Evening star., 1947-04-22
|1aber Calls Criticism
|0f Inferior Fund Cut
SqueaI Of Stuck Pig
Iy nc Assseiatsd prsss

ny The Assceiofsd Press
Chairman Taber Of the House
Appropriations Committee today
described protests against = n
per cent cut in the Interior De-
partment's budget as "the squeal
|of q stuck pig.
Secretary Krug declared the slash,
|if upheld by Congress, would cause
"a tremendous setback In the Ma
tioSl's economy and perhaps the
start Of . major business depres-
sion.
Mr.. Taber. retorted in an inter-
view:
The minute anyone demands q
business administration and elimi-
nation of the leeches on the Gov
ernment payroll, they squeal like
. stuck pig"
1888 Million Cut Urged.
The committee recommended yes
terday that Congress give the de-
partment $l56, 6,538, ,413 for the fiscal
year starting next july I. This is
$l38, ,881 ,9W less than President
Truman's budget estimate. Mr..
Krug said In q news conference the
cut, which would fall mainly on the
Reclamation Bureau, would lead the
Nation into bankruptcy Of It's nat
|ural resources"
Mr.. Taber countered that the Ap-
propriations Committee edid q good
job in the interest OF all the people
Of the United States, including those
In the reclamation territory" He
added:
"The Reclamation Bureau will
have $141. 1000 1000 to spend during
the next fiscal year, including the
carry-over of unexpended balances.
That is more than it had this year
and Is far more liberal than was
contemplated by President Truman
IN his order last year freezing con-
struction expenditures.
Chicanery Charged.
ANY one familiar with the In
terror Department knows that they
have SO much help in every Office
that nothing is accomplished. Great
difficulty was encountered in getting
the facts out OF the department. It
took 10 times as long as it should,
If they had been open and frank.
Never in United States history has
there been a worse example of
governmental chicanery."
Many Western Republican Repre-
sentatives were dissatisfied over the
committees action toward the Re-
clamation Bureau, but Mr.. Taber
Joined with Representative Jones,
Republican, of Ohio, In predicting
that the House will uphold the com
mittee when the bill is considered
next Thursday.
Mr.. Jones, chairman OF the SUBJ
committee which wrote the bill, said
the group had not impaired or cur
tailed any Of the essential functions
or services OF the department"
In this he differed with Mr.. Krug,
who contended the proposed reduc-
tions represent "a severe curtail-
AAASAAe AA SAtdA 1CSOu1CCn uCfclUpIIlSlll
and a virtual strangulation of major
construction on projects which are
absolutely indispensable to the ex-
panding economy of the West"
Could Upset Committee.
House Republicans who objected
to the slash are undecided whether
to try to restore the funds on the
House floor or to trust to the Senate
to put them back in the bill. There
are enough of them, If Democrats 20
along solidly, to upset the commit
tee. s
The Interior Department reduc-
ton boosted to approximately ST.
liz, ,000, 900 the total budget cuts rec
commended in three major depart
mental bills by the House Commit
tee.
Two Of the bills already have
passed the House and are pending in
the Senate. They supply funds for
the Labor Department and the Fed
eral Security Agency and for the
Treasury and Post Office.