Evening star., 1947-05-05
Fund Bill Would End
Foreign information,
Cultural Programs
ly The As.eeietsd Press

n 70 per cent CUT III tle COm-
bined 1948 budget of three Gov
ernment departments and the
Federal courts was recommended
today by the House Appropria-
tions Committee.
The committee sent the $535, ,728.-
0o8 omnibus supply bill to the House
floor with a sharp report warning all
Federal agencies against spending
psychology" and making these rec
concentrations for funds:
State Department: $219, ,128 058, a
reduction Of S60, 400 ,565, or % per
cent below the Presidents budget
estimates but $37 ,592 ,352 more than
1t had for the current year. Thecut
includes recommendation that the
departments war-born foreign in
formation and cultural relations
program, including the "Voice of
America" radio broadcasts, be abol-
ished.
Commerce Hard Hit.
Commerce Department: $191 ,057,-
600, a 80 per cent cut below the bud
get figure of 1886, ,989 900 and $780,
420 less than for 1947.
Justice Department: $108, 1896, 500
q cut of about az per cent from
budget estimates of Sill ,470, 900 and
S1,293, ,450 less than the 1947 total
Federal Judiciary (the courts !;
$l7,146, ,450. a 20 per cent slash from
budget estimates of $40, 0,724, 300 and
s1.39o,152 below 1947.
The bills total is $162, ,893,515 be-
low budget estimates but $26, ,948 $3.50
more than the combined agencies
received this year.
The bill finances activities of the
agencies for the fiscal year starting
next July /. 1t is scheduled for
House consideration late this week
Antitrust Funds Backed.
In lengthy report explaining
It's actions, the committee also rec
commended:
/. Funds for the Justice Depart
ments drive to recover claimed
freight overcharges against the Gov
ernment during the war and for
the antitrust divisions campaign
against the "big fish" among monop-
olies.
2. The full $35,000000 requested
for the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton by director j. Edgar Hoover,
who told the committee of increas-
ing crime and said Communists
have penetrated every field of ac-
tivity in this country"
Personnel Slashes were indicated
but not specified, for every agency.
State Department Criticized.
The State Department generally,
the committee said, appears to be
an unco-ordinated series of Offices,
divisions and sundry offshoots," and
"it would seem that a reorganization
should be made"
The department has grown too
large too rapidly for its own good
and the good of the Nation it
added.
OF the total recommended for the
State Department, $50,oo0,00o is for
the purchase of foreign currency &C
quired through lend-lease settle
ments and the sales of surplus prop
erty. This money will go into the
Treasury.
For the Justice Deartments ef-
fort to recover railroad rate re-
funds, the committee approved the
full budget estimate of $250,0o0. De-
partment officials had estimated
possible recoveries as high as ST.
10000, 900.
Would Cut Census Bureau.
The report said the Commerce
Department prepares ard distrib-
utes too many publications and un-
dertakes too many surveys. The
committee refused funds for the
census of religious bodies and elec-
trical industries, and cut the Census
Bureaus total request from $19,-
205 900 to $10,500,000.
Other substantial reductions rec
commended included:
International Boundary and
Water Commission, United States
and Mexico, cut to $4000,000 from a |
request for S8,0oo,000 for construc-
tion.
Philippine rehabilitation cut to
$45 100000 from $54,092, 900.
Civil Aeronautics Administration, |
cut to s119.507 900 from s189 1894, 900, |
including slashes of s32,500 900 in 1
the Federal-aid airport program and
S18,670,000 for establishment Of air
navigation facilities.
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce. cut to 100000 from
Sll l,675,000.
e., Mill