Evening star., 1950-03-19

9t1.f Dll1lOIl. Ills UUOSGI I1S uEG
the probable Post Office deficit,
running into hundreds of millions
The omnibus appropriation bill
will be a triumph for Chairman
Cannon of the House Appropri-
ations Committee and for SEN
ator Byrd of Virginia. Senator
Byrd first proposed the single ap-
preparation bill four years ago, as
a means of making both the Con-
gress and the people fully aware
Of the Governments financial sit
uation-when compared to the
Government estimated total re-
ceipts. Last year the Virginian
persuaded the Senate to adopt
a resolution calling for annual
omnibus appropriation bills. The
House took no action on the
resolution-but Mr.. Cannon in
sisted the system could be in
augurated without such action.
BY his own drive and determi-
nation, Chairman Cannon has
carried forward the project-in
the face of both latent and open
opposition. Even now, when he has
the big bill almost ready. there
are pitfalls shaping up to turn
1t back and force the committee
to bring in the usual separate
appropriation bills. dozen or
more in number. Administration
forces, both downtown and at the
Capitol, are against the omnibus
bill. Also there are certain con-
servative- minded members Of the
House who are opposed to changes
as radical as this in the method
of handling Federal appropria-
tions. The administration fears
that the omnibus bill will inter-
fere with its big spending pro-
grams.
Los-Rolling Angles
The conservatives prate about
the "log- rolling opportunities
which a single appropriation bill
NAV develop. BY this they mean
that one Senator or group OF Sen
ators will say to another Senator
or group of Senators: You vote
for this item of appropriation and
I Cor we) will vote for that item
which you desire" Log-rolling OF
this kind, however, has been prac-
ticed many times under the old,
separate appropriation bills, and
with more impunity. For no Sena-
tors or members of the House are
going to be in happy position
If and when they undertake to
increase total appropriations-so
easy to see in one bill-with a IS
billion def1cit-plus staring them
and the country in the face.
The single appropriation bill,
under such circumstances, be-
comes a great discourager Of in
creased appropriations-and log
rolling to get such increases.
There seems no way of stopping
Mr. Cannon and his one big bill
short of recommitting the bill with
instructions to bring out separate
bills. A motion of that kind, before
the single bill was considered by
the House, would be dificult-an
unusual procedure to say the
least. And after the omnibus bill
has been considered and run the
gauntlet of amendment, it would
be strange, indeed, if it should be
sent back to the committee,
leaving the House to do all over
again, in piece-meal fashion, the
work of appropriation for the
Government for the fiscal year
1851, which begins July l.
Mr.. Cannon and his committee
have gone ahead to prepare a bill
composed of 10 or a dozen CHAP
ters," each of which will be con-
sidered separately in the commit
tee of the whole, but which will
all be subject to one vote on the
passage of the omnibus bill. when
the measure emerges from the
committe of the whole into the
House.
Invites Tax Cuts
Bound up in this single pack
age appropriation bill is not only
the matter of cutting Government