Evening star., 1949-09-10
The Political Mill
Single Appropriation Bill
Called Blow for Economy
Representative Cannon, Senator Byrd
Call for Clear View of Obligations
By Gould Lincoln

A strong blow for Government economy
is being struck in the House by Representa-
tive Clarence Cannon of Missouri, chairman
Of the House Appropriations Committee, and
in the Senate by Senator Harry Flood Byrd
Of Virginia. chairman Of the Joint Com
mittee on Reduction Of Non Essential Fed
eral Expenditures This, If it works out, will
provide for a single, omnibus appropriation
bill-to take the place of dozen separate
appropriation bills for the various agencies Of
the Government
Mr.. Cannon, If he has his way-and it
may be expected he will-will report to the
House an omnibus appropriation bill in tie
session Of the present Congress which opens
next January 3. He has promised that this
bill will be reported to the House from lis
committee not later than April IS. 1t will be
possible under his program, to present at
one time, and in complete outline, in con-
junction with total available revenues, the
entire financial program Of the Government.
Clear View Seen Needed.
This, in the opinion of Mr.. Cannon and
Of Senator Byrd. will give the Congress and
the people a much-needed and clear view
OF the fiscal obligations and resources of the
Government. This, as they point out, has
been impossible under the old system of ap-
preparation bills separately considered and
enacted into law-until the last of the sep
arate bills has been passed. AS Senator Byrd
has put it, This would take fantasy out OF
our financing and shed clear light"
In period when the Government is again
entering the red and is engaged in large
deficit spending; in period when the Tru-
man Administration is plugging for new and
costly programs by the Federal Government,
the benefit Of this omnibus appropriation
bill Is apparent. Not only will it compel the
various agencies of the Government to adjust
their appropriations and subsequent expendi-
lures to At the whole cloth of the financial
program, but it will give pause to any en-
trance on new programs which might force
the Government further into deficit spend
ing and an increase Of the huge 1882, ,000,-
100000 public debt.
OF particular value is the latter. When
government enters on a new program Of
spending-in a new f1eld-it may do so in
comparatively small way. But once such
new program has toehold. it invariably
expands. Nor is it likely that such new
activities can ever be abandoned
The proposed new omnibus appropriation
Dill. taken in conjunction with the reorgani-
zation OF the executive agencies of govern
ment, proposed in the Hoover Commission
report should go far to bring the Federal
budget into proper relation to government
receipts. 1t should be of tremendous value
10 tne American taxpayer, who has to foot
the bills.
Senator Byrd, discussing the finances Of
the Government in the current issue of The
Country Gentleman, called attention to the
fact that the budget "is the most important
current publication in world, because it
decides whether the one leading nation in
the worlds history which was built on free
dom will endure or collapse in bankruptcy"
The budget is printed on 1900 pages-and,
as the Virginia Senator said few read it.
He quoted from Thomas Jefferson a para
graph which should have tremendous sig.
nincance for the American people today.
Mr.. Jefferson said:
i place economy among the first and
foremost important virtues, and public debt
as the greatest of dangers to be feared. II
we can prevent the Government from vast.
ing the labors Of the people under the pre-
tense of caring for them. they will be happy"
Mr.. Cannon has pointed out that it is
difficult in these postwar days to get back
to normal conditions and exercise prudent
economy. and yet it must be done
1T is hard" he said, ito begin thinking
again in terms of prewar expenditures and
to drop from billions down to millions,
from millions down to thousands-from
dollars down to pennies, yet we must begin
to count even pennies"