The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-15
Budget Tinkering
Ry W. G.. BRYANT

WAsHINGTON-The COP. Congress mas
reached a critical point in Its drive 10 c"'
Federal spending in fiscal ls4o. j.,
Plans of tight-fisted Republican leaders ~
the House and Senate to CHIP several pliion ny"
from President Truman's $37.5 billion ouoge'
viii he sorely tested in the days just anead'
There are signs of despair from some OF the
most economy-minded legislators; others are
determined to push ahead with their program
to white down pending Appropriation ohio
The House thinks Uncle Sam can get
along next year on $31.5 billion-tully 80 on
lion less than the President has asked. Inc
Senate set S33 billion as its goal, and then
lacked on a pledge that $2.6 billion OF any
revenue surplus should go to reouce the puOllc
debt. Up to now the two legislative oooles
haven't been able to reconcile their views.
These developments promise to bring the
budgetary program to a mead IN te mean
future:
/. With the next two weeks, house ana
Senate conferees will make a second, anu
probably final, attempt to compromise their
differences and agree on a budget celllhg 1ol
the year starting next July /. To nave any
official status, this congressional budget,
called for in the Congressional Reorganlza-
ton Act OF 1916, must be approved in a con-
current resolution by both Houses.
2. Republican econo1n1Zers in the House are
facing their first major challenge. The House
Appropriations Committee is about to report a
bill allocating funds to the Interior depart
ment for fiscal l948. According to Committee
members, a big bite will be taken from tunds
requested for reclamation projects and otner
public works. Western congressman, Re
publican and Democrat alike, are up in arms
over this threat to pet programs. Involved
are plans for a new Eva in the MISSOURI
River Valley, and for reclamation and lrrlga-
tion proprams in the Central Valley Of Cali
fornia.
3. On the other side of the Capitol. the
Senate will soon vote on its first l940 appro-
~priation bill that for the Treasury and Post
Office Departments. The House cut more than
$3.50 million from funds the President asked
for these two agencies. The vote in the
Senate will give the first clue as to how close
ly the senior statesmen will follow their jun
iors in budget pairing. In the past, the Senate
has ordinarily been more generous than the
House.
The real test of the economy campaign,
however, is likely to come on the setting of an
overall budget figure by House and Senate
conferees. Those who dislike rigid economy
have sought to postpone or prevent any agree
ment to reduce spending. They have argued
that a budget ceiling, even if one can be
agreed on, isn't legally binding and will have
no effect on Federal spending.
Tempers Of some of the conferees are be-
ginning to wear thin. Sen. Millikin (R., Colo.)
admits that a permanent Stalemate is posi-
BILE. Rep. Taber (R., N. ", chief House con-
fierce and the one responsible for calling the
negotiators together again cries, whats the
use?''
The first conference on the d + e r i n 6
budget resolutions was held two weeks ago
and came to naught. Senate delegates wanted
to set as expenditures figure of $32 Is billion
and pay So billion on the national debt. These
terms We're acceptable to House members
only on condition that the compromise resolu-
ton also pledge the first 81 billion of revenue
surplus to a tax cut, passed by the House.
II no agreement can be reached, Mr.. Mill
kin and his most responsible colleagues in
tend to keep within the Senate version of the
budget and see to it that Uncle Sam spends
no more than $33 billion in the coming fiscal
year. MIR. Taber and his cohorts insist they'll
stay within the $31. 5 billion House figure.
But less optimistic observers predict that
the net result OF this independent action will
be to weaken the Congressional e c o n O in Y
drive. House members. anxious to get funds
for farm projects and public works, can
argue, why should we be so niggardly, when
we know the Senate isn't going. to cut Presi-
cent humans budget anything like Sc bill
non! IN the Senate, where the w e S t e + n
oloc is even stronger, advocates of free spend
ing likely will ask, Why should we bend our
EFFORTS towards a sizable payment on the
public debt, when the House has sighted this
matter all along?''
economy advocates already are having
trouble holding their associates in lines. Some
republican members of the House Appcopria-
tlons committee are UP in arms over PROPOSAL
to delete all funds for the Missouri VALLEY
project.
In a recent vote on a deficiency bill. the
House added S. million for the school lunch
program, possibly presaging a favorable vote