Evening star., 1949-02-14
ass Million Approved
ByGroupin Deficiency
Appropriation Bill
By the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
The House Appropriations Com
mittee voted new life today for
the Office of Housing Expediter
and the War Assets Administra-
ton.
In the first big money bill of
1949 a $466 ,882,117 omnibus de-
ficiency measure. the committee
recommended also that Congress
override the Republican con =
trolled 80th Congress in dealing
with the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority and the Reclamation Bu-
reau. (The committee measure is
called a deficiency bill because it
is intended to make up the deficit
between funds available and the
larger total to be spent.}
All of its recommendations are
subject to House and Senate ap-
proval, with House debate slated
to start tomorrow and likely to
continue for two stormy days.
For the housing expediter. who
handles rent controls, the COM
mittee. approved $4,S00,00O for
operations until the end of May
This is $2.650,000 less than Presi-
dent Truman requested but will
give the agency two additional
months of life. The Republican,
backed rent control bill of 194a
contemplated liquidation of the
agency on March 81.
New Legislation Awaited.
The committee said the re-
duced sum should be sufficient
pending enactment of more last
ing rent control legislation now
under consideration.
The liquidation date for the
War Assets Administration was
changed by the committee to June
80 from the February % deadline
fixed by the last Congress. The
committee approved a S12,500,O0O
allotment for the extra period. or
S2.5OO,O00 less than the President
requested.
The committee gave its approx
al to a $2,500,000 ALLEGATION to the
Tennessee Valley Authority for q
start on construction of steam
generating plant at New Johnson
vile, Tenn, and voted s45O,OOO
for two new hydroelectric gener-
ating units at existing iva dams.
The last Congress had fatty re-
jected the new Johnsonville prof.
ects. for which Mr. Truman this
year wanted s3,00o,Oo0 as a
starter
To Avert Power Deficiency.
The committee said the steam
plant is necessary if the Govern
ment is to make full utilization
of the natural resources and OF
it's investment" in the Tennessee
Valley. It said the new plant
will avert a power production de-
ficiency in the area.
Probably the most controversial
provision in the bill is a clause
repeating a 1948 ban on Michael
Straus as head of the Bureau OF
Reclamation and Richard Boke as
regional director at Sacramento,
Calf.
The last Congress directed that
these two men not receive pay
after February l of this year be-
cause they lacked engineering ex-
perience.
President Truman requested i'm
mediate removal of the ban. say
ing it was designed to effect the
removal of two men who have
vigorously enforced the reclama-
ton laws and the public-power
policy of the Government. and
who in so doing have incurred the
wrath of powerful special in
terests.'
IA Millions Below Requests.
The bills .882,177 total is
s14,OO2,400 below aggregate
budget requests and all the money
is for use during the fiscal year
ending next June 80.
Included is s33.437 increased
compensation for the President,
voted just before the inaugura-
ton.
Other allotments include:
Displaced Persons Commission
s1,2O0,0OO, cut Of 100000
under requests.
Grants to States for public
assistance-Sl51 100000, the full
amount requested; and for un-
compensation and
employment service. the full re-
quest of $4,9S7, 900.
Housing and Home Finance
Agency-S4 100000 a cut OF $780,
900.
Other Grants Made.
Veterans Administration-$99.-
$4,000, including $55.000,000 for
veterans life insurance. 100000
for soldiers and sailors civil re-
,:e i ON 100 mn for rnicra1-