Committee, instead
Of the Judiciary Committee to which
it was referred in the last Congress
James w. Lauderdale was expect
ed to appear before the committee